Musings

  The mind always instinctively fears the unknown. And it is not always a bad thing. It is an innate biological response before our brain comes up with a solution to deal with the unknown. Scientific discoveries have always been bringing spotlights to the unknowns. Hence it is inevitable that most people see these unknowns sceptically. But my point here is that scepticism should not turn into blind cynicism. When we hear words like corporates, science and profit, our mind automatically associates them with evil. And it is not particularly astonishing because new frontiers of science have always been born out of controversies. But why do people arrive at immediate conclusions without thinking twice? According to Daniel Kahneman's theory, our brain has two operating systems - System 1 and System 2. System 1 is fast and unconscious, automatic, and effortless. It does not have self-awareness or control and adheres to the dictum: What you see is all there is. Whereas System 2 is slow an...

Open: An Autobiography is more of a memoir, or like reading a diary. Rest assured, you cannot put down this book without finishing it. My friend often points out that great talents could become larger-than-life characters if spotted and groomed at a much younger age. You can find many examples - Bill Gates and Viswanathan Anand are a few names that come to the top of my mind. There seems to be a strong correlation between success and parental nurturing. This book is one such example - adding weightage to this correlation. But at what cost?  Agassi hated tennis! Not in a textbook sense of hate. His relationship with tennis is not something one would understand when told. They must feel it - Feel what it is like to excel, respect and honour something you grew up hating! When you have a demanding father imposing his will on you and seeing you as his means to find the purpose of his life, your identity gets screwed up. And it takes aeons to figure it out. You do not know why you p...

In recent days I have been thinking a lot about my privilege.  This is because I am starting to interact with people of all social standings.  We do not know how certain actions lead to certain consequences- I sometimes miss my office shuttle and would be forced to take a share auto for commuting. By sitting along with co-passengers and having small chit-chats throughout the journey, I can glimpse a part of their world. For instance, I would hear stuff about how the share auto drivers would not have their breakfast until they had earned the money they had spent on fuel. I often see how women run en masse to get into the government public transport buses. (In Tamil Nadu, women in the state can travel free of cost on the government-owned city and town buses)   In this light, I would want to narrate two incidents that inspired me to ponder on my privilege.   Scenario 1# -  A restaurant serving good food but cuts costs at the wrong places:   Duri...

M arketing is a psychological device we use to make targetted people act in the way we desire. It is also about announcing the world that we exist. From a child crying for milk to a boy/girl trying to garner the attention of his love, marketing is omnipresent.  I may not be sophisticated and comprehensive in describing my experience. But that is because of the vastness of the field. Even worse, I may be reducing the whole universe of marketing into a few anecdotes and metaphors. Be that as it may, let me pour out my experiences from my understanding.  Marketing is super-efficient when we anchor it on trust. Humans are interesting social connections. If we think of how we recommend movies, books, songs, restaurants, etc., it is evident that we trust the judgement of the person recommending it to us. But what compels a person to recommend a product?   It is the  experience   that makes one recommend something to someone. Think of this as an uncontrolled nucle...

  On 26th January 1950, India became Republic. This day marks the assertion of the identity of a young nation, which had so far seen violence of unimaginable scale due to partition. We were also facing mounting challenges - Poverty was rampant, social ills were pervasive, calls for modernity were not reaching the ears of the illiterate population.  But the founders of our nation carved the idea of India, despite these obstacles. When I say that our republic day marks the identity of our country, it is not without meaning. The flashy five bold letters - Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic that we find in the preamble of our constitution are not the only things that define our identity. It is much more subtle and elegant.  Consider, for instance, Article 395 of the Indian Constitution. It reads as follows:  The Indian Independence Act, 1947, and the Government of India Act, 1935, together with all enactments amending or supplementing the latter Act, but no...

  Before starting with the review, I would like to narrate a real-time incident that happened in my place.  I ordered food through Zomato and was expecting the delivery. Suddenly, the delivery person called and told me that the security personnel of my apartment did not allow him inside. I was requested to come outside and collect the parcel. (Yes, he also apologized as if it was his fault).  I saw no reason why he should not be allowed inside. I inquired about this with my apartment's caretaker. He grudgingly replied that people in my apartment were uncomfortable with "strangers". They complained that these strangers could endanger the security, and their presence could lead to many incidents of thefts.  I asked if there was any history of theft in the apartment, for which the reply was negative. I can clearly understand the emphasis on preventive measures. But I cannot understand the lack of attention to the ease of living.  This incident made me realize tha...

The second wave of the pandemic has wreaked havoc on an unimaginable scale. Our healthcare system crumbled. We ran short of oxygen and ICU's. Whatsapp became the war rooms for coordinating people. While the governments of the UK and USA had ordered millions of vaccine doses as early as May 2020, our government sat upon this decision until January 2021. When the situation improved after the first wave of COVID, we failed to ramp up our health infrastructure.   But is it the first time this government has put us in a difficult spot? Demonetization was a disaster in all capital letters. Our economy was barely growing, thanks to the lack of reforms before COVID. At present, it is gasping for breath and its "animal spirit" is already dead. Unemployment levels are historic high. Last year, after the lockdown, we underwent a crisis dealing with the mass migration of the poor from developed to underdeveloped states.  With so much negativity, what makes this government win elect...