When I first started flying abroad I realized that Indian airlines don’t serve liquor on the flights. When I asked some people in the aviation ministry why was that so they said, Indian passengers will get drunk and misbehave. Later on the ban was lifted- today even the government owned Indian (Air Lines) serves liquor. I have checked with several pilots and cabin crew, the instances of intoxicated misbehaviour are rare and the same as on other airlines (with other nationalities) and no one is … [Read more...] about Don’t Stifle Creativity, Allow Social Evolution
Archives for May 2014
Hospitalisation can spur enlightenment
In the last two pieces I have discussed how relevant is the advise of Chanakya given 2500 years ago both for parents and children of today. This mega mind also exhorted the Indian society to shed its hypocrisy as it makes India weak, inefficient and non credible. He says that a physically weak person develops a friendly nature. That is when you are physically weak you pose to be friendly because that is the only behavioral option you have. You can't be aggressive when you are physically weak. … [Read more...] about Hospitalisation can spur enlightenment
Role of Media in Social Awakening
I am impressed with the media’s role in the coverage of the Mumbai attacks and the elections in the four states. First the Mumbai attacks. The greatest contribution that the media made here is it highlighted the anger of the people. To the discerning eye it was visible that the anger was not against the terrorist attacks only- it was as much against a Government that sucks. The terror attacks proved like the last straw. The common man started taking out his bile. One Mumbaite spat, “The army … [Read more...] about Role of Media in Social Awakening
The key barriers to learning process
Receptivity means the willingness to receive. It determines your learning quotient (LQ). Learning is important to one’s evolution. Else even if you do increasingly well materially, your personality may get frozen in time. But there are several barriers to receptivity. Let us classify them as natural barriers and artificial barriers. The greatest natural barrier to receptivity is age and circumstance. As we grow older, particularly those of us who are doing well, start to believe we know all. … [Read more...] about The key barriers to learning process
Conditioning that’s half-baked ruins us
In one of his experiments, B. F. Skinner, the famous Behavioural Psychologist, took a hungry rat and put him near the edge of a platform. On the floor below, he kept two boxes, identical looking boxes, both had food in them. The box on the Rat’s right, however, had also a trap door which would have prevented the rat from getting to the food as well as an electrical circuit which would provide a shock to the rat were he to jump in to it. The rat took some random jumps both in to the right and … [Read more...] about Conditioning that’s half-baked ruins us
The importance of being inclusive
Last week we spoke of Obama’s entry in to the White House. In this piece let us talk of his predecessor. How did he (Bush) fare as a world leader? Most dismissed him as a blubbering, arrogant leader who believed that what can’t be solved by force needs more force. Let us see how he handled the three big crises that he faced and come to our verdict. First 9-11. 9-11 shook and bled America. It required a strong counter response. Bush gave it to the world by launching a blitzkrieg against … [Read more...] about The importance of being inclusive