What’s one small improvement you can make in your life?
The content examines human behaviour, highlighting the blend of good, bad, and neutral traits within individuals. It criticises the tendency to blame others for personal failures and emphasises the importance of self-reflection and introspection for growth. Change is presented as a law of nature that everyone must embrace, warning against narcissism that isolates individuals from new ideas. Through the story of a timid character, the piece illustrates the struggle to overcome fear and emphasises the necessity of adapting to life’s challenges. Ultimately, it advocates for a practical approach to life while recognising the fleeting and transformative nature of human existence.
Table of contents
Key Takeaways
- The article emphasizes the importance of introspection for personal growth and overcoming the tendency to blame others for one’s failures.
- It highlights that human behavior is a blend of good, bad, and neutral traits, affected by self-centeredness and a lack of self-reflection.
- Change is the law of nature, and embracing it is crucial to avoid stagnation and narcissism.
- The story of a timid character illustrates the struggle against fear and the necessity of adapting to life’s challenges through self-examination.
- Ultimately, practicing introspection leads to a better understanding of oneself and improves interactions in a self-centered world.
Humans are unique
Human beings are a strange mix of good, bad and neutral. What determines a quality is the quantity of good, bad or neutral elements. It is not uncommon that every individual organism is a blend of the five elements of Nature. They are Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. They combine to give a shape to an organism, plant or animal.
Common fallacy
As an individual, a human being seldom introspects. Almost everyone considers themselves perfect in every aspect and holds others responsible for any problem they face. Rather than dwelling on their weaknesses and mistakes to improve, the student assigns a reason for not being taught properly by the teacher. This approach is unworkable and harmful to his future progress. He merely reinforced his denial and obscured his shortcomings by making unimpressive excuses to cover up his limitations. The fallacy is common and frequently seen in human behaviour.
Dispassionate introspection
No one is absolute. It is neither possible nor desirable. Humans are no exceptions. Though it seems a definitive statement, but true and absolute. This is the only stable thing in the mundane world. Things happen accordingly revolving around the basic facts. The best way to keep oneself grounded is through dispassionate introspection and conversing with the inner conscience. In common parlance called a gut feeling, it tells the truth. People tend to ignore it and try to hear only things that are palatable to them.
Living in a fool’s paradise.
The famous proverb “To err is human, to forgive is divine” is the real picture of human psychology. As has been said above, no one is perfect; rather, nothing is perfect. Even Mother Nature commits mistakes. These mistakes are often seen in many ways. Examples include the abnormal shape of an organism, an abnormal or deformed fetus, et cetera. Thus, claiming to be an ideal is like living in a fool’s paradise. The best way is to do a periodic self-check and see if any virus has entered. If it has, it needs to be cleaned right away.
Mendacious
A self-absorbed person does not want to listen to the notes of dissent or the opposite of what they think. In such a case, they feel offended and try to harm the person who made unpalatable remarks. People of such disposition are selfish and mendacious. This tendency weaves a cocoon around the individual, hindering fresh air and ideas from coming. Their brain is conditioned suitably. Behaviourally, they are haughty, self-centred and highly selfish.
Self made dungeon
Their mental bent and behaviour create an extra layer above their psychic cocoon. This makes them further impregnable to fresh ideas. They don’t get variety and become monotonous and irascible. Gradually, they become aloof in the self-made dungeon, devoid of natural light and air. It becomes a psychological problem when the person behaves abnormally, like an impulsive person. It is the introspection which brings them out of their solitary confinement. (verywell mind)
Law of Nature
Change is the law of Nature. It is eternal and intrinsic. A seed germinates into a seedling, grows to a sapling and then transforms into a shrub. Finally, it becomes a tree ready to fruit and proliferate. It is an obvious and noticeable change akin to an infant who becomes a toddler and then a child. The child progressively grows into a teenager, youth, middle-aged, and then old before completing the journey. It is inevitable and is not affected by anyone’s whim, wish or ego.
Wish for eternity
Gilgamesh, a legendary mythological figure of Mesopotamia, did not get eternity even if he wished to. Humans longed for eternity or near eternity. This longing led them to evolve an imaginary potion. The potion, Elixir or “Amrit”, was believed to give rejuvenated eternity and youth. It is the never-ending and unfulfilled lust, so much so that it finds its place in mythology as well. A well-known story of the churning sea by demigods and demons testifies to it. After a hectic and strenuous churning, Elixir emerged at last, and a fight started to get it. Lord Vishnu, in the form of a beautiful lady, took up the task of distributing the Elixir between both groups.
