We grumble about the quality of food and the hygiene at tea-board. However at the same place, there are children who are working, mistreated, often man-handled and they don't even get two square meals a day. We talk about various problems faced at IISc - quality of mess food etc etc. Yet we realize IISc's value and its ambience is missed only when we leave the place. We fight with loved ones over trivial issues. Only when we lose them, we realize their value and how much we miss them.
I have a strong belief that whenever one feels bad, depressed or upset about something; there is a way to feel better. Just look around with your eyes open, and you would definitely find someone else in a worse situation than yours. Looking at that person you might actually feel ashamed and appreciate that your problems are trivial compared to what the other person might be facing.
It might actually be a good idea to spend a minute daily to reflect upon what all we really have, what all God gave us and be thankful.
Food for thought:
This is a slight digression but is based on a conversation I had with a friend. The recent hullabaloo about lack of hot water in hostels is known to everybody (now the problem has been solved). I was one of the sufferers as well. Still, this is a slightly different view point.
One wonders that do we students really appreciate the amenities they are provided with. Do we really deserve any better!! Do people like us who may not have basic civic sense have a right to complain! There was an incident of someone in the hostel running his nose and throwing it on the washed shirt of a mess worker. Many of us put on music at loud volume in the middle of the night or any time for that matter without giving a care to whether other people might be disturbed. We jump queues, remove newspapers meant for everyone and take them to our rooms, and do all sorts of things that may not be correct. It just requires a little common sense to see that and to know where to draw the line. It is not that everyone belongs to this category, but still I wonder whether we deserve amenities like hot water if we can't be responsible for ourselves. A highly pessimistic view point, but if this is the case in a place like IISc, how can we expect people outside to behave better ...
We have hot water?!! Never thought that could happen ;)
ReplyDeleteOh, and please don't stop complaining. Constant self-evaluation is _a_ key to progress!
couple of issues...
ReplyDelete1. looking at less fortunate people and then feeling good is not really a very healthy option, is it? i mean, is happiness all about getting what someone else doesn't have? conversely, even if there are others who don't have as much, as someone who has paid his dues, i demand my rights. i pay my taxes at a higher rate than the rest, i pay my fees on time, i invest money wisely making money for me and the country, i pay in full for whatever i eat in tea-board then why shouldn't i ask for good service?
2. i know you love iisc - i did too; i practically grew up here - i still do, but i also see the rot that has crept in at a number of places and believe me, these are definitely not trivial issues as you have said. the depth you will realize only if you are at the receiving end of it as i have been...
i don't mean to be critical but don't ever lose your objectivity. contentment is probably the biggest obstacle to improvement and progress...
ReplyDeletecheers!
interesting viewpoint but I still stand by what I said...
ReplyDeleteSee, all I m saying is just that in comparision we are much better off ... feeling good is different from feeling grateful...I don't consider it unhealthy.