The last few days have forced me to think once more. Think about what I value and what I want out of life. There have been different people that I have met in different parts of the world, yet the message seems to have been loud and clear – power, money and sex are the motivations and desires of most people. It seems strange to me that intellect and honesty have not figured on most lists. Actually I should rephrase that. Intelligence and truth are not deemed “in fashion” in their purest forms. Wisdom is thought to be of use only if it generates cash and truth is attractive only if packaged with some sex appeal.
While majority of the people are telling me this, the silly me is fascinated by Gandhi’s autobiography – My experiments with truth. My little brain reasons; Gandhi did not accumulate wealth for self nor was his honesty sold with physical pleasures. On the contrary, this man who believed that “nothing is impossible for pure love” actually secured the treasure of freedom for the nation at the cost of his own family. He gave up physical pleasures (not just sexual but even those of taste and the touch of silk) in his quest to test his own endurance. The world holds him as an iconic example of a model human being. So was Gandhi wrong, am I naïve or is the world just hypocritical?
Unable to find the answer, I am confused and agitated. Why does everything boil down to sex, money and power? Is it worth believing in love, having faith in a supreme power, valuing knowledge and astuteness and dealing with integrity and sincerity? Or is it wiser following the world, seeking pleasures and hoarding materialistic gains? Will there ever be a time when mankind will cherish the pure values that Gandhi promoted and true love conquer the current and future generations?
I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I do not have the answers and fear ridicule with this post. However, I am interested in knowing the world’s view and the truth. So I am risking this post, putting myself out there and being who I am; because there is no other way that I know how to live other than being honest with myself at least...
While majority of the people are telling me this, the silly me is fascinated by Gandhi’s autobiography – My experiments with truth. My little brain reasons; Gandhi did not accumulate wealth for self nor was his honesty sold with physical pleasures. On the contrary, this man who believed that “nothing is impossible for pure love” actually secured the treasure of freedom for the nation at the cost of his own family. He gave up physical pleasures (not just sexual but even those of taste and the touch of silk) in his quest to test his own endurance. The world holds him as an iconic example of a model human being. So was Gandhi wrong, am I naïve or is the world just hypocritical?
Unable to find the answer, I am confused and agitated. Why does everything boil down to sex, money and power? Is it worth believing in love, having faith in a supreme power, valuing knowledge and astuteness and dealing with integrity and sincerity? Or is it wiser following the world, seeking pleasures and hoarding materialistic gains? Will there ever be a time when mankind will cherish the pure values that Gandhi promoted and true love conquer the current and future generations?
I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I do not have the answers and fear ridicule with this post. However, I am interested in knowing the world’s view and the truth. So I am risking this post, putting myself out there and being who I am; because there is no other way that I know how to live other than being honest with myself at least...
4 comments:
First, its an interesting but difficult question. Second, there is no perfect answer and individual choices are different.
That said, I can assure ABSOLUTELY things do not boil down to money, power and sex. An example of that is in your own message. You might think, "In present terms", does it hold. The answer is STRONG YES. It took a nation in slavery, struggling for its freedom to make popular Gandhi and his teachings.
There are MANY 1000'S similar or even better than him, in my personal experience even today. The problem though is they are not brought to the fore front or popularized to bear the beacon for way of living.
The question we need to ask is not whether there will be a time where people at large will cherish values and do things like Gandhi, rather what is it that you want? Are you willing to do it no matter what it takes? May be your own family and friends might ridicule you, so what? May be people who are around you now, may fall away, so what? At the end of the day, its your discrimination and your choices that will determine your peace.
Its part of the conditioning process of an individual to not just make choices but also understand the consequences that come with the choices and to deal with it. Most things in reality are beyond control and we live with it, we learn to find happiness in it for we should not forget that a broken clock shows the correct time, twice a day.
About 98% of the population is usually truthful and honest and for that reason they do not get/have a lot of power, money or sex.
The remaining 2% are not truthful and honest and usually for that reason alone they have/get a lot of power, money and sex.
Since everyone wants to have a sense of control over their lives; group A naturally wants to be like group B; which is some ways definitely has more control of their lives.
I think you might want to consider the fact that human beings are ANIMALS with highly developed social and political interactions. The animal part is innate and drives us to material gain (security and power), power (natural dominant characteristic of higher primates) and sex (to propogate genes).
One cannot fault human for following natural instincts to a point. As for Gandhi, please consider discriminating between Gandhi the philosopher (who had some excellent as well as crazy ideas) and Gandhi the politician 9again excellent as well as crazy ideas). Gandhi tried his utmost to gain and exercise power. His quest for freedom is also indicative of the group herd protection and territorial protection instincts of animals.
And lastly I would not worry too much. Life is beautiful and people are essentially decent mostly. Stupid and immoral people actually are the only ones who make us relatively better. What? :)
But men cannot and will not become Godly. If they could communism would work and capitalism would fail.
Why does everything boil down to sex, money and power? because on the fundamental physical level we are wired with sex and ego ... these things falls off slowely as you walk up the Maslow hierarchy of needs ... You are standing on top of the hierarchy (Self realization) and wondering about the people who are on the lowest rug of physcial/physiological need ... Alas! most of us will finish on the first or second (security) rug ...
Enjoying your blog, keep writing ...
Post a Comment