rainbOwther

Oedipus complex may not apply to other cultures

2012-02-13T13:37:00.000+05:30

Comment on Practising Titiksha with marshmallows by Sandeepfrom Comments for Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo & The Mother by Sandeep

True. You might be aware of American psychologistAlan Roland’s book “In Search of Self in India and Japan“, in which he examinecultural differences between Indian, Japanese and American cultures. Heobserves that Western psycho-analytic models such as the Oedipus complex maynot apply to other cultures. One Japanese psychologist defined other variationswhich were more prevalent in his culture.

MacIntyre against Wilber’s worldcentrism from Love of All Wisdom by Amod Lele

MacIntyre, in the 30 years since his famous After Virtue,has been telling us a story of regret and decline – one focused largely onethics, but ethics broadly defined. In After Virtue, MacIntyredescribed the Enlightenment project of “justifying morality” as performed mostfamously by Kant and Mill, but also more recent analytic figures like AlanGewirth. And he argues that this project has not only failed, but hadto fail. “Morality”, in this sort of modern context, nearly alwaysstands opposed primarily to “self-interest”.

rick-santorum-women-military-combat-roles

But I do have concerns about women in front-linecombat, I think that could be a very compromising situation, where peoplenaturally may do things that may not be in the interest of the mission, becauseof other types of emotions that are involved," Santorum continued."It already happens, of course, with the camaraderie of men in combat, butI think it would be even more unique if women were in combat, and I thinkthat's probably not in the best interest of men, women or the mission. [Women are more afraid]

Social currency and insecurity

2012-01-14T15:07:00.000+05:30

sbicitizen : Message: Re: Social currency: 'via Blog this'

Human devised solutions to the issues such as currency, morality, rights etc, will always be unequal. This is not an opinion, it is His (nature/universe) law. He has designed us differently (similar only in race), this universe is uniquely dual and its chaos are loaded with benefits.

Sense of equality touches our conscious, sounds good, is wonderful in concept, but remains a mirage that a desperate thirsty mind chases. We have choices, stay in pursuit of the mirage as we done since time immemorial, or seek a different beat; preach reality. Let us challenge human mind to adopt to the realities of this universe and take charge of self survival. Our fair mind has always taken care of rare/exceptional unequal human conditions. In the name of equality, organized religion has exploited/failed its followers more than providing claimed benefits.

Let us get real for the sake of our own conscious and broadcast/preach real values as they exist. He has given His creation the adaptability to adjust to the realities of their situation. Fake bleeding hearts and false hope generating exploiters remain the only constant impediment. Nirmal S. Nilvi, Texas.

Class and Academia: On cultivating a sense of entitlement by Adam Kotsko from An und für sich - Jan 13, 2012

My father is a truck driver and though my mother went to college shortly after I did and ultimately became a teacher, she spent my childhood helping to run a small business and then doing various service jobs. At every level of my education, my parents were of little assistance in helping to discern what I should do. My mom opted not to put me in the “gifted program” when offered the opportunity in elementary school. I applied to only one college: Olivet, where I knew I would qualify for a full-tuition scholarship. It seemed obvious to me that I couldn’t afford college anywhere else, even though I had a 4.0, excellent test scores, and a strong record of extra-curricular activities. And when it came time to do grad school, I was already far out of their range of experience.

My ignorance of the practical mechanics of these kinds of processes was exacerbated by a lack of the skills associated with success: social networking above all. But perhaps most important was the emotional burden. Every step I made, it seemed to me, could be my last. One small mistake could lead me tumbling back down to where I really belonged. This sense of the fragility of my position has had profoundly negative emotional effects. The job market is always stressful, but for me it was devestating — far out of proportion to the actual results, which turned out to be really good in the end. I deal with groundless anxiety in my teaching, somehow convinced against all evidence that one small mistake will spell the end. I am also overly sensitive to “pride”-related issues like recognition for my work from other academics.

“Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution,” from Per Caritatem by Cynthia R. Nielsen

King calls for solidarity and a concern for humans qua humans. None of this suggests that King is advocating for a post-racial society where we deny difference. Rather, he sees that in order to fight for justice, human rights, and the like, there must be some common bond, some unity that connects us and yet allows difference to manifest and even be celebrated. In other words, I see in King a desire to hold unity and difference in tension rather than to exalt one over the other.

Joy of being: Practical life and spiritual path The Hindu

Sri Aurobindo calls it 'to watch the thought'. This means, we do not identify with the thought but sit above and watch it. What happens when we sit above ...

Understanding women on spiritual basis

2011-11-14T15:40:00.001+05:30

Spiritual Basis of Feminism: Women in Sri Aurobindo’s Philosophy
Deepak Sharma, Associate Professor, SGND Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi – 110005

The present paper attempts a study of the problem of feminism as a spiritual problem with special reference to the philosophical traditions of Sri Aurobindo. By Aurobindo’s philosophy we mean the writings of Sri Aurobindo as well as those of The Mother. For, a spiritual reality is at the basis of all others; the divine world is the eternal foundation on which are built all the other worlds. In regard to this Supreme Reality all are equal, men and women, in rights and in duties; the only distinction which can exist in this domain being based on the sincerity and ardour of aspiration, on the constancy of the will. And it is in the recognition of this fundamental spiritual equality that can be found the only serious and lasting solution for this problem of the relation of the sexes. In view of the above the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother devotes a place to the understanding of women in the society. The Mother’s, writings on the subject form a crucial and enlightening study of women and their true role. She has highlighted various natural qualities of woman like a great organising capacity, and psychic and intutitive faculties etc. The Mother reminds woman that she should remember that she comes from the same supreme source as man, and so is in no way inferior to him. According to Mother, woman has a distinct, a unique role to play for the future humanity. The Women's Council, an integral part of Sri Aurobindo Society, lays emphasis on `Woman' herself than on her rights, condition and circumstances. The Mother has studied the role of woman as a mother, as a conscientious worker, as a shakti the goddess of power. The paper attempts a comprehensive study of the views of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother as enshrined in their writings.

Boita Bandana 2011

2011-11-11T22:23:00.001+05:30

Bal Jagruti Association celebrating Boita Bandana Utsav for 8th time in Delhi on 10th November 2011 at India Gate Boating Place.
http://boitabandana.com/about-us.html

Sri Aurobindo’s theory of a spiritualised Ethics

2011-08-21T21:55:00.000+05:30

Home > E-Library > Magazines > Sraddha > November 2010 > Contents

What is the Significance of the name“Arya”? Sri Aurobindo 7

Sri Aurobindo and The Mystery of Death Srimat Anirvan 11

Sri Aurobindo’s Commentary on Kenopanishad Sarnath Basu 17

Veda Vyasa’s Mahabharata in Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri Prema Nandakumar 23

Sri Aurobindo on ‘The Two Negations’: Reconsideration of the Materialism Spiritualism Debate R C Pradhan 35

Charles Darwin and Sri Aurobindo: Evolutionists With a Difference Tapan Banerjee 46

Reviving the Vedic Aryan Anuradha Choudry 62

Sanskrit: A Language of Integral Perfection Sampadananda Mishra 81

Modes and Aspects of Self in Hindu Philosophy in the Light of Sri Aurobindo’s Explanation Arun Chatterjee 92

Epistemology of Perception Sandeep Joshi 111

Emotion and its Transformation Larry Seidlitz 120

Reflections on Jouissance as Ananda Prithwindra Mukherjee 134

Genius of Civilisations M S Srinivasan 152

Spiritualty and the Crisis in Contemporary Multiculturalism Sachidananda Mohanty 165

“Seer Deep-Hearted”: A Metrical Fragment by Sri Aurobindo : Sri Aurobindo’s

Contributions Toward a Global Spiritual Culture Shraddhavan 174

The Theme of Urvashi in the Indian Renaissance : Madhusudan Datta, Rabindranath Tagore, Sri Aurobindo Ranajit Sarkar 188

Editorial

To a few are given the vision and dream to build a new world, a new earth. Fewer still are those who have the daring and the courage to tread the thorny path that leads to our summit selves ever resplendent with an unsetting sun, and bring down from those glorious ‘splendour-peaks’ into this vale of tears ‘the calm, the light, the power, the bliss, the freedom, the wideness, the heights of knowledge, the seas of Ananda’. It is left to the Avatar to accomplish that task and make it happen. Such was the mission of Sri Aurobindo, the Avatar of the Supermind. […]

December 5, 1950 being the day when Sri Aurobindo left his earthly body to help more fully his work of transformation, we have included in this issue an early writing of Srimat Anirvan, the great yogi, mystic, Vedic scholar and philosopher, which was published in Asia No.2 from Saigon, Vietnam in 1951.

Emotion and its transformation

Larry Seidlitz

As with many things in Sri Aurobindo’s writings, we find in his treatment of emotions a great paradox together with its synthesis and resolution. On one hand, emotions are presented in the most disparaging terms, as the centre stage for all suffering, perversion, and sordid obscurity. On the other hand, emotions are viewed as not only deriving from the ineffable Ananda or Bliss which is the very nature and substance of the Divine Existence, but they are also a powerful means into the very heart of that Ananda. So let us look at this mystery of emotions, examine their nature, and trace the lines of their transmutation and divinisation as explained by Sri Aurobindo. […]

We see this character most clearly in certain emotions such as anger, irritation, hatred, jealousy, envy, greed, and lust. But similarly, sadness, despair, and grief typically arise in reaction to the disappointment of an egoistic demand or claim, however justifiable it may seem. Fear and anxiety both have an instinctive quality, and may arise spontaneously due to conditioning with various harmless stimuli.

These negative emotions are the source of much human suffering, but what about our positive emotions, such as love and joy? Here, too, when we scratch the surface we often find them to be egoistic in nature and not very pure. […] The fullness of Ananda comes with Oneness of our consciousness and nature with the Divine; suffering comes from limitation and separation of our consciousness and nature from the Divine. A purified Love and a sincere surrender of our whole being to the Divine are at once a path towards, and the very nature of, that Oneness and Delight. [Consciousness and its transformation: Papers presented at the Second International Conference on Integral Psychology]

Reflections On Jouissance As Ananda

Prithwindra Mukherjee

Introduction

Ego as conceived in the West seems to have attracted quite a number of contemporary investigations as well as - very often - misled them. Recently I have gone through an original, ambitious and complex essay to explore its limits and the way to determine how such an enterprise can be of any help to any ethical or spiritual quest. The author, an Indian “feminist” teaching abroad, offers a critique of European psychoanalysis with references to Indian philosophy, and a selective examination of colonial to post-colonial literature.

The book rightly deplores the staunch resistance of Freud and Lacan to any theory of the ‘sublime’ (so to say spirituality), even before situating - in contrast – a French “feminist” like Luce Irigaray’s welcoming approach to jouissance as the closest to ananda or ‘Joy’ (which, in Indian tradition, is the first of the three attributes of the Divine, the other two being chit or ‘Consciousness’ and sat or ‘Existence’). The author strives to find in her extended idea of jouissance the simultaneous juxtaposition of the corporeal and the spiritual dimensions perceptible in a human being. For her, ananda is not only the means of “ego-transcendence” — as suggested by as yet living and traditional scriptures like the Upanishads — but, once the “absolute” (Divine) is achieved, in a complementary process this transcendence can lead even to bring the same “absolute” down to the more or less material sheaths — body, life and mind — of our being, as has been viewed and most logically elaborated in the recent years in Sri Aurobindo’s vast synthesis, especially in his magnum opus, The Life Divine.

Hailing from a land where — down three thousand years at least, extended over an area of a full-blooded continent — a score of languages share the daily experiences of the common citizen practising, apparently, several parallel religious creeds, food habits, clothing styles, our scholar is no exception to other birds of feather aiming at a cross-cultural approach to any given subject, in order to do justice to the full implications embedded in the themes chosen.

Spirituality And The Crisis In Contemporary Multiculturalism

Sachidananda Mohanty

My entry point into the subject will be through the following set of questions: What is the link between contemporary Multiculturalism and the search for a new ethics in late capitalism? What role do we envision for languages of the world in the ongoing identity politics in civil society? How does this search translate itself in our communitarian lives? And finally, how does it go beyond the conventional understanding of education and culture to newer paradigms?

Conventional reading of Sri Aurobindo tends to make a rigid and somewhat trenchant distinction between Morality, Ethics and Spirituality. In some quarters, the polarisation has been accentuated in order to deny any creative interface among the three categories. Viewed from this rigid angle, Spirituality is supposed to supplant Morality or Ethics. Some argue that no judgment is ever possible regarding human actions. Can we have cultural relativism of the Post-Modern kind? How can communities govern themselves in the absence of a code of conduct howsoever flexible it may be?

The aim of this essay is to take a fresh look at a problem that has come to be at the forefront of spiritual communities, the State and the Civil Society today. Basing myself on some of the best thought in the field, I shall argue that Sri Aurobindo’s theory of a spiritualised Ethics offers an alternative set of life values that can serve the interests of a growing individual, as indeed an enlightened social order.

In the first part of this essay, I shall try and sum up the achievements and limitations of contemporary multiculturalism, especially the Anglo-American kind as theorised in the metropolitan academia. Although my thinking is grounded in a multidisciplinary terrain, I am primarily concerned with the debates in literary studies. The public face of this debate, in recent times, has been the question of the literary canon formations and sensibilities. I shall argue that the key aspects of these debates centre on the question of defining an alternative ethics.

In the second part, I shall suggest that we have regrettably limited our effort by considering primarily two dominant models: namely that of religious nationalism and secular modernity. We need to go beyond these polarities and bring in hitherto marginalised paradigms that could mediate between competing identities rooted to rival claims of language and culture.

The question of the use of languages for inter-cultural dialogue acquires a new urgency in the context of India’s 9 X 11. In a tragi-comic sense, language has taken centre stage in the cross-border blame game. Always central to intelligence and espionage, language today seems to have gone beyond its traditional role in international relations. Asked to explain about the weapons of mass destruction, after the so called liberation of Iraq by the coalition forces, Donald Rumsfeld, the U.S Defence Secretary is reported to have said in a somewhat Derridean manner: “the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence!” […] How then can we restore to language the power of wonder in late capitalism?

Languages are more than a means of communication and civic convenience. They typify our life experience and shape our troubled past and fragile futures. It is time we made them part of the solution we desperately seek. It is only then that a new spiritualised ethics can truly promote a dialogue of civilisations.

Notes on Authors

Anirvan, Srimat, a Bengali/Hindu monk, writer, Vedic scholar and philosopher, was born on July 8, 1896 in the town of Mymensingh, then a part of British India and now in Bangladesh. His birth name was Narendrachandra Dhar. He was the son of Rajchandra Dhar, a doctor, and Sushila Devi. He was a spiritually and intellectually-inclined child, who by age 11 had memorised the Astadhyayi of Panini and the Bhagavad Gita. He was named Baroda Brahmachari after going through the sacred thread ceremony. He also won a state scholarship as a teen and completed university IA and BA degrees at the University of Dhaka and an MA from the Sanskrit College of the University of Calcutta. At 16, he joined the Assam Bangiya Saraswata Math ashram, located in the village of Kokilamukh near Jorhat in Assam. He was a disciple of the ashram’s founder, Paramahansa Srimat Swami Nigamananda Saraswati Dev, who initiated him into sannyas. Anirvan’s new monastic name was Nirvanananda Saraswati. He taught at the ashram school and edited its monthly magazine Aryadarpan. Some time after 1930, Nirvanananda changed his name to Anirvan. He travelled widely in North India, eventually returning to

Assam

and establishing an ashram in Kamakhya near Guwahati. However, he continued to travel. In the 1940s, when he was living in Almora, Madame Lizelle Reymond documented some of this period in My Life with a Brahmin Family (1958) and To Live Within (1971). During this time, Sri Anirvan translated Sri Aurobindo’s The Life Divine into Bengali (as Divya Jeevan Prasanga); which was hailed by Sri Aurobindo himself as ‘a living translation’. In 1953, Sri Anirvan moved to Shillong in Assam. His reputation as a Vedic scholar grew; and he wrote chiefly in Bengali on various aspects of Hindu philosophy, particularly Samkhya, the Upanishads, the Gita and Vedanta and the parallels between Rigvedic, Puranic, Tantric and Buddhist thought. His magnum opus, Veda Mimamsa, was published in three volumes in 1961, 1965 and 1970. This work won him the Rabindra award. Sri Anirvan made his final move, to Kolkata, in 1965, where he died on May 31, 1978, after a six-year illness.