Impermanence
Is the lust for everlasting life span and youth possible? Will it not create an uncontrollable crowd of human beings? This crowd will push everything to the brink. There will be no place for any other organisms to live and flourish. It will.
Monochromatic
How would the world appear in a scenario where only human beings exist? They would be there with their inflated ego and self-centred behaviour without realising their plight and introspection. Will this not cause a tectonic shift in Nature’s phenomenon and create a monotonous monochrome picture? Of course, yes. It will, but for a few it may not.
Why so much of talk?
Why lay so much stress on change if it is universal and inevitable? The inquisitiveness sounds dubious. In the first place, the statement doubts the change. Secondly, keeping its inevitability should it not be a part of life? Viewed from a natural perspective, it becomes clear.
Eternal truth
First things first. It is an eternal truth that change is inevitable and necessary. There should be clarity of thought in this regard. As for the second part, change is intrinsic and inseparable. Undeniably it is a part of life. Yet for self-obsessed individuals, who nurture fleeting ideas of becoming all-powerful and absolute, it may not.
Time is a great teacher
Time, nonetheless, teaches harsh lessons, sometimes rudely. It flushes out everything including power, position and glitter. Big persons and monarchs have shrunk to pages of history. Most of them ended pathetically. Their power, position and money couldn’t help. Rigidity and mendacity, therefore, are futile. It leads to doom. Changing with time saves a lot of impending problems.
Life is fleeting
The above discussion shows the fleeting nature of life. It also highlights the importance of introspection in a changing world vis-à-vis human nature and behaviour. People generally consider themselves intelligent, perfect and smart, but situations often prove them otherwise. The five elements of Nature (Air, Water, Fire, Earth and Aether) and their presence broadly determine the nature of an individual. If a person has any element in excess, it manifests itself prominently.
Controlled emotions
An irascible person is easily agitated and angry. The negative forces surpass the gentle and quiet behaviour. Nonetheless, the careful and channelised anger, aided by introspection, can be helpful for society or the individual. The way energies are guided determines the result. Electricity, for example, is beneficial, but a minute carelessness or slackness in its handling causes severe damage. Likewise, carefully stopping the water of a river by a dam is helpful in electricity generation, irrigation, fisheries and transportation, et cetera. It causes havoc if not handled properly or in the breach of the dam.
Emotions are energy in different forms, potent enough to change a situation for good or bad. To illustrate it properly, a story of a person would be important.
Story of a timid person
It is the story of a timid person. Since his childhood, he has been timid and terrified, always cautious to save himself from the undue and unnecessary blue-and-black flogging. The fear seeped deep into his psyche so much so that he felt awkward while speaking before a group of people. Always afraid of something bad, he had constricted himself and felt uncomfortable while confronting any odd situations or facing bullies.
Hesitant senectitude
Even in decrepitude, he has the same feeling. It annoys him a lot, but the feelings are so deep-rooted that he finds it very difficult to overcome them. At times, it becomes excruciating, especially when he feels unable to speak out, and people think of him as scary, start mishandling him and pushing him towards the wall. His family members start unbearably jeering at him. Incapable of facing it, he shouts, yells and cries in his helplessness.
Suggestions to the old man
He frantically longs to get rid of this psychological problem. His friend, while conversing with him, once told him to be a little strict and hard. His friend suggested him to be a little more practical and stop viewing things from an emotional angle. The friend underlined the necessity of introspection for People fool him and after some time scathe him on this aspect. His friend said that the world is ruthless and selfish. People would use it if he let them do it. He needs to change a little and recalibrate himself according to the requirements of time.
Over-simplicity is not good
An individual needs to be a little practical and should think of themself too. It’s okay to be a bit selfish. Self-care, a pinch of selfishness and a lot of introspection are necessary in a world devoid of commiseration and where people are looking out for themselves.
As Chanakya said, oversimplicity is a bane. People misuse such persons. A straight tree is felled on priority in a jungle. One needs to change oneself to this extent.
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Kamal Kishore Srivastava
A retired government officer turned writer and photographer, Kamal Kishore Srivastava is a regular blogger and essayist who explores life’s deeper meanings through immersive reflections on nature, impermanence, and happiness. On his blog Nature’s Narrative, he blends philosophical storytelling with practical insights. Writing 1,200–1,500 words or more regularly, Kamal is committed to refining his craft, expanding his audience, and building a sustainable space where thought and feeling intersect.
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