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
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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
A victory with a new meaning
I was in Belgium as the Americans were casting their ballots. I could see that Europe was waiting like me- anxiously- for the outcome. Not only the blacks, many of the browns and the yellows too wanted Obama to win. Perhaps they did not care who beat the white candidate but just that the white candidate should be beaten. You need some such victories to erase the humiliation which the coloured races have suffered at the hands of the white. There was also some bile against Bush and it was rubbing … [Read more...] about A victory with a new meaning
Lies are not bad for a good cause
In the last piece I spoke of why Indian players are so prone to racial abuse and how some Australian cricketers are still grabbing media mileage by keeping the “Monkeygate” issue alive. Gilchrist has accused Sachin of hiding the truth. Did Sachin lie? Let us first try to answer a more fundamental question: Is lying always bad? Let me excerpt a passage from my book, When You are Sinking Become a Submarine. “All lies are not bad. It is the purpose of the lie which ascertains whether it is … [Read more...] about Lies are not bad for a good cause