What’s something most people don’t understand?
People often struggle to understand the root causes of their problems, largely due to emotional influences on their decision-making. Emotions, ranging from joy to anger, can cloud judgment, leading individuals to blame external factors instead of reflecting on their own behavior. This can manifest in narcissistic tendencies, where individuals glorify themselves while ignoring their flaws. The text highlights characters like Mr. Bhagat, who exploit subordinates and avoid accountability, contrasting with the humble Ali, who is unjustly mistreated. Ultimately, the writing emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and ethical conduct in relationships and professional contexts.
People are often seen wading through situations unpalatable to them, and they fail to understand the cause of their problems. It is a common occurrence. Why do people not understand the root cause of their issues? What causes them to not think critically about their troubles and possible ways out? Let us try to find out.
Human nature is a complex blend of different traits and emotions. They are guided by their emotions, which play an important role in shaping their decisions. The result sometimes pleases them personally, but most of the time, it becomes a thorn in the flesh.
Emotions are psychological traits that are found most in higher groups of animals. Animals with developed reasoning power and emotions belong to a class of vertebrate phylum called Mammalia. Animals can’t speak, but they understand the language of love. Very few animal groups are oblivious to it.
In humans, it is more structured and elaborate. Emotions are feelings that vary widely. From happiness to gloom, there is a panoramic range of emotions that a human being has. Emotions can broadly be grouped into good and bad depending upon the feelings one senses while passing through them. Happiness, joy, love, care, infatuation and attachment are good emotions, while on the other hand, anger, deceit, lying, hatred, mendacity, and egoism are negative emotions. While searching for a cause for their woes, one does not try to understand that it is him/her whose particular thought process is the black sheep. Their ego is the impediment to the way they understand things from the right perspective.
One can’t see one’s face, so a reflective surface is needed. The glazed surface presents a true picture, which is based on one’s reflection. Sometimes, but not often, a distorted picture is seen. The major and most important thing that causes a distorted or skewed image is that the surface is defective. The only practical solution is to change the medium and see the result. The important thing is that the choice of a good reflective medium should be wise and careful.
People often choose the medium that pleases them. It can be seen in daily life. The current time is the time of social media. Millions of pictures, videos and content are being created and shared per minute and per day. The fast-growing and progressively becoming powerful computer technology has made life easy. Parallel to it, social media has created convolution and complex knots as well. When sharing their selfies, they carefully try to put the beautiful and charming side of their personality before their audience, expecting a positive and appreciative response. Appreciative comments soothe the ego and give a sense of happiness. “Happiness” is nothing but a mere ego-satiation.
Thinking good for oneself is not bad; it is rather a good thing. It helps in boosting confidence and controlling a situation. Nevertheless, it should be controlled and balanced. Always talking highly about oneself is nothing but narcissism. It makes one garrulous who is routinely and deliberately involved in self-praise. People of such a category place themselves on a very high pedestal and feel pleasure in clapping for themselves all the time. They deliberately avoid and do not want to see the flip side of a coin. They tame an idea about themselves to be an ideal and do not see it necessary to change their behaviour.
Mr Bhagat was one such person. He worked as an executive, and he reached this position by getting routine promotions. His most favourable pastime was to collect his subordinates and behave like a boss; he would pick up any thread and start weaving a story glorifying himself. He considered it his privilege. His audience used to be his subordinates, who had no choice but to sit and listen to him. His behaviour would change when he was in a subordinate situation.
Ruthless and selfish to the core, Mr Bhagat would not value the labour of his subordinates. For him, they were duty-bound to achieve according to his convenience. In cases of adversity, he would place the blame on his subordinates and try to avoid his responsibilities. Thankfully, his superiors understood his modus operandi, and he would get public scoldings, but he never tried to understand it and kept blaming others for the scoldings he often received.
There are many persons like Mr Bhagat in society. Turn your head, and you will see them everywhere. In family, in relationships, in the workplace or even in places of worship. They beseech God in places of worship and wish to annihilate their possible “opponent” so that they can do what they like.
Narcissistic people are terrified lots. They are always under the shadow of losing. Their snake-like behaviour always keeps them in defensive mode. They always try to hurt and damage others so that their ego is protected. They do it unconsciously because of the reason that they always consider themselves right and absolute. Relationship of any sort is a tool for them and they meticulously try to nurse their thoughts.
Ali was a humble and hard-working person. He would diligently finish his work, and his superiors were very happy with his work. His immediate boss did not like him and his position in the eyes of his superiors. His immediate boss would always try to tarnish his image and show him in a bad light. His cunning boss would scold him for no fault of his and demean him to demoralize Ali. A simple person, Ali was not capable of understanding the behaviour of his boss. One day, his boss was shifted unceremoniously from the office and was instructed to take over a different, insignificant assignment in a remote area. On the day his boss relinquished the charge, he called Ali and expressed his sorrow at the nature and general behaviour of such self-centred persons.
Persons of this trait behave as obsequious. The opportunists who never hesitate in boot-licking to get their desires. With moral values are at rock bottom and ethics is a flowery word, they do not hesitate in compromises at others cost. The only consideration is that their selfish and parochial gain must be protected. Always in search of green pastures, they keep changing their loyalties and side with a person who is resourceful and holds a powerful position.
Selfishness, self-praise, or vying for better is intrinsic to the animal world, particularly in human beings. Thinking about betterment is good in that it allows healthy competition. A sportsman spirit is that one vies for improvement and growth not by pushing others but by hard work, persistent endeavour and focused approach. One needs to have a hawk-eyed approach and an aggressive stance about personal growth and progression. Erasing lines drawn by others is a futile exercise. One needs to draw a larger and more prominent line beside the one which is already drawn and show the calibre. Backbiting and snatching others’ shares by deceit is unethical and eerie; hence, it needs to be discarded.
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