Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Simply Simple or Stupid ?
There is a sweet shop right next to Bus Stand. I go there, very often, either to drink lassi or to have morning breakfast (a random mix of samosa, jalebi and chai). The shop is owned by an old man and his early-thirties son. Until this point, I never realized that I don’t know his name!!!
A few days back, one evening, while I was enjoying lassi at his shop, the son started talking to me. He told me that, long time back, he got an offer from police force because he was a good wrestler, but he didn’t join them because his father wanted his only son to look after the shop. So, he deemed it fit to help his father run the business rather than serve the force. Then, he started comparing the two professions – he said that, right now, he can spend his time with his family (an educated wife, a son and a daughter and parents), he has his business with no loans outstanding or anything and he has a well known and fixed schedule (from morning 7:30 AM to 10 PM in night, with a break of 2 hrs during lunch time). He then continued saying that none of this would have been true had he opted for joining police force. He pointed out that, in police force, there is no fixed schedule and job location. Also, one has to unnecessary take wrath from criminals and politicians for doing one’s job.
When he was sharing his thoughts enthusiastically, I was going through a mixed bag of feelings – marveling at the simplicity of this person to the sheer stupidity of his thought process. On one hand, it was very clear that he is an ordinary citizen who is just busy thinking about his family and himself. Though, at the same time, I was getting irritated by such a narrow way of looking at things, where people don’t think of the society, system or the nation they live within, as if everything ends where personal benefit/well-being ends. Reminded me the false cocoon of safety which we all feel we are living in.
I wanted to ask him about what he has thought about the future of his kids, but I just restrained myself, as I didn’t want to rudely snap him out of what he perceives, right now, as the perfect life due to the wisest decision, he ever made. Though, this Sunday, I shall bug him with some tricky questions ;-) Will report later …
I am not sure how you reach that conclusion. May be you have more background information that is not revealed in this blog post.
I would like to share something that have helped me in the recent past.
Steven B. Sample suggests leaders should be able to "Think Gray".
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The essence of thinking gray is this: don't form an opinion about an important matter until you've heard all the relevant facts and arguments, or until circumstances force you to form an opinion without recourse to all the facts(which happens occasionally, but much less frequently than one might imagine).
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-- taken from page 7 of "The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership"
I do find it hard to practice all the time.
Thanks,
Rajesh
: 10:36 AM The mind always finds nice ways to analyse of "Why we are not, that we are not" and "How good, it is to be what we are not". I can write pages on the benefits of not being a village bum or a Top notch bueracrat, but that leaves me just where I am.
And as far as stupidity is concerned, I would say stupidity is relative, Its all aligned with our priorities. Whenever we see that someones priorities are starkly in contrast with ours, a feeling of stupidity sinks in. Just look at how stupid he would be feeling about you, leaving a handsome paying job in comforts of an AC, to be there sitting and talking to him :D
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