“Why wouldn’t you think with your heart?” Asked a dear friend, during the recent Lokpal bill controversy, because I told her that I did not write anything as it would be based on emotion and passion, which in my opinion, does not hold much water in a debate. “If everyone were to be rational and detached, what would happen to heartfelt thoughts?” argued she. I listened to her all right, but my “heart” told me I was right. But then again, am I?
Hence this post. Do think with your heart? I can tell you when I do.
I think with my heart most of the times actually! As I was telling her my opinion about the bill and some of my observations, I also talked about how passionate I feel when I see wastage of resources like water, electricity, manpower all over the place, be it airconditioned private offices, government offices or homes. How enraged I feel when I see children being abused on the road and at home by adults and sometimes even by the so called “gentries” on any pretext. How reactive I feel when I see queues at any place not being maintained by people who would otherwise be waxing eloquent about the State’s mismanagement and corruption, simply because they are in a hurry. How angry I feel about seeing people blatantly flout all norms while driving – by switching lanes rampantly, by talking on their mobile or worse texting, because they believe “they are in control” albeit not only of their own safety but also of other people! How unhappy I feel when I see people scramble for their “dues” all over the place, be it quotas, be it based on class, colour and money, irrespective of who else may need that benefit more. How discouraged I feel when people effortlessly reach for one more plastic bag despite its harmfull impact on our earth! I can go on and on ….
And this is precisely why these thoughts thus expressed can easily be taken in as ranting by an irate person. I also feel disempowered and frustrated – what is the point of expressing? Everyone knows of all these things, these are nothing new, and yet we continue to do the same thing.
To just raise our voices against corruption is not enough, unless we are willing to redefine the word “corruption” and include all that we do.
But then, like I said, these are raving and ranting of an irate person.
What about you? Do you think from your heart? If yes, what are they? Care to share?
Sarbari's Blog 
We are a nation of children who need a stick to keep us in line. That’s why we jump the light when we don’t see a cop, we jump queues because there is no one to regulate it, pass a tenner or hundred rupee note to escape a challan…If the rules were stricter, people — we would think twice before doing any of the above things. It is unfortunate that we are all recalcitrant kids who need constant supervision. do read my post http://cybernag.in/2010/11/no-rules-please-we-are-indians/ and Pratibha’s comments.
that is why I think that stricter laws and enforcement of the same would over a period reduce corruption in public life as well as in our psyches.
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Zephyr, I read your post and the exchange between you and Pratibha too. I actually agree with you both. I have been residing in Bengaluru for the past 8 years, never have I seen the ordinary traffic policemen coming down heavily on the errant motorcycle riders or the indisciplined drivers of other vehicles. I believe had it been Mumbai, they would have paid a heavier penalty.
I believe it is both, (a) we do not like obeying rules – we believe we are beyond it; and I think what makes it even easier is that (b) the law most times is too lax and the punishment too small compared to the crime, aided and supported by lack of proper enforcement.
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I always think from the heart. I find if I ignore that, I get a feeling of suffocation. Where is the harm in heartfelt expressions? and I really don’t understand why it is believed to be a sign of weakness? As if people who always weigh words and speak measuredly are sensible and people who express passionately are fools.
There is a tendency, a lot more than I used to think, to consider such expressions as rants. Especially when there is no solution for certain problems. But then is communicating and expressing done solely with the objective of problem solving?
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Hey Antara, good to hear from you after a long time. Your comments then raise two possibilities for me:
1. people consider such expressions as “rant” because even they feel hopeless internally and when such inner angst is expressed by someone else,instead of identification, it creates a kind of rage and anger as one’s own helplessness is “exposed” to oneself?
2. people who make such expressions (apart from how others look at them), perhas also seek approvals from others of their heartfelt expressions? Hence, calling it a “rant” in advance may protect them from being hurt/rejection?
In any case, expressions from the heart always have to bear the risk of being “exposed” i.e. other people listening to what my innermost feelings are.
what do you think?
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