Power of Observation

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: One of the first simple 'siddhis' one encounters is the realisation that our own observation can be tuned up. I am reminded of old Candid Camera (for youngsters, and Indians, it was a TV show where a hidden camera was used to observe people's reactions in set - up or contrived situations.)

Occasionally they would do something to watch a value reaction. For example, they'd spill some garbage on a sidewalk, then place a garbage container, a broom, and dustbin nearby. Usually it was done in a public place like a bus stand. Then they'd give some kind of small reward to the first person who noticed, but also turned that noticing into action by taking the half minute to clean it up.

Yoga (I mean this in the true whole sense) aspirants are taught to sit and watch, observe, see what they can see. Now most of the people on the planet just stumble about, too into themselves, or entrapped in anava. That's just an observation, not a criticism. But then there are those that 'see' . They can read into situations, feel body gestures, etc. A good example of this power (available in the west to see) is poker players who are able to get reads on their opponents, even able to predict the opponent's hands with relative accuracy, not just randomness.

How does one develop this skill? In my opinion, it takes time, and practice. You need to be in a situation, like at a mall watching, or in an airport, or on a street corner. But its amazing what you can 'see' and learn from exercise. Then you can take this stuff, whether 'good or bad' and apply it to yourself. My wife and I sat in the lobby of a hotel recently and purposely but without people knowing, watched people check in, check out, etc, and their mannerisms, along with the reactions of the counter staff. Of course we learned (or rather reinforced previous leaning) how simple acts of smiles, courtesy, etc helped things go smoothly.

Then from the external observing, turn it inward, with the goal of 'watching your own mind think'. That's a little harder, because often you will discover stuff there that you wish you didn't have, adharmic stuff, like a propensity for violent or aggressive behaviour, or an inability to be honest with yourself. Yet that too is progress.

Thoughts?

Aum Namasivaya

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: I think the last 'ism' to be removed from the planet will be appearancism, the idea of prejudging based on looks and looks alone. I'm sure others can't help but have noticed, as examples abound.

Regarding airlines, I've heard Air Canada being criticised for the age (read looks as well) of the stewardesses. On the other hand, when I was in India, we had 4 flights on Kingfisher, and it stuck me that they must have a hiring policy based on youth and looks. I may be wrong, just based on a very small sampling. It struck me though, as has a particular television channel here in my country. It seems every new news or weather person has to be good looking.

Comparing the two airlines left me with admiration for Air Canada, and a questioning sense of what happens to the Kingfisher stewardess once she is at a particular age that goes outside the parameters, if indeed the parameters exist. Of course the service was relatively equivalent.

Tons of sociological studies have been done on this, such as having two identical booths, with two different looking people manning each, and being the only variable. Of course the results show that the one with the perceived more attractive appearance gets more customers.

So a question that arises is, when words such as "I'm not a racist," or "We don't hire based on looks," and then the actions are incongruent with that, what are we to think?

And further, in the area of self-reflection, given that circumstance of the booth, "Which person would I walk toward?" Really?

Sorry for the behavioral ramblings.

Aum Namasivaya

[Believer]

So long as you call your post 'a rambling', I thought maybe I can ramble along too.

In Eastern countries, the flight attendant's job is usually not a career job, but a job between finishing college and settling down (getting married) for reasonably good looking females. The younger employees in such a job tend to have a sense of 'national pride' while serving you and are more eager to please you. It is not just another unionized job for life for them. In my observation, that works out better for travelers, in terms of their attitude and their desire to please the customer. The flight attendants of European and N. American airlines do what is defined in their work description, and no more. I avoid such airlines for overseas travel whenever I can. My last encounter was an older flight attendant on a AA flight I took from Chicago to Delhi. She spilled orange juice all over me, right down to my shoes and socks. Some of it splashed on her clothes too. I muttered aloud to no one in particular, 'I am wet all over'. To which, she said, 'What about me, my dress is ruined too.' I could care less what happened to her, since it was of her making, and also her job is to apologize to the customer she inconvenienced, not complain to me about her predicament.

Another factor is that human being are the only living beings with a sense of aesthetics. Some of us may be indifferent to the appearance of the service personnel, but by and large, the customers do care about their appearance and how they present themselves. So, selection of service personnel, in which appearance/youth is part of the equation is not going to go away any time soon, except here in the West for unionized labor.

I probably rambled off the main topic?
-

[Eastern Mind]

So long as you call your post 'a rambling', I thought maybe I can ramble along too.

In Eastern countries, the flight attendant's job is usually not a career job, but a job between finishing college and settling down (getting married) for reasonably good looking females. The younger employees in such a job tend to have a sense of 'national pride' while serving you and are more eager to please you. It is not just another unionized job for life for them. In my observation, that works out better for travelers, in terms of their attitude and their desire to please the customer. The flight attendants of European and N. American airlines do what is defined in their work description, and no more. I avoid such airlines for overseas travel whenever I can. My last encounter was an older flight attendant on a AA flight I took from Chicago to Delhi. She spilled orange juice all over me, right down to my shoes and socks. Some of it splashed on her clothes too. I muttered aloud to no one in particular, 'I am wet all over'. To which, she said, 'What about me, my dress is ruined too.' I could care less what happened to her, since it was of her making, and also her job is to apologize to the customer she inconvenienced, not complain to me about her predicament.

