No posts since a long time....nothing interesting (or sad) to write about :D
So i thought to put in something - a quote which people have read in my gmail status msg and appreciated!
The quote is again from an Ayn Rand book, Atlas Shrugged. The main protagonist John Galt's oath and one of the most important messages that could be take from the book.
The Oath...
“I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.”
So simple. So true. And please don't argue - what about your parents, family, friends, loved ones etc.
For what I see is that unless you think about yourself clearly, you can't think about anyone, you can't live for them. Actually speaking, you shouldn't. If you do, your living doesn't make sense. If you think you'll make someone happy by living their way it won't be. You'll be unhappy by not fulfilling your desires - and if the person truly loves you, s/he will not be happy to see you in any trouble (emotional or physical). Secondly, if you bring in discussion great people like Mother Teresa and Gandhiji and Nelson Mandela - their living for others was also a part of their selfish need (no disrespect meant, I revere all three) - the selfish motive of being happy in seeing others happy.
We pretend to be living for our loved ones, then why is such misery, so many worries around? Shouldn't there be love and peace when everyone lives for others here (or so everyone claims). It's not we ignore anyone, it's just a matter of being able to identify what you are, what you care for. Once you know this, you'll see how things change.
The oath is not that one SHOULD follow, but if everyone can follow even a tenth of it, I guess the world would be much better. Vague thoughts, but it's just my interpretation.
I hope I soon get something to write...I am getting rusty! :)
Regards,
Kunal
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so true kunal..life's juz useless if u cant keep urself happy n dats impossible to do if u live for others..everything around u cn b f9 only wen u r happy from within...
ReplyDeletewell well well....
ReplyDeleteI was thinking and thinking after reading your post.
what are we doing, what our parents are doing, why do we fall in love with someone, why do someone shows empathy to someone, why some nations go for war, why one wrties poetry, why one kills himself, why do we keep relations....bla bla bla
What I end up with is a total mess in my mind about our real motive..Are we narcissists ??
I dont think so..
According to consumer behaviour principles,(some gyan !!) the need for doing something is always driven by a discrepency arising out of the gap between our existing stage and desired stage.. So, in life, whatever u r doing must not be arising out of ur selfish needs.. there are effects of social cultural elements also..
Obviously I,Me,Myself drive our behaviour most of the time..But at the same point of time, the effect of physical facet,relationship and reflected soul of any social element always have a deep impact on your own elements viz. Personality, Culture and self image.
True, that You are satisfying yourrself most of the time, but not always satisfying your selfish needs, rather responding to the external stimulus of society.
@sumanta dada,
ReplyDeleteI agree that we respond to the external factors that we experience. I never denied that.
But the thought what I want to put forward is - We promise everyone that we'll live for them, that their happiness is more important to us than anything else, and many such things. There are times (and if you ask me, it's more than half the time) that we do not wish to do certain things but just to keep promise we made, or just to be acknowledged and be a part of this external environment - to be expected, we tend to forgo our desires and end up in misery! Here I don't know if it applies - but the opportunity cost is too high. It's our lives and it's not only ours - it's the people who mean to us - theirs also!
The quote in context has a certain meaning to it, from the book's point of view. But I have taken it out of context, and what can it mean if taken from an independent point of view without associating any other motive for the thought.
Thanks for writing in.
@Satabdi,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate what you said. But to be happy from within there has to be some motive - some desire. If we don't recognize it, we can never ever be truthful to anyone - and least ourselves. External factors like dada mentioned do play an important role - but that importance is given to it by you.
So the long and short of this is - First think I, then we. 'Cos your happiness will start only from you.
thanks for writing in.
@kunal: very well said.."my happiness will start only from me"...gonna always remember this..thanx ya...keep posting more sooner...
ReplyDelete