Anuradha Choudry, a graduate from the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, Puducherry, completed her Ph.D in Sanskrit on Vedic Psychology from Pondicherry University and became an Erasmus Mundus Scholar for an MLitt in European Humanities at the Universities of St. Andrews, Scotland and Bergamo, Italy. Presently, she is a free lance instructor for Sanskrit as Yoga for organisations like Auroville International, the Netherlands, the School of Philosophy and others. As a volunteer with Samskrita Bharati, Anuradha is an active advocate of Spoken Sanskrit and regularly conducts workshops on experiencing the transformative power of Sanskrit sounds. Apart from her passion for Sanskrit she is deeply committed to the cause of human harmony and has recently started a project called Ekataa which invites all human beings to celebrate our common humanness for 11 minutes at midnight on 1.1.11 (One.One.Eleven).

Arun Chatterjee is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Tennessee in USA, where he taught for 34 years. He currently lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, with his wife Kalpana. He grew up in Kolkata, and he did postgraduate study (Master’s and Ph.D.) in

USA

. Although his formal education is in Engineering, he has been studying philosophy and religion informally at the university for many years. He came to Pondicherry with his parents in 1949 when he was a child and had the Darshan of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. His father late Shyama Charan Chatterji translated three books of Sri Aurobindo in Bengali for the Ashram.

Larry Seidlitz (lseidlitz@gmail.com) is a faculty member of Sri Aurobindo Centre for Advanced Research (SACAR) in Pondicherry, where he facilitates online university courses on Sri Aurobindo’s teachings. Originally from the USA, he has worked at SACAR for the past six years. He also is editor of Collaboration, a USA based journal on the Integral Yoga (also available in India), and co-editor of New Race: A Journal of Integral Studies published by the Institute of Human Study, Hyderabad. Before coming to India, Larry was involved with several Sri Aurobindo Centres in the USA, and worked as a psychologist at the University of Rochester Medical Centre.

Prema Nandakumar obtained her Ph.D in 1961 for her study of Sri Aurobindo’s epic poem Savitri. Since then, she has been an independent researcher, publishing critical and biographical works. As a translator, her career spans half a

century, with the UNESCO publishing her book on Subramania Bharati. Dr. Nandakumar’s translation into English of Manimekalai, the ancient Buddhist epic in Tamil has been received with enthusiasm. She is also a creative writer in English and Tamil. One of her recent publications is K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar, a monograph on her father for Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi (2008). Dr. Nandakumar is a frequent keynote speaker and draws her inspiration from sources as varied as the Vedas, ancient Hindu and Buddhist epics, ancient and modern Indian literature. She is a recipient of several awards, including the Sri Aurobindo Puraskar and Panditha Ratna.

Prithwindra Mukherjee (Kolkata, 1936) joined the Ashram in 1948; after his studies - languages, literature, philosophy, history, music (North and South Indian, Western) - he taught at the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education (1955-66). The Mother opened his eyes to the art and the science of translation. With a French Government Scholarship (1966-70), he defended his University Doctorate, and the State Doctorate (1986) on pre-Gandhian freedom movement in India. Taught in two Paris faculties and produced features for Radio France (1972-81). Visited the U.S. archives with a Fulbright Scholarship, before joining the department of ethnomusicology, CNRS (1981-2003). Author of more than 60 books, 400 articles. Henri Dutilleux has set to music one of PM’s French poems for an opus for voice and orchestra. Recipient of the Sri Aurobindo Award. The French Government appointed him Knight in the Order of Arts & Letters (2009).

Ramesh Chandra Pradhan is at present Professor of Philosophy at the University of Hyderabad. He has specialised in the area of Western Philosophy, especially in Analytic Philosophy, Philosophy of Language and the Philosophy of Wittgenstein. He has authored several books in these areas. He has also interest in Metaphysics, both Indian and Western. He has keen interest in the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo.

Ranajit Sarkar (b.1932) At the age of 12, he joined Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry; studied and later taught there at the International Centre of Education. In 1965 went to France, studied at the Sorbonne; he got his doctorate at the University of Aix-Marseille. From 1970 until his retirement he taught Sanskrit literature and Indian culture at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. He has published poems, literary studies and Sri Aurobindo’s thoughts. He lives in the Netherlands.

Sachidananda Mohanty is Professor, Department of English, University of Hyderabad. He is the recipient of several national and international awards including those from the British Council, the Salzburg, the Katha and the Fulbright and the U.G.C. He has to his credit 21 books in English and in Oriya including D.H.Lawrence Studies in India, 1990, Lawrence’s Leadership Politics and the Defeat of Fascism, 1992, Understanding Cultural Exchange, Vision Books 1997, Literature and Culture, Prestige, 2000 Travel Writing and the Empire, Katha, 2002; 2003, Early Women’s writing in Orissa, 1898-1950: A Lost Tradition, Sage Publications,2005, Gender and Cultural Identity in Colonial Orissa, Orient Longman 2008, and Sri Aurobindo: A Contemporary Reader, Routledge India,2008. His essays and articles have appeared in some of the leading journals and forums in the country including India Today, The Hindu, The Indian Express, The New Quest, The Book Review and Economic and Political Weekly.

Sampadananda Mishra is working as Chief Coordinator, Sanskrit and Indian culture, in Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry. He is the author of several books including ”Sanskrit and the Evolution of Human Speech”, “Sri Aurobindo and Sanskrit”, “Chandovallri: A Handbook of Sanskrit Prosody,”The Wonder that is Sanskrit”. Dr. Mishra also conducts workshops, teacher’s training programmes, orientation courses, gives talks, presents papers in National and International seminars and conferences. He also writes popular articles related to India and Sanskrit in English, Oriya and Sanskrit, and composes verses and songs. He conducts special workshops on Sanskrit Alphabet and effective chanting of mantras in Sanskrit.

Sandeep Joshi is a computer engineer by profession currently living in the USA. He received initiation into Raja Yoga at the age of fifteen through a teacher in Bombay (Mumbai), who was also instrumental in introducing him to the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. He writes an Integral Yoga blog at http://auromere.wordpress.com

Sarnath Basu is a retired Professor of Philosophy from Burdwan University. He had been teaching at Jogmaya Devi College and also at the University of North Bengal. His special areas of study are the Nyaya Vaisesika, Advaita Vedanta and the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo. He was a Sectional President of the 62^nd session of the Indian Philosophical Congress held at the University of Kashmir in 1987. He had delivered the Maharshi Devendranath Thakur Memorial lecture at Visva Bharati, Santiniketan in 2004.

Shraddhavan “Shraddhavan” is the Sanskrit name given by the Mother in June 1972 to a young Englishwoman who had left her country, after completing studies in English Language and Literature as well as Librarianship, to join the up-coming project of Auroville. The Mother asked her to work in the Aspiration School, which was just being started at the time of her arrival in Auroville in November 1970. She has continued to be associated with a wide range of educational projects in Auroville. Since August 1999 she has been the Coordinator of the “Savitri Bhavan” unit of SAIIER (Sri Aurobindo International Institute of Educational Research) which is a centre of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother Studies in Auroville.

Srinivasan, M.S. is a Research Associate at Sri Aurobindo Institute for Research in Social Sciences, a unit of Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry. His main areas of interest are Management, Indian Culture, Yogic Psychology and History.

Tapan Banerjee Following his post-graduation and research works in Botany from Calcutta University, Tapan Banerjee (53 yrs.) served, for the most part of his profession in the Ministry Of Agriculture, Govt. of India, wherefrom he voluntarily retired to passionately consecrate himself to his long-cherished search

for the marvels and mysteries of the Indian cultural heritage. So far Sri Banerjee has, to his credit, more than a dozen valued papers in both English and Bengali journals of countrywide esteem.

India was once colonised and is, therefore, suspicious of ‘outsiders’ and their motives

2011-08-14T05:53:00.000+05:30

The Pioneer :: Home : >> India isnt just about Gandhi AGENDA | pioneer Sunday, August 14, 2011 Windows into the Past Author: Judith M Brown Publisher: Oxford Price: Rs 295

Brown speaks of life stories as a new and more illuminating source of history, though she can be blamed for confining her studies to Gandhi and Nehru alone, says Claude Arpi. The reviewer is French-born author, journalist, historian and Tibetologist who lives in Auroville

Interest in personal lives is important, though one can find fault in Brown restricting the object of her studies to Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. Why not Subhas Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Sri Aurobindo, among others, who participated in the ‘global’ history of the subcontinent, with their capacities, limitations and aspirations.

Inspiring collection Prema Nandakumar deccan herald Sunday 14 August 2011 Foreigners who loved & served India K C Brahmachary Diamond Pocket Books 2011, pp 276 150

Their inextinguishable faith in Swami Vivekananda brought Sara Bull, Sister Christine, J J Goodwin, Josephine Macleod, Captain Sevier and Charlotte Sevier to work for building the Belur Math and the Advaita Ashrama. When in their own country, they spread the message of Vedanta far and wide. Swami Vivekananda imposed total trust in them and gave them an honest picture of India. Yes, India suffers from poverty, slavery, illiteracy, untouchability, dogma and bigotry. Yet the Swami wanted them to come and work, as he exhorted Sister Nivedita: “Let me tell you frankly that I am now convinced that you have a great future in the work for India. What was wanted was not a man but a woman, a real lioness, to work for the Indians, women, especially.”

Like Swami Vivekananda, Mahayogi Sri Aurobindo was another centre of attraction for foreigners who wanted to serve India. Mirra Richard (The Mother) created the great edifice of Sri Aurobindo Ashram and launched the universal city of Auroville near Chennai. Mahatma Gandhi became the magnet for C F Andrews and Madeleine Slade (Mira Behn).

The Resident Non-Indian 13 August 2011 open the magazine

Immigrants who want to make India home are forever kept at an arm’s length by those who ‘belong’. Notwithstanding the impressive list of ‘foreign’ citizen-leaders, innovators and heroes BY Aimee Ginsburg - EMAIL AUTHOR(S)

There is a demographic group in India not quite recognised, mostly seen as an enigma, as a temporary and not terribly significant phenomenon: they are your immigrants, your neighbours who have chosen to make India their home, temporarily or forever, because they like it better than the places they came from. But many who have moved here consistently report that in India, one remains an ‘outsider’ forever. The question arises: can one possibly ever become Indian? There are certain ethnic groups (Parsis come to mind, and the ancient Jewish group ‘Bnei Yisrael’) who have come to be ‘fully Indian’ after many generations, but we speak here of those who have been arriving as individuals—mostly from Western countries—in a constant trickle since Indian Independence.

‘India is the most difficult country in the world to relocate to and in which to assimilate with the local population,’ according to a recent media report that quoted a study done by HSBC Bank, polling 4,000 expats in 100 countries. Before you roll your eyes and exclaim, ‘Oh no, those foreigners complain too much,’ let me put this forth: although the angst of the immigrant who feels excluded may not be as pressing as our other major social ills, the strength and vibrancy of a society rests, among other measures, on its ability to absorb and assimilate ‘outsiders’. Yes, India was once colonised and is, therefore, suspicious of ‘outsiders’ and their motives, but hey, that’s over now, no? India is not in danger of being re-colonised, at least not by the likes of us, with our FabIndia kurtas, tulsi masala chai and Bollywood dance classes. And if we are bringing with us a host of other ideas, foods, fashions, ways of raising kids, why fear it? Cultural and ethnic diversity make a culture stronger; surely, it is the secret behind the US’s success. […]

Leaving the inanity of such political rhetoric aside, India boasts of an impressive (if rather short) list of immigrants from the West who have become Indian citizen-leaders, innovators and heroes: among them, Laurie Baker, Verrier Elwin, Maxine Berntsen, Romulus Whitaker, Annie Besant, The Mother of Pondicherry, Jean Dreze, Justin McCarthy, and Francis Wacziarg. “To me, these Indians are every bit as Indian as any of us, regardless of being born abroad,” says author and journalist Dilip D’Souza, who lived in the US for 10 years. D’Souza feels that the fact that we can even point to and make lists of the few who have been accepted as belonging here highlights a problem India has with assimilating immigrants.

Integrating Wisdom, Strength, Harmony, & Service

2011-06-20T22:18:00.000+05:30

The Caste System of Hindu Society Huffington Post Pankaj Jain, Ph.D. Posted: 06/20/11 10:13 AM ET

In the medieval period, saint Thiruvalluvar, author of 'Thirukural' was a weaver. Other saints such as Kabir, Sura Dasa, Ram Dasa and Tukaram came from the sudra class also. Many of the great visionaries in modern India were not brahmins by birth but can be regarded as brahmins by their life-styles and teachings: Mahätmä Gändhi, Swämi Vivekänada, Sri Aurobindo, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Swämi Chinmayänanda etc. […]

Whatever coercion may exist in the society could be argued as a social discipline. In the practical world, there would be complete chaos and disaster if the individuals stopped performing their duties. A well-balanced society definitely needs warriors, merchants, teachers and laborers. Hence, instead of one's unrestrained rights, one's duties are given more importance.

Conclusion

Varna system is one of the most debatable phenomena of

India

and is tarred with many controversies. However, on a deeper analysis one finds that the basic need for this system was simply to ensure a healthy and flexible society unlike the one which has been rigidified due to the colonial misinterpretation and mistreatment of varnas, resulting in the castes as we find them in the present day India . The original varna system was quite flexible in which one's varna could be changed based on one's skill and was not fixed as is often understood. Indeed, it was the colonization of India by the British in the 18th and 19th centuries that changed the varna system into the present rigid system of castes. References

1. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, The Hindu View of Life,(HarperCollins, 1998)
2. Padmanabh S Jaini, "Values in comparative perspective: Svadharma versus Ahimsä", Collected Papers on Buddhist Studies, (Motilal Banarasidas, 2001)
3. J Muir, Original Sanskrit Texts, (Delhi, Oriental Publishers, 1972)
4. Steven Pinker, The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature, (Viking, 2002)
5. Nicholas B Dirks, Castes of Mind: Colonialism and the Making of Modern India, (Princeton University Press, 2001)
6. Arvind Sharma, Classical Hindu Thought, (Oxford University Press, 2000)

The Caste System of India --- An Aurobindonian Perspective

DR. SOUMITRA BASU INSTITUTE FOR INTEGRAL YOGA PSYCHOLOGY :: Publications > DOWNLOADS

It is indeed interesting that while civilizations, empires, nations and other social edifices continue to arise and fall, the Indian caste system seems to be resilient to ravages of history. Outlived, decrepit and out of tune with the current era of globalisation, it still haunts the socio-religious and political scenario of the Indian sub-continent. While the nation gears up to enter the twenty-first century, caste factors are still strong enough to effect political upheavals and continue to be one of the major causes of violence.

It is hardly surprising that neither social reforms nor a modern rational and scientific education have been able to usurp the caste system from the Indian psyche. Inspite of its growing pragmatism, the Indian intelligentsia is peculiarly ambivalent in its attitude to caste factors. Such a deep-rooted and ingrained outlook can not be simplistically explained as a mere social phenomenon. There must be, along with the social perspective, a psychological dimension that has contributed to the acceptance and perpetuation of the caste system in the Indian psyche. That does not however imply that social reform have to be supplemented by psychological maneuvers to help the Indian mind to transcend caste barriers. The predominant determinant of Indian culture arises from her spiritual repertoire. All other knowledge---- psychological or sociological must be read in the background of a vast spiritual gestalt. Any solution that aims to break the fetters of the rigid and obsolete caste system must be derived from a spiritual perspective to be acceptable to the Indian mind. It is difficult for the Indian temperament to throw away at a stroke an age-old practice. Perhaps a better way would be preserve the basic principles of the Sanatana Dharma and revalidate them in the context of the changing times.

The caste systems as we find today is of course of a deviated and deformed version of the original Caturvarna system. Sri Aurobindo examines the problem from three angles : […]

The four‑fold personality perfected around an integrating soul‑force is the synthesis perceived by Sri Aurobindo. This task requires not only a human effort but a response from the Divine. This new synthesis is built from the same seed‑ ideas that gave birth to the Caturvarna. The Caturvarna was an expression of the Universal spirit as a four‑fold social hierarchy. With the passage of time the form lost its significance and became a burden‑ something that occurred when the Caturvarna became a diseased caste system. But the spirit of the original seed‑ideas born from an intuitive seer‑vision outlives the forms and can always be used for a new synthesis. The four‑fold personality featuring Wisdom, Strength, Harmony and Service integrated around the Soul‑force is such a new synthesis made from the same seed ideas that produced the Caturvarna. This would be more acceptable to the Indian psyche to whom the Vedas, Upanishads and Gita continue to be living spirit.

