Perception-2

Mind seeks comfort by handling things easier. It gets into cozy corner by knowing that its ideas are reinforced or are close to it. This gives it satisfaction and achievement, an "Eureka" sensation. Perceptions are guiding force for mind. The Eureka sensation has become more convenient with technology advancement. It provides short term wins, like a spurts of ecstasy.

Information travels in split of second, transfers in both good and bad ways and might reinforce one's perception in two ways.

1. Making their perceptions reinforced for good and as well bad reasons

2. Giving good and bad ideas that might not have been thought before (this is dangerous as might aide developing criminal minds)

When mind encounters mixed information it has to be matured enough to analyse and filter to separate the good & bad. Cognitive ability has to be well developed for such analysis. Y and Millennial generation are maturing faster than the previous generations, however their minds are still young and wet clay, hence could be molded inappropriately if not guided appropriately. The difficulty parents face today in guiding their children is reliability & wise use of technology. Kids look for quick answers and when parents are unable to answer their questions are termed unreliable and they seek technology, where they are flooded with information. Sometimes same content has ironical information. For examples some websites publish chocolate causes pimples and another says its helps to reduce while another says it has no impact.  If not guided correctly they will perceive wrong information and reaffirm those as their belief system. Once it gets seeded in their minds it becomes tough to unlearn.

Other effect of  information flood is at the other end of the spectrum, nurturing. When Nature (genetic) has a impact on the growth of the kid, nurturing has larger impact on them in today context. Thanks to technology, it targets mind at the wrong point. Mind gets attracted towards negative faster than positive, it is law of attraction. As is the role of the parents to guide their children in developing their cognitive process, equally is that of those who post and forward information on the web. It is moral responsibility of each one of those who who upload data to web as they can make an positive or negative impact on the readers especially younger ones. Seeing this the current generation can equally grow up as morally responsible global citizens. As with all advancements that mankind has seen, technology is two sided. If not guided and taught to be used in the right way it can end up in a way that will make us repent in future. Let us get help to get their perceptions right.

Best Friend Forever

Recently my wife & I were at a McDonald for a bite. Seated in next table were a group of four who seem as a family - parents with their 2 kids. The lady bought the meal while the rest were using their personal gadgets unspoken to each other. She bought the meal, took out her own gadget and all four ate in silence as isolated silos. They left in silence without uttering a word to each other. We were wondering where are the lovely conversations within family & between friends gone.

Are there no common topics for discussion, is this the evolution of alpha man or development of technology making us communicate less? Family meals, pantry talks, coffee talks, phone conversations are reducing and making relationships malnourished. We humans are evolving into a direction under utilizing the gift of speech.

Gadgets make communications that are physical & tonal drift into lifeless texts. They provide companionship without questioning. Humans like less confrontation and gadgets do not confront at all making them the BFF (best friend forever). We have come this far is because of challenges that were imposed on us by confrontation & our intriguing nature. If communication becomes one way, we challenge ourselves less and our brains unused become corroded. This leads to less development & growth also causing few of our languages being pushed to extinction.

Gadgets becoming as our BFF is worrying and it is for the existing generations to nourish relationships by conversing more to each other, preserve the gift of speech that no other living thing in earth has.

Language Extinction with Technology Development

A Scottish Gaelic old saying goes "He who loses his language loses his world." Mother tongue is identity to promulgate our origins. Origination gives dignity. Sense of togetherness develops while conversing in our language. Nelson Mandela said "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart." 

Around 7000 languages are spoken world wide by the over 7 billion people. Out of this 12 languages are most widely spoken (Mandarin Chinese, English, Spanish, Hindi, Arabic, Bengali, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, German and French) while close to 2500 languages are in brink of extinction. There are two aspects which are key to this trend, Technology and Individuals.

Global landscape is flatter and internet makes distance no longer, longer. Information is button press in almost all languages. Sub-title, translations are available in widely spoken languages. This increases viewership showing it is a commercialized world rather than a responsible world. Subtitles for native programs make younger generation to listen less of their language and read sub-titles, in turn speaking less. If willing media could make this reverse by not looking into only on commercial aspect but a mean to protect languages as part of their corporate social responsibility. After all if there is no language there is no viewership.

Individuals might survive speaking other languages but it gives a suffocated feeling when we seldom speak our own language. Pride is flashed on the face when we speak our language while a pseudo smile can be seen on those who don't. Those who give up speaking their language and take pride in foreign languages are those who lose their integrity and world. They live in an aura of illusion.Let us talk to hearts and not to be just understood. This has to be conveyed to younger generations so they value & take pride in who they are. 

Technology development could be used in better ways for saving languages thereby help in saving cultures, history that we leave after we are long gone. Legacies are to be created not destroyed.

Karma - Misused

"Karma, you did not allow me to eat ice cream and there you go down with flu" was my daughter's remark on my flu. Last weekend, after lunch at home my daughter wanted ice cream for dessert. I cautioned her not to eat ice cream in fear of she catching flu. I, on other hand was having sore throat for past few days and caught cold the same day and she remarked it is Karma.

A week back during a train ride, overheard a conversation by a couple seated next to me. The lady was complaining to her man about one of her colleague on how he did not provide her the data required. Later on the day the colleague was scolded by the boss for a delayed shipment. Her partner's remark was "Karma, what goes around comes around" and both laughed out.

"Karma" is becoming a commonly used term and more fashionable. But in today context is this word rightly understood and used?

Karma is a Sanskrit term and the governing doctrine of Buddhism meaning law of moral causation. But the concept of karma was long used in India even before Buddhism made it popular. A very old Tamil proverb goes, "வி னை  வி தை த் தவ ன்  வி னை  அ று ப் பா ன்", which means you reap what you sow.

If we take the right meaning, what has karma got to do with me catching cold and not allowing my daughter to eat ice cream? Similarly what happened to the colleague of lady in train does it have anything to do with karma? They are just coincidences.

Like plantations take time to grow, karma takes years for people to realize their good and bad karma (provided they relate the present to past). "அ ர ச ன்  அன்று கொல்வான், தெய்வம் நின்று கொல்லும்" which translated means king kills immediately while god waits to kill. In a fast paced technological world, are coincidences made to look as if god also kills immediately? Is this why people have started to use karma for all actions and reactions?

Keep your thoughts sincere and actions in line to that, don't worry about the results, karma will take care of rest. This is Karma, the moral causation.

Is World still Flat?

Capitalism has been ideology of global economy in the last century and for more than a decade into this century. Global boundaries were opened starting early 90's allowing the world to become flat. This was supposed to create competitive corporate ground and give the best to consumers. Is this happening?

According to Unilever CEO, Paul Newman "Many companies today are existing to make profits. It should be make profits to exist". Profit driven Growth fission is considered as means to survive amid global competition making the quote true. This expansion drive has destabilized economies, companies and even making countries declare bankruptcy.

Full or partial nationalization, placing limits on foreign investments, movements like "Make in India", Bumi schemes in a South East Asian Countries, local content requirement in middle east all seem as efforts by respective government to support localisation as a mean to stabilize their economy.

The side effect of profit driven growth fission seem to be compromise on safety and quality of products and services. Recent transportation tragedies, Building collapses, IP infringements, contradicting media reports are few which could not make one think otherwise. Efforts by governments seem little redress for the extent of damage done. Change in corporate world might help the situation get better. If the world remains to be flat, leaders of companies need to rethink the way businesses are run. Strategies for short term cash flow combined with long term global sustainability without compromising safety and quality are needed. Or else we have to make a 'U' turn on global highway.