eriko
21 December 2011, 11:07 AM
I was just thinking about something and than it struck me that we live in a nation where their is complete ideological and intellectual bankruptcy. I am not sure if you would agree with me or not. But I seriously can't make much of what is happening today.
For example there is no political will, and no patriotism especially among the one sitting on the chairs. I think there is a complete lack of motive behind anything that an average Indian does. And this sometimes makes me feel that the whole concept of being happy is overrated. Like in an American survey it was found that people considered it their moral right to be happy. As if happiness is not something that you earn but something that you demand. (And please don't confuse happiness with peace as it would lead to a pointless debate.) I am not against it but what about investing you time in creating things or even discovering them.
Let me explain their are always two kind of people. One who create, and the others who discover. And both of these are in the form of creativity. And then there was always this stupid survey that said that creativity has decreased in the recent years.
If we look in our past we see so many saints and sages either discovering or creating things. And because of the richness of culture, especially literature, the whole kingdom seems to have some kind of cultural policy. Just like a newspaper has an editorial policy which it loyally follows. But what about a national policy. Like some kind of collective belief in which the majority believes and the nation together tries to work according to it. Like a country that believes in Research and produces scores of scientists and researchers. I think this is something that one could call a progressive work culture. To start with India does not even have a work culture.
I think one of the reasons behind this mindless labor and strain that Indians are putting in is because of over population. I don't mind overpopulation that much even though too much of it does put and considerable amount of pressure on the Earth. As a matter of fact it can prove very beneficial to a country's economy if the problem is handled cleverly. (I only state this as India is an overpopulated country and there is nothing that can change this fact. At least not any sooner. So why don't look at the bright side of things. Over population is uncool.)
And there is another thing. The Romans, the Greeks and the what not were great empires and they failed. It is only after their failure that we study them and look for greatness in them. On the one hand we think of them as primitive and on the other hand their is awe. As if at the end of an empire all its faults are overlooked and its milestones applauded , and there is nothing left but greatness. Relating the same to India we talk about how our freedom fighters fought against the British and then we erect statues of them (of course the government never does of the ones that want it too). But isn't it actually humiliating that we got ruled in first place. Why do we try to overlook our faults? Again and example of the same when the Mughals ruled over us, and all we have done is made movies glamorizing them. I know some might think about the relation between being ruled by foreigners and a progressive work culture.
Of course there is a relation between the two. Both of them point towards the intellectual and ideological bankruptcy. We stand, but for nothing. All we see is our stomach. Oh I know how there would be someone who would argue that Indians are poor and we need to fill are stomach. Or the fact that we struggle a lot in life and all that stuff. I know that we are poor and all that stuff but it still doesn't answer the question. Extreme poverty, yes of course leads to intellectual bankruptcy (though I don't think ideological), and I think it is greed that leads to ideological one. But what about the people who do lead a comfortable life and I know that many of us do. Do we not have even the slightest amount of time to think where are we headed? What is the consequence of our actions?
I mean why are so many bureaucrats corrupt? Don't they know what they are doing is morally wrong? My question to all who are are reading this is that where is India headed. We have no base and no history because the present Indian generation does not connect themselves to it. So there is no point talking about are glorious past and blah blah. But there must be certain factors that determine the ideology and the general intellectual level of the people. But what are they and why aren't they functioning?
Look at America. Great nation, one that I have always admired. It has got people that drive it. The political class of that country is just at some other level. They got the best facilities and the best research. And believe me I know that they also have their own bunch of fools too. And they are more foolish than most Indians. But than the driving class there is also better and more powerful than the handful of Indians here. People are patriotic and they are not as greedy as us. And still that country struggles. And there too is lack of intellect and ideology. For example there are some fools who want to build a mosque at Ground Zero which I feel is a tight slap on the face of all the victims of 9/11. But at least their government killed Osama. Did what it had too. (It is an another matter that war thing led to deficit of funds and hell of bad governance and what we see is now is the Occupy movement.) There could be other examples where people spend money to watch other people kill each other. And other such stupid activities. But the point is they got good people too and the ones who have ample of sense.