Such a new synthetic vision of personality has another dimension. The reaction to conventionalism in the West took the form of materialism, secularism and mechanical organisation in the age of Individualism. Sri Aurobindo had opined that the Indian reaction might differ from that of the West and take the form of subjectivism and practical spirituality.³⁰ An acceptance of Sri Aurobindo's synthesis of a perfected personality type constructed from the seed-ideas that evolved the Caturvarna while rejecting the worn‑out caste system would itself be a classical Indian reaction to the age of conventionalism. As such an attempt will have to integrate Wisdom, Strength, Harmony and Service around a Beyond‑Ego principle, it will be mandatory for the Time‑Spirit to press the Human Cycle to move towards a spiritual age en route an era of subjectivism.

FIRST PUBLISHED : SRI AUROBINDO MANDIR ANNUAL No. 54,1995, Sri Aurobindo Pathmandir, Calcutta-73. REFERENCES

(13) Kapali Sastry, T.V. Sri Aurobindo :Lights On The Teachings, Sri Aurobindo Library, Madras, 1948, Pg.93‑94.

(14) Subbannachar, N.V. Social Psychology. The Integral Approach, Scientific Book Agency, Calcutta, 1966, (Table 9, Pg 259 & 323).

(19) Basu, S : The Synthesis Of Eastern And Western Psychological paradigms in the light of Sri Aurobindo, Indian Journal Of Social Psychiatry, Vol. 11(1), 1995, Pgs. 35‑39. Sri Aurobindo's Writings - The Mother's Collected Works

Music and dance and protest

2011-06-16T11:21:00.000+05:30

The Chakra... And Our Civilisation from ANTIDOTE by naturalorder@gmail.com (Sauvik) And we must also focus on the chakra - the wheel. Our people need wheels - and roads.

In Juggernaut Puri, everything revolves around the chakra - the wheel. The road servicing this area is named Chakratirtha Road - which means "the pilgrimage of the wheel." The skylight in my room in a quaint, old hotel is shaped like the chakra. And I bought a souvenir of carved stone of this chakra. There are 16 spokes around the hub - and the base is held up by 10 elephants. Which means the ancients understood that the power of the spoked wheel was greater than that of 10 elephants. There are other figures holding up the chakra that I bought - and these include strange monstrous creatures as well as pretty dancing girls. I think dancing girls must have been big in our ancient civilisation - for the first hall in the Sun Temple of Konark is the Hall of the Dancing Girls. But no music and dance on the streets of Puri - or should I say "non-streets."

Freedom, equality and Husain The Pioneer, June 15, 2011 Arvind Kumar

In a country like India with a population of around 1.2 billion people, there are bound to be all sorts of people. While some like the author may have attended charm school and are articulate, others have not been so fortunate to be literate and are rough around the edges. Their method of articulation is in the form of protests and may not be palatable to the author, but it would be sheer arrogance to reject their views on the grounds that they do not speak English.

Sometimes their methods may have crossed acceptable boundaries, but it is clear that they understand the principle of equality better than smooth-talking journalists who seem smitten by inferiority complex and want to be accepted by those in the West who call themselves liberals. It is very common for Westerners who call themselves liberals to support the equal application of the law in their countries while opposing the Uniform Civil Code in India. Many Indian journalists who are inferiority-ridden seek to boost their self-esteem by gaining acceptance among this category of Westerners and simply adopt their views without a proper analysis of the issues at hand. -- The author can be reached at arvind@classical-liberal.net.

Dr. Ambedkar's idea of positive discrimination

2011-05-30T21:50:00.000+05:30

Indira behind party's decline in UP: Cong book IBNLive.com

In an article written by historian Sudha Pai that traces the downfall of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, Pai writes, "She attempted to reach down to the ...

'Indira era saw Cong decline in UP'‎ - Hindustan Times

'Indira responsible for party's collapse in UP'‎ - Times of India

Dalits & Congress Frontline - Venkitesh Ramakrishnan - 17 May 2011

Sudha Pai's academic interests and track record do help in taking this related... Sudha Pai certainly finds great merit in this exercise, though Digvijay ...

Stage set for UP polls Deccan Herald - Khalid Akhter - 21 May 2011

Echoing the same, Sudha Pai, Professor of Political Science at Jawaharlal Nehru University, describes the visits and statements by leaders of different ...

'Left parties fail to come to terms with changing realities' Economic Times - 13 May 2011

"The Left parties have failed to come to terms with changing realities and globalisation," says Sudha Pai, professor of politics at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru

Pranab Mukherjee - In the preface to the book, Mukherjee noted that Congress desired the volume to be edited and contributed by experts in order to generate an "objective and scholarly perspective for the period under review and not necessarily have a party perspective". IBNLive.com

Non-political dimensions of society

2011-02-07T14:28:00.001+05:30

Marriage of true minds Saturday 19 June '10 A. M. SHAH Indian Express

A census that assumes caste is a discrete, endogamous unit contradicts the freedom to mix

MANY ARGUE argue that there is nothing wrong with politics based on caste and tribe. But these identities were created and supported by the denial of a vital freedom. Those who look at society only in terms of political power, close their eyes when confronted with non-political dimensions.

THERE is a big lacuna in the current debate on caste census: none of the contributors has considered the nexus between caste and marriage. According to law, an Indian citizen has freedom of choice in selection of spouse for marriage.

S/he can marry under the Special Marriage Act. However, for the vast of majority of people this freedom is taken away by caste custom, by what sociologists call the rule of caste endogamy (marriage within caste). For most members of every caste it is a traditional value. However, Westernisation and modernisation during the last two hundred years or so has created new values due to which increasing numbers of individuals wish to exercise the freedom of choice in marriage by marrying outside of caste.

Let us recall that in the initial period of change, many individuals had to face strong opposition from the tradition-bound members of their caste. I do not have space here to nar rate the nature of that long and complex struggle, which was also linked with the nationalist struggle. It is clear however that the opposition to endogamous marriage has gradually softened, and more and more individuals are exercising the freedom of marrying outside their caste, such that a whole new class of caste-less individuals has now emerged, however small that class may be.

The opposition to marriage outside caste has of course not disappeared. We still hear and read about terrible punishments meted out to young boys and girls for marrying outside their caste. Various social forces continue to restrict this freedom. The reservations and the census based on caste and tribe are two of these forces. All of the thousands of castes and tribes, including those listed as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes, are endogamous groups. A caste or tribe is always considered a hereditary group. One acquires its membership by birth.

But, heredity is derived from parenthood, and parenthood depends on legitimate marriage, which in caste society depends on both the parents belonging to the same caste. This seemingly trivial fact is crucial in determining membership of a caste or tribe. Whenever a person claims a benefit from the government as a member of a SC, ST or OBC, s/he has to produce a certificate of membership of that caste or tribe. When this certificate is disputed in a court of law -as indeed many such certificates are disputed -the judiciary applies the test of legitimate parenthood and marriage in a particular caste or tribe.

Since the SC, ST and OBC lists are comprised of numerous endogamous castes and tribes, any support for continuing these lists amounts to supporting endogamous marriage. A census based on caste also does the same. Both go against the individual's freedom in choice of spouse for marriage. As mentioned above, the jurists protect this freedom of the Indian citizen, but they also support caste and tribe endogamy inherent in the three categories of backward classes.

They thus contribute to restricting the same freedom. The judiciary of independent India has inherited the definition of caste as an endogamous group from the colonial jurists, and the latter had accepted it from the Shastris and Pandits as expert advisers on traditional Hindu law and custom.

Thus the present jurists continue to apply the same scriptural notion of caste. When the Supreme Court or a high court demands statistical data from the government about thousands of castes and tribes in the SC, ST and OBC lists, they are presuming that these castes and tribes are out there in the open to be measured as discrete endogamous units. There is a contradiction here.

Many political leaders as well as intellectuals, including social scientists, talk about freedom of the individual on the one hand but support the caste and tribe based reservations and census on the other, both of which negate the freedom in the realm of marriage. And all in the name of eradication of caste! This is another contradiction.

These intellectuals and social scientists often argue that in politics based on caste and tribe we have only identity politics, and there is nothing wrong about it. But, these identities were created and are supported by denial of a vital freedom.

At a recent seminar on backward classes, when I raised the above point, a distinguished social scientist said, "Marriage is messy. We do not understand it." Many of the intellectuals, including social scientists, who look at Indian society only in terms of political power, close their eyes when confronted with non-political dimensions of society. The author is former professor of sociology, University of Delhi. [Division and Hierarchy: An Overview of Caste in Gujarat (Studies in sociology and social anthropology) A. M. Shah, I. P. Desai (Hardcover - Dec 1988)]

Dwelling on loss is not necessarily depressing

2010-11-18T12:07:00.000+05:30

Affective Mapping: Melancholia and the Politics of Modernism by Jonathan Flatley

The surprising claim of this book is that dwelling on loss is not necessarily depressing. Instead, Jonathan Flatley argues, embracing melancholy can be a road back to contact with others and can lead people to productively remap their relationship to the world around them. Flatley demonstrates that a seemingly disparate set of modernist writers and thinkers showed how aesthetic activity can give us the means to comprehend and change our relation to loss.

The texts at the center of Flatley’s analysis—Henry James’s Turn of the Screw, W. E. B. Du Bois’s The Souls of Black Folk, and Andrei Platonov’s Chevengur—share with Freud an interest in understanding the depressing effects of difficult losses and with Walter Benjamin the hope that loss itself could become a means of connection and the basis for social transformation. For Du Bois, Platonov, and James, the focus on melancholy illuminates both the historical origins of subjective emotional life and a heretofore unarticulated community of melancholics. The affective maps they produce make possible the conversion of a depressive melancholia into a way to be interested in the world.

Helpful and Insightful, February 4, 2009 By Edward J. Brunner (Carbondale, Illinois) - See all my reviews

A good deal has been written on melancholy, especially in recent years, but Flatley's book stands out as both a useful introductory text and an insightful application of psychoanalytic theory. At the center of his discussion is an astute reading of Henry James's The Turn of the Screw. As fine as this is, however, it is equaled by the explanatory chapters that establish a theoretical background. An opening chapter that provides a glossary that distinguishes the nuanced meanings of "affect," "emotion," "mood" and "structure of feeling" is outstanding. Flatley goes on to develop his perspective not with any obvious follow-up but with unconventional turns: a chapter on Du Bois's Souls of Black Folk and a chapter on Soviet era writing by Andrei Platonov. This remarkably clear study always presses in serious new directions.

When the child doesn't demonstrate ambivalence

2010-11-16T22:51:00.000+05:30

India's Dilemma on Inter-Parental Child Removal Written by Anil Malhotra

Inter-parental child abduction is a serious problemconsidering that it induces life-long psychological damage to the tendermind of the abducted child. […]

GENESIS OF THE PROBLEM

The world is a far smaller place now than it was a decade ago. Inter-country and inter- continental travel is easier and more affordable than it has ever been. The corollary to this is an increase in relationships between individuals of different nationalities and from different cultural backgrounds. Logistically, the world in which we and our children live has grown immensely complex. It is filled with opportunities and risks. International mobility, opening up of borders, cross-border migration and dismantling of inter-cultural taboos have many positive traits but are fraught with a new set of risks for children caught up in cross-border situations. Trapped in the cross fire of broken relationships with ensuing disputes over custody and relocation, the hazards of international abduction loom large over the chronic problems of maintaining access or contact internationally with the uphill struggle of securing cross frontier child support. […]

We now need a new synergy, a motivated effort and a commitment to the cause of the removed child to shape a law to prevent the unfortunate removal of children. The child should not suffer. A law must be put in place forthwith for the cause of the child.

HOSTILE AGGRESSIVE PARENTING AND PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME: AN OVERVIEW Dr. B.L. Agarwal, Chairman (Pediatrics), Lawrence Hospital, New York

Dr. Anita Nischal, MD, Womens Healthcare Pavillion and Former Professor, Wagner College, New York

Hostile Aggressive Parenting (HAP) is a pattern of behaviour, manipulation, actions or decision-making of a parent that either directly or indirectly creates undue difficulties in the relationship of a child with the other parent; and/or promotes or maintains an unwarranted unfairness or inequality in the parenting arrangements between the child’s parents; and/or promotes ongoing and unnecessary conflict between parents which adversely affects the parenting, well-being and rearing of a child. HAP is most apparent in child-custody disputes and is used most often as a tool to align the child with one of the parents during litigation over custody or control of the child.

Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) is an abnormal psychological condition in a child which adversely impacts the child’s relationship with a (target) parent in a number of clearly identifiable and dysfunctional ways and the causes of the disorder can be reasonably traced back to the actions, behaviours and decision-making of a person(s) who are interfering with the child’s relationship with the (target) parent. It is one of the most damaging outcomes affecting children as a result of exposure to HAP. The most common symptom of children affected by PAS is their severe opposition to contact with one parent and/or overt hatred toward such parent when there is little and often, no logical reason to explain the child’s behaviour. The effects of PAS can last well into adulthood and may last for a lifetime with tragic consequences. PAS is usually related to highly litigious court cases where there is a “destroy to win or the end justifies the means”mentality.Alienating parents are driven by the overriding need for power, influence, domination and control. They have no internal conflict, because they truly believe they are right.

If a problem arises, it is always someone else’s fault. Alienating parents find it easy to misuse the law because some family courts do not use mental health experts to assess the psychological underpinnings. If psychological evaluations are conducted on the alienating parent, they often reveal the “borderline, narcissistic, or hysterical personality” disorder. Although they may know how to act the part, they do not have empathy, sympathy or compassion for others. Unlike rational people, they do not distinguish between telling the truth and lying. Alienating parents know that sanctions of fines, jail time, or community service are seldom applied to those held in contempt of visitation orders and hence cases are dragged for years. This jeopardizes the child’s relationship with the target parent, and allows the alienating parents the advantage to continue alienating. The emotional cost of PAS is excessive to the target parent. Legal intervention is a must to remove the alienated child from the custody of the alienating parent, set boundaries for the alienating parent, and have the alienated child deprogrammed by a child psychologist. Without legal intervention, alienated children lose their ability and free will to make rational choices over their lives, experience serious psychiatric disorders, have poor social relationships, and of course pass the problem on to their children.

Dr Roma Kumar, Clinical Psychologist, Sir Ganga RamHospital (Delhi)

“Nothing stirs up passions more than title controversy generated when parents are at war over the custody of a child.”

The parental alienation syndrome (PAS) is a disorder that arises primarily in the context of child-custody disputes. It’s primary manifestation is the child's campaign of denigration against a parent, a campaign that has no justification. It results from the combination of a programming (brainwashing) parent's indoctrinations and the child's own contributions to the vilification of the target parent. Basically, this means that through verbal and non-verbal thoughts, actions and mannerisms, a child is emotionally abused (brainwashed) into thinking that the other parent is the enemy. PAS is more than brainwashing or programming, because the child has to actually participate in the denigrating of the alienated parent. This is done in primarily the following eight ways:

(i) The child denigrates the alienated parent with foul language and severe oppositional behavior.

(ii) The child offers weak, absurd, or frivolous reasons for his or her anger.

(iii) The child is sure of him or herself and doesn't demonstrate ambivalence. i.e. love and hate for the alienated parent, only hate.

(iv) The child exhorts that he or she alone came up with ideas of denigration. The "independent-thinker" phenomenon is where the child asserts that no one told him to do this.

(v) The child supports and feels a need to protect the alienating parent.

(vi) The child does not demonstrate guilt over cruelty towards the alienated parent.

(vii) The child uses borrowed scenarios, or vividly describes situations that he or she could not have experienced.

(viii) Animosity is spread to the friends and/or extended family of the alienated parent.