Another factor is that human being are the only living beings with a sense of aesthetics. Some of us may be indifferent to the appearance of the service personnel, but by and large, the customers do care about their appearance and how they present themselves. So, selection of service personnel, in which appearance/youth is part of the equation is not going to go away any time soon, except here in the West for unionized labor.

What did I get myself into this time?
-

Vannakkam Beleiver: That's actually a relief to hear for me. Glad the people aren't just cut with no opportunity to switch professions. As long as the airline provides a bit of a pension or some money for more schooling, all is well. I think the perception of the quality of service one receives or may receive is really based on one's experiences, and the subconscious mind's clumping of said experiences. I've had horrible service from all kinds of people regardless of age, gender, or appearance. Similarly I've had excellent service from both as well.

Certainly I recall vastly outshining my colleague in service back in my youth working in a saloon, yet getting about $3 in tips while she made $50 for far worse service. But saloons tend to attract the kind of people who are shallow anyway. Fortunately my colleague understood and gave me a portion of her tips at the end of the night. After all, I had covered half her allotted section over the six hour period.


Still I think society needs to work on 'seeing' deeper than appearance.

Aum Namasivaya

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: Perhaps others have heard of this experiment, perhaps not. Its basically an observation of the concept of suggestion. On a crowded bus, or at a staff meeting, anywhere where people are looking around, try faking a yawn. Make sure others see it, even if its just for a brief period. Within a few minutes, using this power, you can usually get at least half of the people around yawning. My buddy and I did this consciously at a staff meeting once, and our success rate was 80%. Perhaps it was just because our staff meetings were always boring, but I think not. The subconscious gets a signal, but not consciously. I find it very interesting. My daughter's friend and I were discussing it, and he said, its the same thing if you just brush your hair back, on the side. Anyone with hair long enough to do this will also do it, even within seconds sometimes.

Certainly it makes me wonder just how much behaviour goes on subconsciously without us even being aware of it. I'm guessing its a lot higher than we think.

On my own behaviour, I often found that when editing or commenting on student's essays, my own handwriting would shift in appearance to reflect that of the students. If they wrote neat, so did I. If they had what teachers term 'chicken scratch' then that's what they got back. I had to concentrate to be consistent.

It demonstrates how effective role-modeling at a temple can be.

Aum Namasivaya

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam:

Sometimes we are so blinded by maya and gridded intellect we miss the obvious.

This old body this soul inhabits started hatha yoga as a means to prevent or delay the onset of arthritis recently. In its youth, it was trained by an overzealous ego on one particular asana, termed headstand. Now, the yoga headstand differs from the gymnastics headstand in that, given the position of the head, it is much more difficult to roll out of safely should an overbalance occur. Ans so it was decided, for safety reasons to omit the headstand as an already tight neck could be injured.

But within the day the eyes perceived a wall. Said wall could be used as a safety, a stopper for the overbalance. So now this asana can be performed safely.

Who would have thought a wall could be such a useful device?

Aum Namasivaya

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: I was looking at a piece of wood. A simple piece of wood. We learn and practice a disconnect from such things as food. We think food comes from stores, not the ground. This is especially disheartening with animals. But wood also is a like that. If you observe wood long enough, you realise it was once a tree. Perhaps some child climbed it, or perhaps it stood alone majestically. How quickly we forget.

Aum Namasivaya

[Sean]

Eastern, when people ask me what my favoured form of travel is I say on foot, but add that I always make my most interesting observations when I stop altogether and just keep still and look around.

Don't just do something, sit there!

And then you might begin to see, as you did in your example.

By the way, only the West has ever been crackers enough to introduce legislation etc not to hire people in service industries based on looks. I'll buy from a devastating Singaporean hostess any day.

Detachment is the unaffected relationship with life though, which paradoxically means the fullest of experience, because the mind isn't being mislead but attending.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: The bit about walking is so true. Cycling comes second. I have a friend who rode his bike from my city to Vancouver some 1200 km, and he had some vivid descriptions of smells especially that would be impossible in the car. He also had a particularly vivid description of a bear encounter. The outcome was favorable as he was going downhill at the time.

Regarding discriminatory hiring practices in the service industry, I view it as employers observing that most people still dwell in the instinctive areas of mind. In terms of business, it may be wise. But business as a field of study doesn't usually rank well up there in dharma. Just because you can get away with something doesn't mean its dharmic. Within business, there are plenty of other examples such as exorbitant gouging when its possible.

I prefer to follow and adhere to human rights guidelines as proposed by the UN which basically state discrimination on any basis is unjustified. Each body, regardless of external appearance, is inhabited by a soul. I don't think the two are related at all. But perhaps I'm wrong. But as I said early appearancism will be the last to go.

Aum Namasivaya