But what do we have. People who are neither as smart nor as foolish as the west, just average. Another example. A friend of mine went to France on a student exchange program. Of course the people their did not study as we are made to. (Well they do not even have exams so what do you expect.) And there she saw that everyone had their own dressing sense and style. Quite unlike the Indian herd mentality where every teenager dresses alike. There is no personal innovation or even attitude I would say. Its gets a little better in college but since I did not experience France first hand I am in no position to compare. But I think you get what I mean.
India as a nation is too much dependent on luck. Oh God our government did nothing like the Chinese to attract foreign investment (and then we cry the Dragon is ahead of the Tiger). Everything happened on its own. And the present condition of the sensex is the proof of it.
I have put my post in this section because I want answers according to Hindu way of life, and also because I think our ancestors were way too smarter than we are. And then it makes me think that where did it all start? I know for sure when the Rajputs came in power we had already lost it in us. There was a also a story that somebody told me that after the Mahabharata their was some kind of curse that people won't stand up for what they believe in. Relate it to the present no political will, no work culture, demand for wages without work, and even reservation.
As a matter of fact I also think that Caste system also had a role in this. Because, if you think, intercaste marriages would have directly led to the decrease in gene pool. While in case of America the opposite happened. People from all over the world came together and married. Such a diversified gene pool would have led to smarter progeny. Frankly, even while writing it feels stupid that Indian may not be that smart as we think of ourselves. Or maybe we are just better at rote learning and not understanding.
I think any kind of will or belief is very important to make your work meaningful. There needs to be motive, reason or ambition behind it. I don't see it. The much respected corporate class in India too is much behind the rest of the world. No point in dragging overweight housewives to this discussion then.
There is so much more that I could have added to my post. But let this be enough. I think I have quoted enough examples as for how I think that Intellectual and Ideological bankruptcy is effecting our personal lives and nation in general. If you have any ideas on why is it is so, when did it all start, is it a present phenomenon, a kind of curse (Personally I don't believe in the Mahabharata thing), or maybe I am wrong. Or whatever just post below.
Regards
Eriko
For example there is no political will, and no patriotism especially among the one sitting on the chairs. I think there is a complete lack of motive behind anything that an average Indian does. And this sometimes makes me feel that the whole concept of being happy is overrated. Like in an American survey it was found that people considered it their moral right to be happy. As if happiness is not something that you earn but something that you demand. (And please don't confuse happiness with peace as it would lead to a pointless debate.) I am not against it but what about investing you time in creating things or even discovering them.
Let me explain their are always two kind of people. One who create, and the others who discover. And both of these are in the form of creativity. And then there was always this stupid survey that said that creativity has decreased in the recent years.
If we look in our past we see so many saints and sages either discovering or creating things. And because of the richness of culture, especially literature, the whole kingdom seems to have some kind of cultural policy. Just like a newspaper has an editorial policy which it loyally follows. But what about a national policy. Like some kind of collective belief in which the majority believes and the nation together tries to work according to it. Like a country that believes in Research and produces scores of scientists and researchers. I think this is something that one could call a progressive work culture. To start with India does not even have a work culture.
I think one of the reasons behind this mindless labor and strain that Indians are putting in is because of over population. I don't mind overpopulation that much even though too much of it does put and considerable amount of pressure on the Earth. As a matter of fact it can prove very beneficial to a country's economy if the problem is handled cleverly. (I only state this as India is an overpopulated country and there is nothing that can change this fact. At least not any sooner. So why don't look at the bright side of things. Over population is uncool.)
And there is another thing. The Romans, the Greeks and the what not were great empires and they failed. It is only after their failure that we study them and look for greatness in them. On the one hand we think of them as primitive and on the other hand their is awe. As if at the end of an empire all its faults are overlooked and its milestones applauded , and there is nothing left but greatness. Relating the same to India we talk about how our freedom fighters fought against the British and then we erect statues of them (of course the government never does of the ones that want it too). But isn't it actually humiliating that we got ruled in first place. Why do we try to overlook our faults? Again and example of the same when the Mughals ruled over us, and all we have done is made movies glamorizing them. I know some might think about the relation between being ruled by foreigners and a progressive work culture.