The most common pattern of the mother is to show that ‘she is in control’. She will do that in a variety of ways ranging from ignoring the father to humiliating him. Paradoxically she is able to do it on the basis that the father loves his child so much he will put up with it. In most cases, the mothers do not take the children away with any clear cut strategy in mind, it is usually an extension of normal hostile reactions going through the sequence of: (1) Arguing (2) Hostile silence (3) Restricted communication (4) No communication (5) Hostile action

Politics requires a lot of narcissism

2010-11-12T20:16:00.000+05:30

AN EXAMPLE OF 'HEALTHY' VS 'UNHEALTHY' NARCISSISM from Dr. Sanity

What we call narcissism is a normal part of every human being. Without narcissism, we are unable to feel good about either ourselves or other people. In the healthy adult, the excessively grandiose side of the self is tamed and harnessed to an appropriate set of ideals and values and is capable of perceiving others as separate sources of action, thought, and feeling. A healthy self with appropriate levels of narcissism--or self love--has two fundamental and equally important parts: […]

Much of the evil that humans do to each other comes as a result of narcissistic rage and/or narcissistic idealism (and they are found often oscillating back and forth in the unhealthy narcissist). In the former case, we hear about or know individuals who manipulate, control, subjugate, hurt or kill others and they are able to do this because they do not consider other people as human or separate from their own self; or because they are so enraged and grandiose they are not capable of empathy. We see stories of this happening all the time on the news, frequently exclaiming, "How could someone do that?" The ex-boyfriend who cannot accept that the woman has dared to withdraw her love and so must kill her (and often himself); the serial killer who does not experience others as really human. The pedophile who abuses then murders his child victim. Every petty criminal who believes implicitly that his feelings and desires are paramount and justify his behavior.

A second type of evil is more subtle, and it comes from the unhealthy idealistic narcissist. This narcissist also does not see other people as individuals; and instead sees them only as fodder for the expression of an IDEAL or as pawns for an Omnipotent Object (e.g., a dictator). People with idealizing narcissism completely reject the needs of the individual and enslave him or her to their IDEAL. Eventually, the enslavement--whether religious or secular--snuffs out human ambition, confidence, energy and self-esteem. These "do-gooders" cause considerable human misery and their ideologies can lead to genocidal practices and unbelievable atrocities on a grand scale, all in the name of the IDEAL or GOD. Needless to say, both the development of normal self-esteem as well as the ability to have appropriate ideals and admiration for others are essential to psychological health. When one aspect develops at the expense of the other it has grave consequences--both for the individual and society.

One could say that the entire psychological process of maturation is one in which the child is able to form a cohesive sense of himself AND at the same time appreciate the separateness of Mother and Father --and by extension, all other people. When this process is achieved, true empathy and benevolence toward others is possible, as is a healthy and realistic appreciation for one's own worth and capabilities. In Wretchard's comparison of Barack Obama and Sarah Palin we see the essentials of how all this plays out in different political personalities. As I noted earlier, there are certain professions that require a lot of narcissism to be successful--and politics is foremost among them.

Managing with love is the way to build trust

2010-11-07T12:41:00.000+05:30

Can Love Improve Your Business? August 29, 2010 Psychology Today

Love in the workplace? Forbidden! In these days of mandated sexual harassment training, we are constantly warned to keep our even mildly lascivious thoughts and emails, not to mention our hands, to ourselves. But, human nature may trump the law. I make it a practice to hug everyone who works for me and most of those who work around me, both males and females. Read More […]

Managing with love is the way to build trust. It's a no-brainer. So why do so few companies do this? The autocratic "manage with fear" model is what business began with hundreds of years ago when managers whipped employees literally and figuratively to compel them to work. In modern businesses with skilled and empowered employees, the top-down approach is slowly starting to fade away. The open-door policy is replacing the executive suite. For example, my university built me a new lab last year and the builder wanted to know where my office would be. I said I didn't want one. I prefer to embed myself with my team because we work together on projects. Why would I want to separate myself from those I collaborate with?

There is a growing number of successful companies that manage with love. Southwest Airlines is an example: their corporate slogan is "How do we love you? Let us count the ways . ." In fact, their stock ticker symbol is LUV so this is a big part of their corporate identity. (Southwest's first flights came out of Dallas's Love Field so this may have given them the idea). If you have flown Southwest, you know that their employees love working for them. Southwest Airlines has never laid off an employee. Southwest's CEO Gary Kelly was paid $903,000 in 2009, and half of that was a one-time bonus. Compare that to former GM CEO Rick Wagoner who was paid more than 14 million dollars the year before GM went belly-up.

My research shows that the molecule of love, oxytocin, makes us trustworthy and motivates us to help others. Most managers would sacrifice a limb if their employees embodied these virtues at work.

All it takes is love.

Paul J. Zak is a neuroeconomist at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, CA. His book The Moral Molecule will be published in 2012. more... [12:17 PM]

Parallels between marriage and citizenship

2010-10-27T11:05:00.000+05:30

The Restitution of the Conjugal Rights of the State from Kafila by Lawrence Liang

Despite the many thoughtful critiques of the relationship between family and the state, I have always found it a little surprising that there is very little commentary on the relationship between two strange legal fictions. The first is the idea of the restitution of conjugal rights (RCR), and the other is sedition. The restitution of conjugal rights basically consists of the right of a spouse to demand that his or her- though more often his than her- spouse cohabit with him after she has ‘withdrawn from his society’. Away from the misty world of legal euphemisms, we all know what this means: that you can be forced to sleep with a somewhat less than pleasant person against your wishes. A legal commitment to love in a marriage is a serious thing indeed which only warns us that we must proceed with such a choice very carefully.

But like many marriages, the question of choice is somewhat restricted for many people- as is indeed the case of the choice of loving your country. After all isn’t sedition a crime of passion, and the punishment of an offence of the withdrawal of love for your nation. It is interesting to see that while treason in Sec. 121 of the IPC is about the waging of war against the state, sedition is about a forced love. It is about the creation of ‘disaffection’. As Nivedita Menon points out in her post, Disaffection means “the absence or alienation of affection or goodwill; estrangement”.

A legal commitment to love your nation is also a serious thing indeed, and what then is the punishment of sedition if not, the restitution of the conjugal rights of the state? Posted in Law, Media politics | Tags: Arundhati Roy, sedition, disaffection « Sedition: ‘The highest duty of a citizen’ RESPONSES

This analogy is absolutely brilliant.

Obligatory love and duty, punishment for failure to love – why didn’t I see the endless parallels between marriage and citizenship before? Thanks! By: Nivedita Menon on October 27, 2010 at 9:16 AM Reply

Humble serenity of pure intellection

2010-10-23T21:13:00.001+05:30

The Builders Rejected by the Stoner in Chief from One Cosmos by Gagdad Bob

This interior cathedral is where the soul finds its rest. Schuon speaks of "the humble serenity of pure intellection, humble because impersonal and serene because conforming to That which is." […] Schuon discusses the various spiritual types, which are classically divided into ruler, priest, sage, warrior, merchant, laborer and outcaste. Each can be sanctified in its own way save for the latter, which can only be saved.

Consider Schuon's description of the merchant caste, which includes the craftsman and farmer: there is a "love of work well done -- both the result and the performance -- and of wages honestly earned; an emotional accent on the fear of God and on meritorious works conscientiously and piously accomplished."

Please note that he is not being the least bit condescending. Imagine, for example, if American capitalism were dominated by this mentality -- which it actually is, far more than people realize. Indeed, this is why it "works," because of the American "civil religion" so accurately described by de Tocqueville.

My father was of this caste -- a very pure businessman. In this regard, it is impossible for me to imagine him engaging in any kind of unethical or dishonest business dealing, even though he was in no way conventionally religious. Nevertheless, one can see how his work was a kind of karma yoga, since it was always "elevating." And people loved doing business with him for it. Is living the truth not a kind of implicit knowing it? Or is it actually explicit?

Schuon goes on to say that such individuals can appear superficially "horizontal" and conventional, but there is nothing wrong with being conventional in a just and rightly ordered society. Indeed, it can be "a protection against the lack of a sense of proportion for those not sufficiently endowed with discernment."

For example, consider an Obama, who clearly imagines himself to be of the priestly/intellectual caste, but who is so lacking in humility -- not to mention discernment and conformity to the real -- that he falls far lower than any upstanding merchant in the Chamber of Commerce. It is no coincidence that he so contemptuously attacks the latter, just as he belittles all normal Americans and the civil religion that has served us so well.

All Men Are Drunks and Hobos from One Cosmos by Gagdad Bob

Continuing our little discussion of caste and clue, Schuon notes that the priest/sage and knight/warrior share the common capacity "for spontaneously placing oneself above oneself," the former through wisdom and disinterested intelligence, the latter through heroism and self-sacrifice. In both cases, the person simply responds to "the nature of things" in order to provide what is needed in the moment, whether in the field of intellect or of action.

The third caste discussed yesterday -- the merchant, artisan, or craftsman -- may have more of a challenge in this area, in that it is possible for the mercantile mentality to dominate, thus reducing everything to quantity -- to know the price of everything but the value of nothing.

Nevertheless, it shares with the sage and warrior "an inward incentive toward the good," in contrast to the fourthcaste, which "cannot maintain itself in the good except under a pressure coming from outside and above," the reason being that "this human type does not dominate itself and does not like to dominate itself" (Schuon). […]

Only the first caste is truly lacking in "worldliness." The warrior caste obviously must deal with the world -- and mankind -- as it is. But the priestly caste is aware of the distinction between celestial and terrestrial things, and doesn't allow the Is to obscure the Ought.

Note that our secular class of tenured priests also trucks in the Ought, but this Ought is purely terrestrial and marxmade. It involves what Voegelin called the "immamentization of the eschaton." It also must redound to coercion, since it is not a "truth" that lies outside or above man. God vouchsafes his truth and lures men to it. Man can only enforce his.

Extremes meet, so it is quite possible -- especially in our day and age -- for our sages to actually be outcastes, in particular, if they are in contact with no reality higher than themselves. As Schuon explains, the outcaste lacks a homogeneous center, and is "unbalanced" or "mixed" with all sorts of incompatible and contradictory impulses. For example, imagine a university professor who doesn't believe in objective truth. Such a person cannot be helped, and yet, here he is presuming to help others!

Schuon goes on to say that the two higher castes are "noble," in the sense that their spirit is "free," or "'sovereign,' for it is naturally conformed to the universal Law, whether in 'heroic' or 'sacerdotal' mode." A man is noble "to the extent that he carries the Law within himself," but he is ennobled "to the extent that his obedience is perfect," at first "quantitatively" but eventually "qualitatively."

In other words, obedience is gradually interiorized -- or, as the interior is awakened, the obedience becomes spontaneous.

There is also a hidden relationship between the priestly and mercantile, which recalls Somebody's wise crack to the effect that few things make a man more peaceable than when he is occupied at making money.

Think of the natural contemplativity of the artisan or farmer: "It is easy to see the peaceful character of the peasant, the craftsman, the merchant; none of them has any interest in coming to blows, and each of the three functions possesses an aspect that binds or unites human groups rather than placing them in opposition" (ibid). Which is why capitalist countries are more peaceful within and with each other.

The warrior may fall if he forgets his higher purpose and descends into ambition or mere quarrelsomeness; this results from "an intelligence with too little contemplativity" (ibid). In contrast, the merchant can be afflicted by a "contemplativity with too little intelligence," whereas the intelligence of the priestly caste may become "narrow and pedantic," thereby becoming flaccid and ineffectual. In other words, it is possible for the elect to suffer from electile dysfunction.

In the ultimate sense, the priest/sage should either be "without caste" or encompass the qualities of each of them. Think of the heroic martyr-priests, or those who patiently and lovingly (not to say beautifully) transcribed and preserved all those ancient manuscripts prior to the invention of the printing press.

speaking of favorite Platonic dialogues from Object-Oriented Philosophy by doctorzamalek (Graham Harman)

Mine’s the Meno, and no changing it. […] In fact, “favorite Platonic dialogue” is probably the philosophical equivalent of zodiac signs.

You have the Timaeus people, who are generally either hipster vitalists or colorful antiquarians.

You have plenty of Republic people, and they could be of all different types because there’s so much in it.

You have the Sophist people, who tend to be grave ontologists with beards.

What other types are there?

Symposium people. Right. It may even be my second favorite. I’m a Meno with Symposium rising.

दोपहर के वक्‍त महिलाओं से बहस करने से बचना चाहिए

2010-10-20T14:53:00.000+05:30

दफ्तर हो या घर दोपहर के वक्‍त महिलाओं से बहस करने से बचना चाहिए क्‍योंकि शोधकर्ताओं ने शोध में पाया है कि दोपहर के वक्‍त महिलाओं के मूड में काफी उतार चढ़ाव आता है। दोपहर के वक्‍त पुरुष अगर महिलाओं से बहस करते हैं तो उन्‍हें हार का सामना करना पड़ सकता है।

वहीं शोध में यह भी कहा गया है कि महिलाओं को पुरुष से कोई काम करवाना हो तो शाम 6 बजे का इंतजार करें। क्‍योंकि इस वक्‍त पुरुष अपने करीबी लोगों की इच्‍छा पूरी करते हैं। इस स्टडी ब्रिटेन के 1000 पुरुषों और महिलाओं पर किया गया है।

अध्ययन में यह भी कहा गया है कि जब किसी महिला को तनख्वाह में इजाफे या प्रोमोशन की बात अपने बॉस से कहनी हो तो वह दोपहर 1 बजे अपने बॉस से बात करें । ज्‍यादातर बॉस इस वक्त अच्‍छे मूड में रहते हैं। महिलाओं की मुराद पूरी हो सकती है। लेकिन बॉस अगर महिला है तो दोपहर में उससे बात करने की कोशिश न करें। आमतौर पर देखा गया है कि दोपहर एक बजे के बाद का समय ऐसा होता है जब मैनेजर अपने कर्मचारियों की मांग के प्रति बहुत उदार होता है। इच्छा पूरी करने के लिए शाम 6 बजे का इंतजार करें दैनिक भास्कर

Brahmin, Muslim, Militant, Migrant, Dalit, & Dance

2010-09-15T13:14:00.000+05:30

Makeshift Migrants and Law: Gender, Belonging, and Postcolonial Anxieties by Ratna Kapur (Aug 25, 2010)

This book unmasks the cultural and gender stereotypes that inform the legal regulation of the migrant. It critiques the postcolonial perspective on how belonging and non-belonging are determined by the sexual, cultural, and familial norms on which law is based as well as the historical backdrop of the colonial encounter, which differentiated overtly between the legitimate and illegitimate subject.

The complexities and layering of the migrant’s existence are seen, in the book, to be obscured by the apparatus of the law. The author elaborates on how law can both advance and impede the rights of the migrant subject and how legal interventions are constructed around frameworks rooted in the boundaries of difference, protection of the sovereignty of the nation-state, and the myth of the all-embracing liberal subject. This produces the ‘Other’ and reinforces essentialised assumptions about gender and cultural difference.

The author foregrounds the perspective of the subaltern migrant subject, exposing the deeper issues implicated in the debates over migration and the rights claims of migrants, primarily in the context of women and religious minorities in India. About the Author

Ratna Kapur is Director, Centre for Feminist Legal Research, New Delhi and Faculty, Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Geneva. Erotic Justice: Law and the New Politics of Postcolonialism by Ratna Kapur (Feb 3, 2005), Secularism's Last Sigh?: Hindutva and the (Mis) Rule of Law by Brenda Cossman and Ratna Kapur (May 16, 2002)

The Making of a Modern Indian Artist-Craftsman: Devi Prasad by Naman Ahuja (Sep 11, 2010)

Militant and Migrant: The Politics and Social History of Punjab by Radhika Chopra (Dec 26, 2010)

Being Brahmin, Being Modern: Exploring the Lives of Caste Today by Ramesh Bairy (Aug 25, 2010)

Developmental State and the Dalit Question in Madhya Pradesh: Congress Response by Sudha Pai (Aug 25, 2010)

Indian Political Thought: A Reader by Aakash Singh and Silika Mohapatra (Aug 17, 2010)

The Gender Imperative: Human Security Vs State Security by Asha Hans and Betty A. Reardon (Jul 26, 2010)

Emerging Trends in Indian Politics: The Fifteenth General Election by Ajay K Mehra(Jul 22, 2010)

Theories of Value from Adam Smith to Piero Sraffa by Ajit Sinha (Jul 22, 2010)

Democracy, Development and Decentralisation in India: Continuing Debates by Chandan Sengupta and Stuart Corbridge (Jul 21, 2010)

Grounding Morality: Freedom, Knowledge and the Plurality of Cultures by Jyotirmaya Sharma and A. Raghuramaraju (Jul 21, 2010)

How Best Do We Survive?: A Modern Political History of the Tamil Muslims (South Asian History and Culture) by Kenneth McPherson (Jul 21, 2010)

The Warp and the Weft: Community and Gender Identity Among the Weavers of Banaras by Vasanthi Raman (Jul 1, 2010)

The State and Governance in India: The Congress Ideal (Routledge Studies in South Asian History) by William F. Kuracina (Jun 30, 2010)

Jana Sanskriti: Forum Theatre and Democracy in India by Sanjoy Ganguly (Jun 22, 2010)

Road to Pakistan: The Life and Times of Mohammad Ali Jinnah by B. R. Nanda (Jun 22, 2010)

Subaltern Citizens and their Histories by Gyanendra Pandey (Jun 7, 2010)

Multi-stories: Cross-cultural Encounters by Kalpana Sahni (May 26, 2010)

Development, Democracy and the State: Critiquing the Kerala Model of Development (Routledge Contemporary South Asia Series) by K. Ravi Raman (May 25, 2010)

A History of India by Hermann Kulke and Dietmar Rothermund (May 24, 2010)

India's Partition by D. N. Panigrahi (Apr 19, 2010)

History, Masculinity and the Amar Chitra Katha by Deepa Sreenivas (Apr 15, 2010)

M. N. Roy: Marxism and Colonial Cosmopolitanism (Pathfinders) by Kris Manjapra (Apr 15, 2010)

An Autobiography or The Story of My Experiments with Truth: A Table of Concordance by Tridip Suhrud (Apr 14, 2010)

Indias Middle Class: New Forms of Urban Leisure, Consumption and Prosperity (Cities and the Urban Imperative) by Christiane Brosius (Apr 14, 2010)

The Multiplex in India: A Cultural Economy of Urban Leisure (Routledge Contemporary South Asia Series) by Adrian Athique and Douglas Hill (Feb 15, 2010)

Retro-modern India: Forging the Low-caste Self (Exploring the Political in South Asia) by Manuela Ciotti (Apr 14, 2010)

Ritual Matters: Dynamic Dimensions in Practice by Ute Husken and Christiane Brosius(Apr 14, 2010)

Gender & Social Protection Strategies in the Informal Economy by Naila Kabeer (Apr 13, 2010)

India's Princely States by Waltraud Ernst (Apr 6, 2010)

English Rule and Native Opinion in India: From Notes Taken 1870-74 by James Routledge (Mar 8, 2010)

Political Agency and Gender in India (Routledge/Edinburgh South Asian Studies Series) by Manuela Ciotti (Mar 1, 2010)

Women Centre Stage: The Dramatist and the Play by Poile Sengupta (Jan 26, 2010)

Beyond the Apsara: Celebrating Dance in Cambodia (Celebrating Dance in Asia and the Pacific) by Stephanie Burridge and Fred Frumberg (Jan 25, 2010)

Dance Matters: Performing India on Local and Global Stages by Pallabi Chakravorty and Nilanjana Gupta (Feb 3, 2010)

Modern but not Western

2010-08-10T14:35:00.000+05:30

Makeshift Migrants and Law Gender, Belonging, and Postcolonial Anxieties By Ratna Kapur Price: £65.00 ISBN: 978-0-415-59629-9 Imprint: Routledge India Pages: 256 pages

India

Erotic Justice Law and the New Politics of Postcolonialism By Ratna Kapur

The essays in Erotic Justice address the ways in which law has been implicated in contemporary debates dealing with sexuality, culture and `different' subjects - including women, sexual minorities, Muslims and the transnational migrant. Law is analyzed as a discursive terrain, where these different...

Erotic justice: law and the new politics of postcolonialism - Page 46 - Ratna Kapur - 2005 - 219 pages - Preview

The Hindu Right has begun to place an emphasis on Indian society being 'modern but not Western', responding to the material and historical shifts of the late 20th and early 21st centuries in

India

. Hindutva is today being redefined to ...

Dowry still determines a daughter-in-law’s place

2010-08-07T16:50:00.000+05:30

Schools of thought IE: Saturday 07 August, 2010 Shruti Ravindran

Most urban people would like to think of themselves as mercifully distanced from the sort of petty sagas that spur on the subplots of K-serials and their many regional variants — such as vengeful sisters-in-law who foist household chores on new dowry-less brides, or the barely concealed show of hierarchy within the gift-wrapped present from a newly affluent relative. Should you want a field guide to navigate the thorny thickets that lie before the upwardly mobile middle-class, you ought to read Middle-Class Moralities: Everyday Struggle over Belonging and Prestige in India, by Minna Saavala (Orient Blackswan, Rs 495).

Saavala, a Finnish social anthropologist, gathered most of the material for the book from the personal experiences, opinions and habits of a circle of acquaintances — “informants”— that she met during a stint in Hyderabad for a previous dissertation on fertility. The book begins with the fraught, fiercely contested realm of courtship and marriage, pointing out that despite the illusion of choice and flattening of hierarchy that urban life might promise, factors like dowry still determine a daughter-in-law’s place in the household pyramid, and “free choice” or “love” marriage continues to get “camouflaged” within the curious label of an “arranged-cum-love-marriage”.

If you’ve marvelled at the real-estate advertisements that promise some gilded “lifestyle” and the geographical nowhere-ness we aspire to amid the landscaped gardening we like to surround ourselves with, you’ll especially enjoy the chapter on “Imagined Worlds”. This takes us on an excursion to the “heterotropia” of Ramoji Film City, “a mirage out of nowhere”, of mud villages, the Wild West, and Mughal palaces favoured for film shoots in the outskirts of Hyderabad.

In an arid, rocky land, rolling lawns and luxurious fountains are the most potent form of conspicuous consumption, points out Saavala. When one of her friends, who seemed indifferent to the spectacle, later professed great enthusiasm for it to her friends, Saavala observes that more than the excursion, she’d valued the consumption of indicators of the “West” — hygiene, efficiency, predictability, in a vendor-less, beggar-free environment. In other words, Ramoji Film City and your sparkly, new neighbourhood mall are “a huge stage… to be gazed at, and to prove [one’s] middle-classness.”

None of this upward mobility and aspiration-fulfilment would be possible without modern capitalism or the free-market economy, as its tireless evangelist, French columnist Guy Sorman will remind you in Economics Does Not Lie (Global Full Circle, Rs 495). “During the current crisis, it’s especially important to remember the unprecedented benefits that free markets have brought mankind,” says the blurb. Accordingly, the book marches along to this jaunty neo-liberal tune, telling us how the best measure of a good economy is its growth, how competition is desirable and the welfare state ineffective, and how complex financial markets have ushered in progress.

Happiness generally comes from links with other people

2010-07-28T08:18:00.001+05:30

(title unknown) from enowning

William Egginton on theodicy, neuroscience, and free will.

“As much as we owe the nature of our current existence to the evolutionary forces Darwin first discovered, or to the cultures we grow up in, or to the chemical states affecting our brain processes at any given moment, none of this impacts on our freedom. I am free because neither science nor religion can ever tell me, with certainty, what my future will be and what I should do about it. The dictum from Sartre that Strawson quoted thus gets it exactly right: I am condemned to freedom. I am not free because I can make choices, but because I must make them, all the time, even when I think I have no choice to make.”

depression and graduate students from Object-Oriented Philosophy by doctorzamalek (Graham Harman)

George Santayana is an underrated author. In The Sense of Beauty (always the surprise hit of my aesthetics classes whenever I use it) he talks about how beauty and happiness are not the same, that artists (and by extension, thinkers) suffer because they prefer beauty, whereas happiness generally comes from social factors: friends, marriage, a satisfying job, sufficient income so as not to worry, and being held in high esteem in the circles in which you travel. And in fact, it’s a reasonably good rule of thumb. Happiness (though perhaps not self-fulfillment) generally comes from links with other people. Or maybe with animals as well: pets can make us happy too.

Choosing not to disbelieve : City : Santosh Desai : TOI Blogs 25 Jul 2010

The overriding interest is in oneself, not in the means adopted. … Sandwiched between an overwhelming regard for oneself and an inability to control one's circumstances with the precision one seeks, we are looking for newer technologies of the self. New age beliefs may or may not be science but they certainly in technologies in that they seek to manipulate the world around us in order to give us outcomes we desire. … Santosh Desai is a leading ad professional.

Peter on 26.02.2008 at 17:52 (Reply)

From my observations, intelligent people often have a tendency to over analyse certain people, situations, etc. The ability to “switch off” and just enjoy the moment is a key to happiness in my opinion. This is completely different from ignorance btw.

John Wesley on 26.02.2008 at 18:04 (Reply)

I would agree with your point about over analysis, especially if you tend to over think potential problems and can’t appreciate positives.

Definitely different than ignorance, but I also think the point about ignorance helping people be happy is valid. Imagine, for example, someone who has no idea about the

U.S.

economic problems compared to someone who is constantly fretting about it.

etavitom on 26.02.2008 at 18:47 (Reply)

thanks for the interesting post! i think highly intelligent people are sometimes unhappy because they are more aware of stupidity and absurdity around them…. best, brad

Jacques on 02.03.2008 at 09:20 (Reply)

Also, they are more inclined to see ‘patterns’ – connecting events and realizing something similar happened before – because they tend to hide in reading and history – based on that, you can become rather good at predicting outcomes…

KM on 26.02.2008 at 20:17 (Reply)

I believe the interests of intelligent people cause problems for them as well. While many intelligent people may be interested in some of the same topics, it is difficult to find social activities associated with them.

Loyalty from Philosophy Talk: The Blog - Jul 17, 2010 7:01 AM posted by Ken Taylor

Loyalty binds people together. Friendships, marriages, even nations are built on loyalty. Try imagining a person who has no loyalty whatsoever to anything or anyone. Such a person would be friendless, loveless, nationless. She would feel no devotion to any higher cause or principle – like truth or justice. … Earlier I said that loyalty unites and that’s a good thing. But loyalty also divides. And that’s a bad thing. For example, soldiers at war are driven to kill each other by their competing loyalties.

The Irrationality of Human Decision Making from Philosophy Talk: The Blog - Jul 23, 2010 11:56 PM posted by Ken Taylor

From pure self-centered cost-benefit analysis, it can be hard to make sense of loyalty. You might even call loyalty a form of irrationality. But without loyalty (and trust) all kinds of relationships wouldn’t be possible. So if loyalty is a form of irrationality, it may be a darned good thing that we are irrational in that way.

Charles Fourier developed his idea that

the natural passions of man would, if properly channeled, result in social harmony. He compared gravitational attraction in the physical world to “passional attraction” among humans. Fourier’s calculus of the mechanism of the passions was an interactive system of three distributive passions, the cabalist (or intriguing) passion, the butterfly (or alternating) passion, and the composite (or enthusiastic) passion. Together, these ensured the gratification and equilibration of all other human passions and resulted in the formation of the “passionate series,” the foundation for Fourier’s ideal unit of society, the phalanx.

Affective salience which our bodies bear may not be available to reflective scrutiny

2010-07-19T17:11:00.000+05:30

Feminist Perspectives on the Body (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) from Continental Philosophy by Farhang Erfani

In terms of the history of western philosophy, the philosophy of embodiment is relatively recent. For much of this history the body has been conceptualised as simply one biological object among others, part of a biological nature which our rational faculties set us apart from, as well as an instrument to be directed and a possible source of disruption to be controlled. Problematically for feminists, the opposition between mind and body has also been correlated with an opposition between male and female, with the female regarded as enmeshed in her bodily existence in a way that makes attainment of rationality questionable. “Women are somehow more biological, more corporeal, and more natural than men” (Grosz 14). Such enmeshment in corporeality was also attributed to colonised bodies and those attributed to the lower classes (McClintock 1995, Alcoff 2006, 103). Challenging such assumptions required feminists to confront corporeality in order to elucidate and confront constructions of sexual difference. via Feminist Perspectives on the Body (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).

Gratton on Stiegler from Object-Oriented Philosophy by doctorzamalek (Graham Harman)

If you were inventing a Zizek simulator on the web, one of the obvious tricks would be to choose a random cliché and somehow reverse it. Throwing in film references at unexpected times would be another obvious trick, as would quoting either Hegel or Lacan as an authority on just about anything. In fact, why hasn’t someone tried this yet– a Zizek simulator?

One just wants a warm hug in the morning from a partner

2010-07-19T14:57:00.000+05:30

All David Davidar's Women! : India : Vinita Dawra Nangia: TOI Blogs 18 July 2010 Did he, didn't he? However well you know someone, can you really vouch for his deepest, darkest urges? Or, even your own?

My point is, however well you know someone, how can you even presume to vouch for his deepest, darkest urges? On what basis can you possibly assume that he or she would never ever give in to those urges, when you cannot predict the same even for yourself? Be it a father, brother, husband or son (let alone a boss, friend or professional acquaintance!), we are all entitled to bits and pieces of ourselves that we never reveal even to those closest to us. It may be true to say, that there are dark sides of our personalities and inner selves that we would particularly hide from those closest to us!

So, if I'm not sure what I am myself capable of in my darkest moments or under the pressure of my own emotions in certain circumstances, how can I possibly jump to the defence of another man or woman and swear by his or her sense of decency? […]

(Reply to Diptarup Kahali)- Vinita Dawra Nangia says: July 19, 2010

Yes, you are right...and in this case we can see why they say "a woman is a woman's worst enemy!" Why do women jump to a guy's defence just because they think they know him so well! Why do they assume the woman acusing him is lying?!

(Reply to DEV D.) - Vinita Dawra Nangia says: July 19, 2010

Yes of course women have their deep, dark urges as well...when did I say they don't? Everyone does. Absence of urges doesn't make a person good or bad. It's how you deal with them that makes you the kind of person you are. I’m sure even the best of us have the worst urges...

On the couch - Man-Woman - Relationships - Life & Style - The ... ANURADHA VERMA, Jul 18, 2010 Almost half the cases in a psychiatrist's chamber relate to extra-marital affairs. We find out why

In a fast-forward generation, with people living for themselves, patience is thin and so is staying power in relationships.
Premarital and extra-marital sex have gone up by 12-15 percent in the last five years. People want to live for today and are more open and willing to experiment.
People tend to live in the virtual world, with little real communication and that creates loneliness.
Lack of communication pushes couples to go their own ways, build walls around their individual spaces, till there is no way to connect with each other.
People get married at later ages and are not willing to compromise. The attitude is of “I am what I am” and of “take it or leave it”!
As arguments increase in a marriage, sex takes a beating and desire wanes. Before they know it, there has been no intimacy for three months!
People have unrealistic expectations of partners and of themselves. Everybody wants to change their partners, trying to match reality with the images in their heads.
With increased awareness, we’re also all too aware of all the things that could go wrong. There’s a sense of disillusionment. Increased awareness festers fear.

Only Zeenat

2010-07-11T20:51:00.000+05:30

An angry young age Sunday 11 July, 2010 Dipti Nagpaul D'souza It was that kind of a time—Zeenat Aman and Dum maro dum, the Emergency and Vijay Tendulkar. Looking back at the 1970s, a decade that gave us the first taste of rebellion

The men fussed over handlebar moustaches and side locks; they also discovered geometric prints and pink. The women had already slipped out of modest saris and into skirts. And they gladly welcomed the next big rage, two-piece bikinis. Polyester ousted cotton, kitsch replaced sober. It was that kind of a time. Beatles was playing on every screechy stereo set but the Fab Four, inspired by Pandit Ravi Shankar, were far away from the hysteria—seeking refuge at Osho Rajneesh’s ashram. The angry young man took on the system and Amitabh Bachchan found his way to the top. Dev Anand launched the oh-so-sexy Zeenat Aman in Hare Rama Hare Krishna, bringing drugs, sex and rock and roll out of the closet and into the Indian courtyard.
That Seventies show is now into reruns. Filmmaker Vipul Shah is revisiting the decade through his comedy drama Action Replayy; Milan Luthria looks at the incestuous relationship of gangsters and glamour that defined Bombay then in Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai.

It was a decade, says Luthria, that defined us. “The 1970s to

India

are what the ’60s have been to the world,” he says. Director of the forthcoming film Aisha Rajshree Ojha is making a documentary on the Seventies; she calls it “the formative years that made

India

what it is today”. Zeenat Aman remembers it as a time when Indians gave up on a few shibboleths. “Fashion shows were a borrowed concept from the West but it was only in the ’70s that Indians first became willing to let go of the traditional definition of beauty and the role of a woman as a homemaker alone,” she says. She would know.