Of course there is a relation between the two. Both of them point towards the intellectual and ideological bankruptcy. We stand, but for nothing. All we see is our stomach. Oh I know how there would be someone who would argue that Indians are poor and we need to fill are stomach. Or the fact that we struggle a lot in life and all that stuff. I know that we are poor and all that stuff but it still doesn't answer the question. Extreme poverty, yes of course leads to intellectual bankruptcy (though I don't think ideological), and I think it is greed that leads to ideological one. But what about the people who do lead a comfortable life and I know that many of us do. Do we not have even the slightest amount of time to think where are we headed? What is the consequence of our actions?
I mean why are so many bureaucrats corrupt? Don't they know what they are doing is morally wrong? My question to all who are are reading this is that where is India headed. We have no base and no history because the present Indian generation does not connect themselves to it. So there is no point talking about are glorious past and blah blah. But there must be certain factors that determine the ideology and the general intellectual level of the people. But what are they and why aren't they functioning?
Look at America. Great nation, one that I have always admired. It has got people that drive it. The political class of that country is just at some other level. They got the best facilities and the best research. And believe me I know that they also have their own bunch of fools too. And they are more foolish than most Indians. But than the driving class there is also better and more powerful than the handful of Indians here. People are patriotic and they are not as greedy as us. And still that country struggles. And there too is lack of intellect and ideology. For example there are some fools who want to build a mosque at Ground Zero which I feel is a tight slap on the face of all the victims of 9/11. But at least their government killed Osama. Did what it had too. (It is an another matter that war thing led to deficit of funds and hell of bad governance and what we see is now is the Occupy movement.) There could be other examples where people spend money to watch other people kill each other. And other such stupid activities. But the point is they got good people too and the ones who have ample of sense.
But what do we have. People who are neither as smart nor as foolish as the west, just average. Another example. A friend of mine went to France on a student exchange program. Of course the people their did not study as we are made to. (Well they do not even have exams so what do you expect.) And there she saw that everyone had their own dressing sense and style. Quite unlike the Indian herd mentality where every teenager dresses alike. There is no personal innovation or even attitude I would say. Its gets a little better in college but since I did not experience France first hand I am in no position to compare. But I think you get what I mean.
India as a nation is too much dependent on luck. Oh God our government did nothing like the Chinese to attract foreign investment (and then we cry the Dragon is ahead of the Tiger). Everything happened on its own. And the present condition of the sensex is the proof of it.
I have put my post in this section because I want answers according to Hindu way of life, and also because I think our ancestors were way too smarter than we are. And then it makes me think that where did it all start? I know for sure when the Rajputs came in power we had already lost it in us. There was a also a story that somebody told me that after the Mahabharata their was some kind of curse that people won't stand up for what they believe in. Relate it to the present no political will, no work culture, demand for wages without work, and even reservation.
As a matter of fact I also think that Caste system also had a role in this. Because, if you think, intercaste marriages would have directly led to the decrease in gene pool. While in case of America the opposite happened. People from all over the world came together and married. Such a diversified gene pool would have led to smarter progeny. Frankly, even while writing it feels stupid that Indian may not be that smart as we think of ourselves. Or maybe we are just better at rote learning and not understanding.
I think any kind of will or belief is very important to make your work meaningful. There needs to be motive, reason or ambition behind it. I don't see it. The much respected corporate class in India too is much behind the rest of the world. No point in dragging overweight housewives to this discussion then.
There is so much more that I could have added to my post. But let this be enough. I think I have quoted enough examples as for how I think that Intellectual and Ideological bankruptcy is effecting our personal lives and nation in general. If you have any ideas on why is it is so, when did it all start, is it a present phenomenon, a kind of curse (Personally I don't believe in the Mahabharata thing), or maybe I am wrong. Or whatever just post below.
Regards
Eriko