Delhi-based artist Vivan Sundaram calls it the most free-thinking period of Indian art. “The biggest names in contemporary art belong to this time—FN Souza, Akbar Padamsee, MF Husain and Tyeb Mehta,” says Sundaram. “In the late ’60s, anything new was not considered respectable, could be dismissed as too Western. But as the cultural exchange with the West grew and artists like Husain and Raza became known, the avant garde artists in

India

got legitimacy. That sowed the seed for the contemporary movement that is today associated with the Baroda school of art.”

For the country as a whole, the decade marked, in some ways, the end of innocence. The first flush of Independence and the optimism of the Nehruvian project had faded away. And it faced the first serious challenge to democracy. “The two wars with Pakistan and the Indo-China war between 1965 and 1971, followed by the Emergency in 1975 were big blows—they drained the nation’s resources and the common man found himself in no better a position than he was in under the colonial rule,” says Shyam Benegal.
It was, most of all, a political time.
The anger against the system bubbled under major works of the time. Writers of the Progressive Writers’ Movement like Kaifi Azmi, Shambhu Mitra and VP Sathe had openly aligned themselves to the Left. Playwright Vijay Tendulkar was one of those who scorched the system and made the smug middle-class squirm—be it through his play Ghashiram Kotwal, which faced trouble at the hands of the emerging Shiv Sena, or Sakharam Binder, which was banned in 1974 because it did not comply with moral norms; or in screenplays for films like Nishant or Aakrosh. For every Mera Naam Joker, there was a Satyajit Ray film and for every Raj Kapoor, there was a Benegal.

The figure of the anti-hero was waiting to be born. Javed Akhtar, who, along with Salim Khan, is credited for having created the character that found its way into iconic films like Deewar and Sholay, says, “Sociologists say that Bachchan’s character represented the man who was losing faith in the institutions and hence rebelled, but we didn’t create such characters consciously. They probably came to us naturally since we were a part of the situation. The character became the ultimate hero to the common man—the one who did what you could not.”

Ironically, this was also the time when government patronage pushed a new movement in Indian cinema. “The government had declared that films depicting real life in the country will receive financing and that set the stage for the evolving film scene in Bengal, with makers like Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak and Satyajit Ray,” says Benegal. As the movement grew, filmmakers like Adoor Gopalakrishnan in Kerala and Girish Karnad in Karnataka also joined in. “But Hindi cinema shook itself out of the stupor when people like Kumar Shahani, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Mani Kaul, MS Sathyu, Saeed Mirza and Govind Nihalani ventured in,” he says. The result were films like Garam Hawa, Bhumika, Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastan, Ardh Satya—which in many ways reflected the losing faith in the state and established conventions.

And beyond the watch of the government, another alliance was being stitched up. The underworld had discovered the movies. Shobhaa De, a former film journalist who is a consultant to Luthria’s film, says, “The underworld was very ‘out there’ during the ’70s. Stars hobnobbed openly with these dons, attended their family functions and accepted their lavish gifts. It was a very cosy and surprisingly open relationship.”
The wheel has turned. The angry young man moved on long ago to host Kaun Banega Crorepati. No one has turned up to claim Vijay Tendulkar’s mantle. Parallel cinema died, the ‘indie movement’ was born. It was the best of times, the worst of times. “Everything of consequence, from the politics and the Emergency to the IITs and the concept of NRIs, was formed then. The Seventies were truly the years that made us a democracy,” says Ojha.

'I didn't realise the furore and impact I'd created' - Interviews ...

Zeenat Aman was among the top Bollywood heroines in the 1970s and 80s. As she returns to the silver screen after a considerable gap with director Anil Sharma's forthcoming film, Dunno Y... Naa Jaane Kyon, the actress spoke to Meenakshi Sinha:

How do you feel about the comeback?

I have a problem with the word comeback. I don't like the word because it has a connotation that one is out of the scene for many years. Post my marriage (to Mazhar Khan) i was completely involved in motherhood raising my two sons. It was very important for me to spend quality time with them. Then their father fell seriously ill and all my time went in tending to him till he passed away. But in between, i tested the waters with odd roles like the ones in Bhopal Express, Jaana... Let's Fall in Love, Ugli Aur Pagli, did theatre with Sanjay Garodia and kept myself busy with the kind of projects and people i wanted to work with.

But these were not major projects.

One has to take appropriate roles and can't be a laughing stock. I have to make choices from what's been offered to me. It's a male-dominated industry and one has to face that reality. Many ladies of my time bemoan the lack of roles of their calibre. I feel there should be more scripts for people like us. Look at the West; they have wonderful films like the ones done by Meryl Streep or Susan Sarandon.

Why can't we have that in

India

? Mr Bachchan, with whom your pairing was a rage at one time, does get to experiment with roles even today.

Like i said, it's a male-dominated industry and that's the reality one should acknowledge. But i think he's fabulous as an artist. He knows his craft exceedingly well. I wish we get some opportunity like he does and wish him many more such roles.

You set a bold, sexy trend. Was it difficult to break the stereotype of a conventional heroine of the 1970s?

I wasn't planning any such move nor had any fixed plans. I was just being myself. Having studied abroad, my outlook towards life was far more open. Many years later, when i would read in magazines that i broke x amount of trends, got many publicity titles and accolades for it, i said 'thank you'. I simply didn't realise the furore and impact i'd created.

Being a Navketan discovery, please comment on your relations with Dev Anand.

I became a star in Navketan. Then Nasir Hussain offered me Yaadon Ki Baraat. It was followed by B R Chopra's Dhund, Insaaf Ka Tarazu, Dharam Veer, Don, Laawaris, Qurbani etc. I did more than 90 films as a female protagonist. When Hare Rama Hare Krishna was offered to me by Dev Saab, i was on my way to Europe to live with my mother in

Germany

and study languages. I knew nothing about films. But Dev Saab took me to Kathmandu for the film's shooting and urged me to wait till its release. When the film became a huge hit, there was no looking back. It's only in the last few years that i've paused and looked back to realise what my career was all about.

It's a woman's world KANKANA BASU

Women have been portrayed in a variety of ways in Hindi cinema over the years. While some actors rejoiced in author-backed sensitive roles, others were confined to a fleeting appearance in a male-dominated film. KANKANA BASU takes a look at how women are asserting themselves again in Bollywood: both as actors and filmmakers.

When Waheeda Rehman relinquished her dupatta to the winds and cast aside her inhibitions and marital obligations as well, little did she know that her signature tune would become an anthem for generations of women.

Decades after the film was made, kaanton se kheech ke ye aanchal......aaj phir jeene ki tamanna haifrom “Guide” continue to epitomise the blithe, free spirit of women.

One of the first films to have an adulterous heroine, “Guide” remains a path-breaking film in terms of maturity and a deep understanding of a woman's emotional needs. As a young dancer who leaves her abusive and elderly husband for the sympathetic young guide Raju, the character of Rosy was well ahead of the social period it was made in (1965). Women-centric movies continued to be made in later years (bold, timid and in-between) but were destined to follow a rather erratic graph. […]

Era of revenge

The departure of Rajesh Khanna from the silver screen marked the end of romance, while the arrival of the angry young man Amitabh Bachan heralded a cinematic era of rage and revenge. The heroine found herself relegated to a scattered peripheral presence either as the love interest of the hero or a decorative piece in a movie filled with muscles and testosterone. Consequently, a breed of actors emerged who looked like sculpted goddesses and who were quick to perfect the art of running around trees. The thinking actor was a threatened species and the likes of Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi and Deepti Naval will always be remembered for holding their own during this masculine and masochistic Bollywood chapter.

“The turn of the millenium was a dark phase for Bollywood films: rehashed themes, tinny music, lyrics sans poetry and women often projected in a derogatory manner,” says Naheed Merchant, a keen observer of Bollywood changes. However, this period was responsible for heralding some startling changes in social and gender stereotypes. Yesteryear heroines had been virginal, docile, bathed in virtue, the professions they hailed from being slightly vague; they were either nurses, dutiful daughters, students or beautiful women just content to be. The heroine and the vamp were two distinct identities.

“The sensational, promiscuous cheroot-smoking Zeenat Aman swaying to dum maaro dum in “Hare Ram Hare Krishna” was a defining moment in Hindi cinema, one that was destined to change the image of the leading lady forever. Parveen Babi followed suit by doing a smouldering cabaret in ‘Shaan' and the watertight compartments reserved for the leading lady and the vamp respectively dissolved forever,” says Mumbai based photographer and movie aficionado Deepankar B. […]

No one quite understands a woman like another woman and women directors are going places. While Mira Nair's “Monsoon Wedding” tackled paedophilia lurking within the family, Aparna Sen spun “36 Chowringhee Lane” around the loneliness of old age among the Anglo-Indian community. The Hindu Sunday, Jul 11, 2010

Tocqueville, Gobineau, Bagehot, & Darwin

2010-07-02T20:39:00.000+05:30

The Victorian Reinvention of Race New Racisms and the Problem of Grouping in the Human Sciences By Edward Beasley

In mid-Victorian

England

there were new racial categories based upon skin colour. The 'races' familiar to those in the modern west were invented and elaborated after the decline of faith in Biblical monogenesis in the early nineteenth century, and before the maturity of modern genetics in the middle of the twentieth. Not until the early nineteenth century would polygenetic and racialist theories win many adherents. But by the middle of the nineteenth century in

England

, racial categories were imposed upon humanity. How the idea of 'race' gained popularity in

England

at that time is the central focus of Victorians on Race: Racism and the Problem of Grouping in the Human Sciences.

Scholars have linked this new racism to some very dodgy thinkers. Victorians on Race examines a more influential set of the era's writers and colonial officials, some French but most of them British. Attempting to do serious social analysis, these men oversimplified humanity into biologically-heritable, mentally and morally unequal, colour-based 'races'. Thinkers giving in to this racist temptation included Alexis de Tocqueville when he was writing on

Algeria

; Arthur de Gobineau (who influenced the Nazis); Walter Bagehot of The Economist; and Charles Darwin (whose Descent of Man was influenced by Bagehot). Victorians on Race also examines officials and thinkers (such as Tocqueville in Democracy in

America

, the Duke of Argyll, and Governor Gordon of

Fiji

) who exercised methodological care, doing the hard work of testing their categories against the evidence. They analyzed human groups without slipping into racial categorization. Author Edward Beasley examines the extent to which the Gobineau-Bagehot-Darwin way of thinking about race penetrated the minds of certain key colonial governors. He further explores the hardening of the rhetoric of race-prejudice in some quarters in

England

in the nineteenth century – the processes by which racism was first formed. ISBN: 9780415881258 Published June 22 2010 by Routledge.

Bergson drew attention to the imperfections of Western society

2010-05-27T18:41:00.001+05:30

Négritude (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

Senghor is as much a thinker of “métissage” (mixture) than he is a thinker of c. His watchword, “everyone must be mixed in their own way” is as central to Négritude as the defense and illustration of the values of civilization of the black world. There is in fact a de-racialized use of the word “nègre” by Senghor which is crucial to understand why painter Pablo Picasso, poets Paul Claudel, Charles Péguy or Arthur Rimbaud, philosopher Henri Bergson, etc. have been somehow enrolled by Senghor under the banner of “Négritude”. The message being, ultimately and maybe not so paradoxically, that one does not have to be black to be a “nègre”.

Léopold Sédar Senghor: an intellectual biography, Jacques Louis Hymans - 1971 - 312 pages

To Rene Menil, Senghor was the 'principal theorist' of negritude. In Senghor, Menil, found a development of 'mystic and ... Cesaire, Senghor, and their disciples adore Novalis, Frobenius, Bergson, the Surrealists - all of them ...

The Racial Discourses of Life Philosophy: Négritude, Vitalism, and ... Donna V. Jones - 2010 - 240 pages

Particularly influential for the literary and political Négritude movement of the 1930s, which opposed French colonialism, Bergson's life philosophy formed an appealing alternative to Western modernity, decried as "mechanical," and set the ...

The Oxford Encyclopedia of African Thought - Page 328, F. Abiola Irele, Biodun Jeyifo - 2010 - 1024 pages

Blackness, or Négritude, resides essentially in the participation, in an immediate way or at a remove (as in the case ... Senghor reinterpreted these European thinkers in the perspective opened up by the epistemology of Henri Bergson, ... Page 340 Tempels posited a “vitalist force,” which he appropriated from Bergson, as the driving force of the epistemic ... Senghor posits a collective African consciousness, which, according to him, is different from that of the white race. ...

Self and Community in a Changing World - Page 281, D. A. Masolo - 2010 - 352 pages

Senghor, Liberté, tome 1, Négritude et Humanisme (Paris: Seuil, 1964), 22–25. 70. Léopold S. Senghor, On African ... It is not clear to me, for example, thatBergson and Senghor were not deeply Cartesian in their emphasis of the ...

Postcolonial thought in the French-speaking world, Charles Forsdick, David Murphy - 2009 - 256 pages

Negritude and colonial humanism Born in the south-western coastal region of Sine,Senghor was the son of a wealthy ... He had discovered jazz, the Harlem Renaissance, Picasso, the anti-rationalist writings of Henri Bergson and the ...

Deleuze and queer theory - Page 104, Chrysanthi Nigianni, Merl Storr - 2009 - 189 pages

may be said to remain united with the totality of living beings by invisible bonds' (Bergson 1998: 43). ... Négritude writers such as Aimé Césaire and Léopold SédarSenghor opposed this dynamic by propounding the necessity of the ...

When culture becomes politics: European identity in perspective, Thomas Pedersen - 2008 - 311 pages

Finally, the Euro-African philosophy of "negritude" espoused ia by Bergson, Sartre and Senghor, is an interesting example of a cross-civilizational meeting of minds with Europe in the role of listener. Inter-civilizational grafting may ...

The Black renaissance in Francophone African and Caribbean literatures, K. Martial Frindéthié, Martial Kokroa Frindéthié - 2008 - 209 pages

In his definition of Negritude, Senghor offers two perspectives, one objective, and the other subjective. ... As I indicated earlier, the ideals of Nietzsche, Hegel,Bergson, and Frobenius were born out of European rationalism. ...

Race, culture, and identity: francophone West African and ... - Page 133, Shireen K. Lewis - 2006 - 166 pages

The term "Negro African" is used by Frobenius to describe Africans and is also used by Senghor, as we will see later. 24. Other anthropologists of the period who influenced Negritude founders were ...

Sartre today: a centenary celebration - Page 288, Adrian Van den Hoven, Andrew N. Leak - 2005 - 330 pages

Taking his cue from Bergson and Claudel, Senghor rejects the dualistic theory of Cartesianism, which prioritizes mind over ... Senghor acknowledges the indebtedness of negritude to the surrealist movement, namely, to the influence of ..

Global Ramifications of the French Revolution - Page 121, Joseph Klaits, Michael Haltzel - 2002 - 224 pages

The concept of the civilization of the universal is one that Senghor takes from Teilhard de Chardin; it is his vision of a cultural millennium in which discrete, essential identities such as negritude will all be assumed to a ...

West African responses to European imperialism in the nineteenth ..., Festus Ugboaja Ohaegbulam - 2002 - 386 pages

philosopher Henri Bergson drew attention to the imperfections of Western society, including Western imperialism and thus ... Leopold Sedar Senghor: The Leading Apostle of Negritude Leopold Sedar Senghor, a poet, professor, philosopher, ...

Negritude women - Page 150, T. Denean Sharpley-Whiting - 2002 - 168 pages

The Management, "Our Aim," La Revue du monde noir 1 (October 1931): 2. 11. Henri Bergson, "Nos enquetes," La Revue du monde ... Senghor biographer Hymans insists that Senghor could not have developed his Negritude without Paulette ...

Beyond the experience of limits: theory, criticism, and power in ... Yakubu Abdullahi Nasidi - 2001 - 129 pages

With Senghor, the cultural racism endemic to the colonial situation became essentially a problem of misperception and ignorance, which the contributions of an African humanism, founded upon Negritude, would help to dispel. ...

Routledge encyclopedia of philosophy - Page 110, Edward Craig - 1998 - 33 pages

Rather than a contingent factor of black collective existence and consciousness as with Sartre (for Senghor this aspect corresponds to what he calls 'subjectivenegritude'), the concept denotes for Senghor an enduring quality of being ...

Ecocritique: contesting the politics of nature, economy, and culture - Page 57, Timothy W. Luke - 1997 - 253 pages

Bergson responded to his own query: "Because the white man thinks the Negro is disguised. ... Negritude — particularly the call for a new black literature, the rehabilitation of Africa and black values, black humanism, and cultural ...

Double-consciousness/double bind: theoretical issues in ... - Page 33, Sandra Adell - 1994 - 172 pages

This was an important lesson for Senghor who insists that "it is Frobenius who, more than all the others, more than Bergson, even, redeemed in our eyes intuitive reason and restored it to its place: to first place. ...

Comparative literature and African literatures, Albert S. Gérard, C. F. Swanepoel, University ... - 1993 - 273 pages

Rationalism had been attacked from above by Bergson and from below by Freud. Levy-Bruhl had emphasised the ... Aime Cesaire from Martinique and Leopold Senghor from

Senegal

elaborated the concept of negritude as the image ...

Contexts of African literature - Page 51, Albert S. Gérard - 1990 - 169 pages
Rationalism had been attacked from above by Bergson and from below by Freud. Levy-Bruhl had emphasized the ... Aime Cesaire from Martinique and LeopoldSenghor from

Senegal

elaborated the concept of negritude as the image of a mode of ...

The African experience in literature and ideology, Abiola Irele - 1990 - 217 pages

It is largely the epistemology of Bergson that Senghor has adopted in his formulation of Negritude.41 I Besides, Bergson's philosophy is itself the systematic conceptual articulation of what one might call the 'Romantic vision'. ... Nigeria magazine Duckworth, Edward Harland,

Nigeria

. Education ... – 1978 Nigeria magazine Edward Harland Duckworth,

Nigeria

. Education ... – 1975 [Black, French, and African: A Life of Léopold Sédar Senghor]

Brecht preferred to adapt the work of other dramatists

2010-05-23T20:12:00.002+05:30

A Note on Bertolt Brecht's Adaptation of Marlowe's "Edward II" by LJ Laboulle – 1959

Brecht never showed much interest in the invention of original plots: he seemed to prefer to adapt the work of other dramatists. In the case of Edward II, ... There is nothing left of the structure of Marlowe's Edward II, from this point of view the finest of his plays. In Brecht's play one event succeeds another ...

Cambridge Collections Online : Marlowe's Edward II..., Meredith Skura

Bertolt Brecht’s modern response to Marlowe in his 1922 Edward II provides a useful introductory comparison.

Brecht seems to have been drawn to Marlowe’s play not so much for its political as for its personal relevance, in particular for its portrayal of the doomed bond between Edward and Gaveston – the kind of bond Brecht had just written about in The Jungle.

Brecht was indeed trying to improve on, or at least to outdo, Marlowe’s bleak play. With a ‘savage pessimism’, he rewrote Marlowe to create a world where, as his Edward says, ‘There is nothing in life besides the touch of men’s bodies, and even that is minimal and vain.’

What interests me about Brecht’s play however is that it is not only about the difficult closeness between two men but – as adaptation, collaboration, and partly cribbed translation – it is also the product of such closeness. Edward II was the first of the collaborative ventures that were to serve Brecht so effectively as catalysts for creativity throughout his career.

Absolute Theatre’s ‘Edward II’ Is Powerful, Spectacular - Chicago ... October 07, 1987 By Richard Christiansen

In many respects, the story of “Edward II” parallels that of Shakespeare’s “Richard II,” the historical drama that tells of the troublesome reign of Edward's great-grandson. But Marlowe and, to an even greater extent, Brecht are also concerned with Edward’s homosexuality.

Gaveston, the king’s lover, is disposed of by Brecht in the first act, but the playwright then concentrates on the gradual stripping down (figuratively and literally) of Edward from king to tortured prisoner, a pathetic victim of the machinations of his wanton wife, Queen Anne, and her consort, the cold, epicene Mortimer.

Brecht seizes on some of the political implications of Edward’s struggle, but this is not a blatantly propagandistic drama. It is, instead, a series of extremely theatrical, throat-grabbing scenes, rife with high passion and climaxing with Edward’s horrible death.

NSD Final Year Students presents: Edward II

Design & Direction: Robin Das
At Abhimanch, from to 21^st to 26^th May 2010 at 7.00 p.m.
Additional shows: 22nd & 23rd May 2010 at 3.00 p.m.
National School of Drama, Bahawalpur House
1, Bhagwandas Road, New Delhi - 110 001 Enquiries : 011 -23073236

One must rather doubt one's own perception

2010-05-16T22:27:00.000+05:30

polylog / themes / aspects / Elmar Holenstein: A Dozen Rules of ...

Elmar Holenstein

A Dozen Rules of Thumb for Avoiding Intercultural Misunderstandings

Summary

Intercultural understanding does not fail by reason of insurmountable ontological obstacles, which are only susceptible to philosophical analysis. Intercultural misunderstandings are of the same kind as intracultural misunderstanding on the part of members of one and the same culture who belong to different regions, social strata, professions and the like, and are like these susceptible to explanation in psychological and sociological terms. Observing a number of rules of thumb makes it possible to avoid such misunderstandings for the most part.
The governing principle of intercultural hermeneutics is the traditional hermeneutic principle of equity: What all, particularly those concerned, affirm on full consideration of the circumstances is taken as the basis. One of the first requirements is that one must take members of alien cultures seriously and that one must rather doubt one's own perception than their capacity for logical consistency, goal-orientated rationality and ethical responsibility.
Intercultural misunderstandings are often related to ideas now recognized as being dogmatic, to the assumption that cultures are homogeneous and stand in polar opposition to each other, to the supposition that ethical and ethnic differences are correlated, to the lack of distinction between ›is‹ and ›ought‹, but also, among those who seek salvation in alien cultures, to the lack of distinction between what in fact cannot be understood and what fundamentally cannot be understood. Content

Boys are better off when taught by men

2010-05-15T05:01:00.001+05:30

Why the feminine touch is failing boys at school
Christopher Reynolds May 14. 2010
Boys are not doing well at school. ... This problem with the difference between boy and girl achievement levels does not appear to stem from inferior learning ability or the demands of a high-performance curriculum. It may, in fact, be directly related to the gender of the teacher and, particularly, a female approach to teaching and learning.

Thomas Dee, in an article titled The Why Chromosome, analysing data from the US National Education Longitudinal Survey, says: “A teacher’s gender does have large effects on pupils’ test performance, teacher perceptions of pupils, and pupils’ engagement with academic material. Simply put, girls have better educational outcomes when taught by women, and boys are better off when taught by men.”

In the United States and Canada, along with Britain and Australia, women are now some 90 per cent of teachers in primary school and 75 per cent of teachers across primary and secondary school. There is a growing shortage of male teachers as men choose other professions in the face of low pay, anti-male sentiment and the increasing dominance of a feminine model of teaching.

Historically, teaching as a profession has attracted women and for more than 100 years they have dominated the teaching profession, with many of the boys they have taught growing up to become successful men. However, there are many boys who do not cope with a female model of teaching and are underachieving and suffering from learning problems.

Based on data from the US department of education in 2006, it appears that the gender of the teacher does make a difference to pupil learning. The overall effect of having a female teacher instead of a male raises the achievement of girls by four per cent of a standard deviation and lowers the achievement of boys by the same amount, producing an overall gender gap of eight per cent of a standard deviation.

The implication is that as this deficit in learning can occur in a single year, the deficit is compounded with continuous years of teaching by a female teacher. By the time pupils reach 17, boys score 31 per cent of a standard deviation below girls in reading ability, a deficit equal to about one grade level. In general, a female social science teacher increases a girl’s performance by nine per cent, while a female science teacher will decrease a boy’s score by five per cent of a standard deviation. While girls prefer female teachers, boys don’t. An analysis of the data shows that learning from a teacher of the opposite gender has a detrimental effect on the pupil’s academic progress and engagement at school. Regardless of the academic subject, when a class is taught by a woman, boys are twice as likely as girls to be seen as disruptive, inattentive and unlikely to complete their homework.

In the United States, boys make up 71 per cent of school suspensions, make up 90 per cent of children diagnosed as having learning disabilities and even in primary school are twice as likely, at 8.3 per cent, to be held back a grade. By the age of 17, 42 per cent of boys will have been suspended from school at least once. These problems in education are exacerbated in the UAE ,where the Ministry of Higher Education in August 2009 disclosed that only 27 per cent of Emirati boys were attending high school, against 70 per cent of Emirati females. While the results of an analysis of US data suggests that gender does make a difference, the issue is not really the gender of the teacher but the different kind of teaching needed for boys and girls arising from their genetically different brains and styles of learning. The real problem is that boys are not girls and don’t learn like girls.

A feminine model of co-operative learning and inclusiveness may be helping girls but it is disadvantageous for boys as they can become increasingly disengaged from the learning process. Many women are successful teachers, but as a rule, boys do not respond well to female teaching methods. The way boys learn and their readiness to learn is different to girls. At the age of six or seven, when children start serious schooling, boys are six to 12 months less neurologically developed than girls. They are especially delayed in what is called fine-motor co-ordination, which is the ability to use their fingers carefully and to hold a pen or scissors. And since they still need “gross-motor” development, they will be itching to move their large muscles around. Boys have 30 per cent more muscle than girls and, therefore, their senses seek to move more than girls to flex their muscles. Boys fidgeting in class and roaming around the room is just their bodies trying to find expression – not them being naughty children.

From the time a baby is born, male and female brains are different. Indeed, from six to seven weeks after conception, embryos designed to be male receive a “hormone bath” of testosterone, which influences the development of the brain. The testosterone actually changes the walnut-shaped brain and alters its structure and even its colour. Testosterone doesn’t just play a role in male development into manhood, but also has a profound impact on a boy’s development of mind and body from before they are born. At birth, a baby boy has as much testosterone in his bloodstream as a 12-year-old boy. The levels drop a few months after birth, will rise again at the age of four or five for reasons that no one understands, and again at about 14. Throughout his life, testosterone will affect a male’s every thought and action. Indeed, levels of testosterone can rise and fall in response to challenge, achievement or even failure in any given day. Most experts believe boy’s tendency to take risks, to be more assertive, to fight and compete, to argue, to boast, and to excel at certain skills such as problem solving, maths and science is directly linked to how the brain is hard-wired and to the presence of testosterone. While testosterone is the fundamental determinant of male thinking and behaviour, there are other aspects of male brain chemistry and make-up that affect thinking and behaviour to make the male quite a different learner to girls. In teaching children, there are a number of differences between the male and female brains to take into consideration.

For girls, stronger neural connections mean that girls have more sensual detail memory, better listening skills and better discrimination among various tones of voice. This leads to greater use of detail in writing assignments. Larger memory storage areas lead to better learning ability, especially in language. Girls make fewer impulsive decisions and tend to use more cortical areas of the brain for emotive and verbal functioning.

For boys, there is a higher dedicated area used for special-mechanical functioning for abstract thinking and physical-special functions. But girls have twice the brain space as boys for verbal-emotive functioning. The special-mechanical functioning makes boys want to move objects through space, such as balls and model aeroplanes, or just move their arms and legs. With less serotonin and oxytocin, boys have less desire for bonding, are more impulsive and are less likely to want an empathetic chat with a fellow pupil.

The male brain is more structured and compartmentalised, thus more likely to concentrate on one thing at a time with a lesser ability than girls to multi-task and change from one class subject to another easily. With 15 per cent less blood flow than females, the male brain reduces speed every now and again in a sort of rest state. Thus, with exercise before class, boy’s neurophysiological state is enlivened and more able to learn. The differences, of course, between male and female brains are too numerous to mention in detail here. Dr Christopher Reynolds is managing director of the UAE-based British Institute for Learning Development

Kalki runs the Sahodari Foundation empowering the transgenders

2010-04-27T09:50:00.000+05:30

Gender bender Express Buzz U Tejonmayam 27 Apr 2010

“Transgenders are extremely talented and celebrating arts is a part of our life,” says Kalki, who runs the Sahodari Foundation. With funds through the government welfare board, Kalki started the Liberation Performing Arts Troupe in December 2009 with 25 transgenders like her who had the passion for music. Her troupe, which has a combination of music, theatre and dance performers from poor family backgrounds, showcases folk and tribal music of not just Tamil Nadu but also from Africa and

America

. “We have bought instruments for the performance through many foreign sponsors and friends I know at Auroville,” says Kalki, whose goal is to change the stereotype images of transgenders.

Sahodari Foundation - Together, we can make a difference

Dear friends,

Do you know that the Transgenders are the most neglected and stigmatised people in our society? They are completely marginalized and pushed to the extremes. While some of them live a dignified life owing to education and family acceptance, many of them go for begging and sex work.

See what a project like Sahodari, which is run by a few transgender women, which has no money, not even an office of its own, can do to transform the lives of an invisible community. Lovingly, Kalki aurokalki at gmail.com About Kalki Kalki's blogs

About Sahodari Foundation

Sahodari’s family is big and growing. Kalki, the founder and director of Sahodari heads the project. We function from a small shared office space in West Saidapet, Chennai. The project was started by Kalki along with Apsara, Monal and Raji. Now our family includes Gomathi, Soumya, Thenmozhi, Sandhiya, Sabeena, Soundharya, Deepika, Priya, Priyanka, Glady, Sudha and many more dedicated girls. We are blessed with numerous friends and well wishers in

India

and around the world. Home What we work on Discrimination Employment Education Homelessness HIV care & Hygiene Depression Hormone pill abuse Tobacco & alcohol abuse Penectomy Marriage & Adoption Documentation Aging Female-to-male tgs

tBlog - Sahodari Foundation - The Mission is Possible

7 Apr 2008 ... Through Sahodari Foundation, my dream project, I believe in working with the Indian youth for getting the rights we deserve. The youth of today are the future leaders and policy makers of tomorrow. Awareness about this marginalised community in our society is absolutely an important task.

Discriminating the transgendered people exists even in some of the biggest academic institutions in

India

. Its a shame that even the inteligent youth, the toppers, aren't aware of the struggles of our community.

Sahodari Foundation empowers the transgender community and other down-trodden and non-confirming gender people of India through various programmes and ... Sahodari Foundation - The Mission is Possible A journey towards equality and dignity for all My Story, by Kalki - Sahodari Foundation

Later I quit the job and started an organization called 'Sahodari Foundation'(yes, the same name of my magazine) to work for establishing social, economic, ...

Rented accommodation and racist comments

2010-04-24T16:29:00.000+05:30

Untouchables of rental market of Delhi by Vivek Shukla 24-Apr-2010

New Delhi: If you think that there are only social and political untouchables, then you are grossly mistaken. There are untouchables even in the rental market. Africans, Muslims and those who do their own business have to make hell of an effort to find suitable rented accommodation. Those who specialize in providing rental accommodations avoid these three.
Realty advisers say that more often than not they hardly make any effort to find houses for Africans, Muslims and businessmen. Reason: They know the answer of landlords. When they learn about the background of the person, they simply say no.
Kajol Makhijani, of Mak Realtors says earlier landlords avoid only Muslims and businessmen. Now Africans have also added in the list of untouchables. Though she assures colour of the skin is not the issue. […]

Another realtor say that the worst part of this growing trend is that even blacks diplomats from America or European nations like Britain, French and Holland too do not get accommodation on rent at one go. The tag of Africa is becoming a kind of headache for them.

A student of Mass Media in Noida from

Congo

, Dennis Tsang from

Congo

reveals that apart from finding a suitable house, they also face rank racist comments. “I never thought that I would have to face such comments in

India

, the country of Gandhi,” says Tsang, who got a rented flat in Lajpat Nagar-iv after doing lot of hard work.

Devinder Gupta of realty advisory Centruy21

India

says that the situation for blacks was not that bad as recently as a few months ago. But, the involvement of many youngsters from

Nigeria

and some other countries in drug trade in Delhi and parts of the country ruined the image of whole African region and the community, adding “Generally landlords avoid Muslims, businessmen and Africans. Though if they assure them that they would live according to set guidelines, many landlords also rent out their space to them.”

Female offspring and philosophy

2010-04-06T09:06:00.000+05:30

Do daughters make you more conservative? from Marginal Revolution by Tyler Cowen

Dalton Conley and Emily Rauscher report:

Washington (2008) finds that, controlling for total number of children, each additional daughter makes a member of Congress more likely to vote liberally and attributes this finding to socialization. However, daughters’ influence could manifest differently for elite politicians and the general citizenry, thanks to the selection gradient particular to the political process. This study asks whether the proportion of female biological offspring affects political party identification. Using nationally-representative data from the General Social Survey, we find that female offspring induce more conservative political identification. We hypothesize that this results from the change in reproductive fitness strategy that daughters may evince.

I don't yet see an ungated copy, do you? By the way, I applaud the authors for their "stones" in writing the last paragraph of the paper, such as:

The conservative emphasis on family, traditional values and gender roles, and prolife anti-abortion sentiments all stress investment in children – for both men and women. Conservative policies mirror the genetic interests of women, writ large. They attempt to promote paternal investment in offspring. Further, they stress investment in conceived offspring – “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” In short, Conservative policies support the genetic fitness of women by capitalizing on each pregnancy, reducing male promiscuity, and increasing paternal investment in children. Such policies may impinge on the freedom of parents’ immediate offspring, but they increase the expected number of grandchildren via daughters.

I'm not sure that's true as stated, but it does deserve further debate.

(title unknown) from enowning

In Inside Higher Ed Jason Stanley, professor of analytic philosophy, wonders why no one takes his colleagues seriously.

Perhaps philosophy has fallen into disfavor among humanists because philosophy has not been true to its roots. According to one sort of myth of this sort, traditional philosophers were commentators on culture. In the 1920s, philosophy was then ruined by the Logical Positivists, who created a new, dry, vision of philosophy. In their quest to declare the traditional questions of metaphysics meaningless, they divorced philosophy from the broader connections with culture and politics that give it life. The Positivists lost favor on the continent, and obtained posts in the barren intellectual wastelands of Chicago and New Haven, bringing their dry, logical methodology with them from Vienna.
This story is false in every detail. [...]
Logical Positivism, in its embrace of the transformational power of science and reason, does not mark a break with traditional philosophy. Rather, it is a continuation of it. [...]
It is Slavoj Zizek who is markedly out of place in this tradition, and not Saul Kripke.

Yeah, sure. Who leads more people to read philosophy? Not that I recommend Hegel to my friends, but who's been inspired to read philosophy by Kripke? Analytical philosophers appear to be stuck in an echo chamber that reinforces their prejudice that they're to culmination of the tradition, rather than a detour to a dead end. A visit to the Philosophy section of their local bookstore, or Amazon's rankings, should indicate that their notion of what is philosophy is very different from that of the general reader - who considers philosophy to be something similar to what it has been for the last twenty-five centuries. How many analytic philosophers read Greek, or anything prior to Frege?

Multiple reasons why women might hate other women

2010-04-01T16:17:00.001+05:30

BAD ROMANCE from Dr. Sanity

There are three basic motivations underlying why men fear/hate/vilify women (and they are not mutually exclusive, but may exist in various combinations or all at the same time):

sexual frustration;
castration anxiety, and
resentment and anger at being dependent on women, especially the mother.

The idealization of women, on the other hand, originates from the innate desire of all humans, male or female, to return to the perfect union with the mother that each experienced in the womb.

There are also multiple reasons why women might hate other women on both an individual and societal level, and thus are often complicit in their own subjugation in misogynistic societies.

Many women hate or envy other women whose existence lowers their own status with men, i.e., other women who are more attractive than they are either in looks or accomplishment, depending on the cultural expectations. For example, in one culture a woman might attract men because of her beauty; in another because of her purity or religious devotion. A corollary to this is that the aging woman will increasingly become aware of her diminishing attraction to men or usefulness to a society that only values her reproductive capability. This sets up a dynamic tension between old and young women. […]

From a psychological perspective then, the freedom and empowerment of women in society are absolutely critical because women are responsible for the earliest environmental influences on children--influences that will impact the child throughout his or her life. If the society has little respect for women and regularly demonizes, debases or humiliates them, the impact will ripple for generations. This is the primary reason why encouraging and promoting women's rights around the world should be a high priority in US Foreign Policy. […]

Sexuality is an essential part of each individual. The double standards of modesty and behavior encouraged by the current practice of Islam are destructive to the normal development of personality in both males and females. Psychopathic traits in males are societally encouraged, while females are conditioned to be their willing victims.

Right of unmarried couples

2010-03-25T11:27:00.000+05:30

India court backs rights of unmarried couples

BBC News - ‎The Supreme Court in

India

has endorsed the right of unmarried couples to live together in a case involving an actress accused of outraging public decency. Live-in, pre-marital sex no offence: SC Economic Times - There is good news for the votaries of the live-in partners. The Supreme Court on Tuesday observed that the live-in relationships between the adult couples cannot be treated as an offence. Khushboo wins the case on sex before marriage Oneindia Living together a part of right to life, not an offence: SC Indian Express No illegality in live-in relationship between majors: SC Times of India Mulayam's comments shocking: AIDWA

The Hindu - ‎The All-India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) has condemned the reported statement by Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh that if women belonging to affluent families (industrialists and bureaucrats) were elected MPs they would be “whistled” at ... Mulayam Singh is a pervert: Jaya Prada Mid-Day Mulayam remarks 'sexist, Talibani' Indian Express Sify - Times of India - NDTV.com - IBNLive.com all 180 news articles » हिंदी में

महिला सांसदों पर बजेंगी सीटियाँ: मुलायम बीबीसी हिन्दी - ‎Mar 23, 2010‎

समाजवादी पार्टी के प्रमुख मुलायम सिंह यादव के महिला आरक्षण पर दिए बयान ने भारी विवाद उत्पन्न हो गया है. मुलायम ने कहा कि महिला आरक्षण बिल का फायदा केवल बड़े उद्योगपतियों और अफसरों के परिवार की महिलाएं उठाएंगी और उन पर लड़के फब्तियां कसेंगे और सीटी बजाएंगे. इस बयान को आपत्तिजनक बताते हुए उत्तरप्रदेश की सत्तारूढ़ बहुजन समाज पार्टी, भारतीय जनता पार्टी और कांग्रेस ने मुलायम सिंह की कड़ी आलोचना की है. वर्तमान स्वरूप में ...

Jealousy makes us value the other person

2010-03-11T15:32:00.005+05:30

'Monogamy bores me terribly'

Telegraph.co.uk - Cassandra Jardine

Convenient mythologising of monogamy in nature have recently been exploded. Even swans, once believed to be models of fidelity, have been found to carry on outside the nest, even though they return to their partners.

Therapists increasingly believe that infidelity should not be condemned so much as analysed and discussed. Esther Perel, a New York counsellor, has led the way with her influential book Mating in Captivity, in which she advocates a more rational – indeed French – attitude to increase the chances of a happy marriage. Extra-marital affairs, she says, are a way for individuals to explore themselves and to revitalise a stale sex life. “Jealousy makes us value the other person.”

“That sounds like an excuse,” says clinical psychologist Roy Shuttleworth, whose own theory of infidelity is that couples stray because they need to maintain a distance from one another – essential for coping with the possibility of loss. He tells the story of a bride and groom who were unfaithful on the eve of their wedding – she with the best man, he with the bridesmaid – because they were about to become so close; subconsciously, they needed distance, or so the theory goes. It goes some way to explaining why many men stray when their wives are pregnant: “They know that the baby will bring them closer as a couple.”

Janice Hiller, also a clinical psychologist, takes a different view: “Feelings of abandonment or neglect lead people to stray. If society was more tolerant, it would be easier for couples to explore how that came about.”

Maybe, but straying is hardly recommended. However deep-seated the impulse, or universal the experience of being attracted to someone other than a spouse, infidelity causes great pain. Most people still see monogamy as the ideal. “We want someone special to us,” says Kate Figes, author of Couples. “Some people cope by making rules about what is and isn’t allowed. But with any sexual experience, there is the risk that you will become attached. 'Why do I need it?’ people should ask themselves. There must be something lacking.”

Nevertheless, even Paula Hall, spokesperson for Relate, believes there is something to be said for the French view of fidelity as desirable, but not always achievable.

Meera Ravi | Arrange Your Love Marriage | Relationship Counselling | Health & Wellness

Meera Ravi, a Bangalore based Psycho-therapist who in her recent book ‘Arange Your Love Marriage’ has tried to place human relationships in its correct perspective.

Thank God, Kiran Bedi has retired - dnaindia.com Anil Dharker Monday, December 24, 2007

She complained about the glass ceiling in the police force due to her gender, yet didn't shy away from the acclaim she got for being the first woman in the IPS. Then there was the 'crusader' image that she cultivated throughout her career. There are several others before her who did the same, people like Arun Bhatia and GR Khairnar, who also became media darlings. They all had one thing in common: the publicity they received for 'taking on' the powerful, was extensive and their resultant celebrity was heady, but their period in the sun was short-lived.

That is to be expected: common sense (and tradition) tell you that civil servants should neither be seen nor heard, and the people who have built glittering careers in any of the services, have been discreet, kept their own counsel while always keeping the big picture in mind before jumping into action.

Humility by Bruna Martinuzzi

The dictionary defines humility as someone who is modest, who lacks pretense, someone who does not believe that he or she is superior to others. An ancillary definition includes: “Having a lowly opinion of oneself, meekness”. The word humility first struck me in the context of leadership when Jim Collins mentioned it in his seminal work Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't...

We often confuse humility with timidity. Humility is not clothing ourselves in an attitude of self-abasement or self-denigration. Humility is all about maintaining our pride about who we are, about our achievements, about our worth – but without arrogance – it is the antithesis of hubris, that excessive, arrogant pride which often leads to the derailment of some corporate heroes, as it does with the downfall of the tragic hero in Greek drama. It’s about a quiet confidence without the need for a meretricious selling of our wares. It’s about being content to let others discover the layers of our talents without having to boast about them. It’s a lack of arrogance, not a lack of aggressiveness in the pursuit of achievement…

Humility is also a meta-virtue. It crosses into an array of principles. For example, we can safely declare that there cannot be authenticity without humility. Why? Because, there is always a time in a leader’s journey, when one will be in a situation of not having all the answers. Admitting this and seeking others’ input requires some humility…

Something interesting happens, too, when we approach situations from a perspective of humility: it opens us up to possibilities, as we choose open-mindedness and curiosity over protecting our point of view. We spend more time in that wonderful space of the beginner’s mind, willing to learn from what others have to offer. We move away from pushing into allowing, from insecure to secure, from seeking approval to seeking enlightenment. We forget about being perfect and we enjoy being in the moment.

Bruna Martinuzzi is the Founder and President of Clarion Enterprises Ltd.
Bruna is an expert on leadership, emotional intelligence, Myers-Briggs and presentation skills training. Based in British Columbia, she teaches, consults and coaches and she can be contacted at bmartinuzzi@increaseyoureq.com

Indians live side by side with different ideas, different life style, different culture and morals

2010-03-10T12:14:00.001+05:30

Yaser Farid - Buzz -

India

is the only country in the world that has true democracy and true respect for all religions.

Yaser Farid - Go ahead mamta name me another, US does not respect other religion other than Christianity, national holidays in US are for Christians only.

India

is the only country that gives national holidays even to 2.5% Christians and 0.001% Parsi's on Parsi new year day. Mar 9

Yaser Farid - @Vijaya people are much more tolerant than anywhere in the world.
With a huge population it isn't easy to control so many people and not ever person is good, but after no matter what happens, Indians live side by side with different ideas, different life style, different culture and morals.
In US you could be deplaned if you look middle eastern, in

France

you cannot wear head cover if you're Muslim, just looking Indian in

Australia

could cause problems, just looking Indian in Middle East is automatic indication that you're not to be treated right.
I have lived away from

India

for past 35 years I grew up in

Saudi Arabia

and I even look middle eastern, but living here when I go to sports club and talk to other "arabs" I get respect as long as they think I'm an Arab. When I visit India that is once per year for 15 - 20 days, I normally go to sports club and no matter who is there they are just friendly, they might be Hindu, Christian or who ever but they are very very friendly unlike here.
Its a miracle that

India

is running with so much poverty, so many problem, yet all people working together in harmony, its only those few evil people who turn people against each other on their differences. Mar 9

Sri Aurobindo’s Marriage—a discussion by Raman Reddy pertaining to a few aspects in context of the latest biography published by the Columbia University Press. Comment posted by: Raman Reddy, V.
Dear Auroman,

I was, of course, speaking in the context of this particular debate when I said that Indian disciples of Sri Aurobindo should awaken their intellects to take on the challenge that is coming from the West. The challenge is also how to integrate the best of Western culture with the best of the East, or rather spirituality with intellect and science. The problem comes up when there are acute differences on the nature of this integration. The question that comes up is whether the intellect should be subsumed to the higher power or whether spirituality should be merely considered for an interesting study (without really practising it), so that you start drawing all sorts of ignorant conclusions based on your surface understanding. I am not against intellectual study per se, because even as I make this comment, I am exercising my intellect. But there is an inherent limitation of the mind with regard to the deeper aspects of our being, which we should always keep at the back of our minds while using the mind.

With regard to global integration which all of us want, we often hear a lot of talk about world unity, etc without really an understanding of what it really means practically. Americans of a certain type (there are otherwise wonderful Americans who deserve my admiration) want world unity the way George Bush would want – run over every country in the world on some pretext or the other for the good of the world. This colonial mentality should go. Mostly such people do not even realise that they are stepping on other people’s toes so confident they are about their ideas and plans. On the other hand, many Indians with their age-old docility and tolerance either kowtow too easily to these so-called modern concepts or reject them in toto. What is needed is clarity of thought based on a deeper understanding of life and the strength to stand by it.

For example, let us take the example of modern sexuality. Do we want spirituality downgraded to the level of common sex in order to integrate Western culture with Indian yoga? Or do we want spirituality to integrate modern ideas of liberality in order to do the same? I would certainly go for the latter, in which case the stifling conventions of Indian conventions will be avoided without losing out on the essential purpose of life. This is the crux of the problem – which principle should dominate? And we are furiously fighting for it all in the name of world-unity. But the solution is simple as the Mother says in a message given in 1952 on the occasion of the opening of the Ashram School (the message is actually a precursor to the concept of Auroville).

Anger is resentment manifest as brooding, self-pity, depression, unhappiness and masochism

2010-03-09T12:04:00.000+05:30

Resentment, most costly indulgence

Economic Times - ‎8 Mar 2010, K VIJAYARAGHAVAN

While all the seven failure traits elaborated by Dr Maxwell Maltz are highly relevant, ‘resentment’ is the most damaging of all these. The person concerned, perceiving injustice, wrongs or ingratitude nurtures a vague hope that his antagonism and intimidation would bring change of heart on the other person or situations without. But this imagined ‘cure’, as noted by Dr Maltz, is worse than the disease. This unabated resentment, he also points out, “is a deadly poison to the spirit, makes happiness impossible and uses up tremendous energy, which could go into accomplishment”.

Such resentments are manifest signs of a self-image of not just a “pitiful person, a victim, who was meant to be unhappy” , but also one who needs unfavourable and hostile situations around him as alibis and excuses to justify this self-image chosen for himself. The person thus easily finds causes to attribute motives, ill intentions and hostilities, where none may exist.

To go into the root causes of resentment, which process alone would also root it out permanently , it is thus necessary to be brutally frank about oneself, rooted in that abiding self-honesty that would expose to one’s own evolved self’s various complexes within , besides startling, yet glaring truths. This dynamic approach would enable one to comprehend that just as a harmful self-image was of his own making, changing that, to form a new one, is also in his own hands.

This process, as Dr Maltz points out, is that “creative goal striving” , where one becomes responsible for his own success and happiness. This also is the pathway to real freedom from impediments, both from within and without.

Such freedom is thus through selfanalysis, understanding and acceptance, leading to the needed major paradigm shift. This analysis would also reveal to the seeker that resentment and anger are often the same — the two sides of the same coin. In its passive form, anger is resentment manifest as brooding, self-pity, depression, unhappiness and masochism.

Comprehending the various aspects of this complex, yet ‘not, after all so complex’ issue would be pathway to truly and enduringly changing one’s self-image . The new found self-image , bringing with it freedom from that costly indulgence of resentment and other retarding traits within, would also indeed bring with it a new chapter in all aspects of life and living.