What’s one small improvement you can make in your life?

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The content explores the complexities of human behaviour, emphasising the blend of good, bad, and neutral traits within individuals. It critiques the tendency of people to blame others for their failures and denotes the importance of self-introspection and personal growth. Change is depicted as a natural law, unavoidable and essential for progress, urging individuals to confront their imperfections. The piece highlights the risks of narcissism and self-absorption, which isolate individuals and hinder growth. Through the story of a timid character, it illustrates the struggle to overcome deep-rooted fears and the necessity of adapting to life’s challenges.

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 composed of five things. They are Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. They combine to give a shape to an organism, plant or animal.

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 his weaknesses and mistakes to improve, he blamed his examination failure on his teacher, claiming that he had not taught him adequately. This approach is unworkable regarding future progress. He merely reinforced his denial and obscured his shortcomings by denying his limitations. The fallacy is common and often observed in human behaviour.

A human can not be absolute. Though it seems a definitive statement, but true and absolute. In the mundane world, this is the only stable thing, like a polestar; every other thing revolves around it. The better way is to see the inside and talk to the inner conscious. In common parlance, it is called a gut feeling. It speaks the truth. People tend to ignore it and try to hear only things that are palatable to them.

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.

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 narcissistic 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.

Their mental bent and behaviour create an extra layer above their psychic cocoon. This makes them further impregnable from 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 insane person.

Change is the law of Nature. It is eternal and intrinsic. A seed germinates into a seedling. It grows to a sapling and then to 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.

Gilgamesh, a legendary mythological figure of Mesopotamia, did not get eternity even if he wished to. Humans longed for eternity. This longing led them to evolve an imaginary potion. The potion, Elixir or “Amrit”, is 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.

Is the lust for everlasting life 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.

How would the world appear in a scenario where only human beings exist? They would be there with their inflated ego and narcissistic behavior. Will this not cause a tectonic shift in Nature and create a monotonous monochrome picture? Of course, yes. It will.

Some may ask, why lay stress on change when it is universal and inevitable? Their inquisitiveness is natural. Viewed from a human perspective, it becomes clear. The self-obsessed individuals who nurture fleeting ideas of becoming all-powerful and absolute ultimately sway with the flow of time. The rigidity is futile, leading to doom. Changing with time saves a lot of impending problems.

The above discussion leads to the fact about the fleeting nature of life. It also highlights the changing world vis-à-vis human nature and behaviour. Though every individual considers themselves intelligent and perfect, people are not. If a person possesses a part in excess, that manifests itself prominently. An irascible person is full of negativity and destruction. Nonetheless, if used carefully in a planned way, this trait can be helpful for a large group or society. It depends on how the energy is being channelled and put to use. It is like the flowing water of a river. When stopped by a dam, it can help or destroy significantly. This outcome depends on its control and judicious use. Emotions are energy in different forms, potent enough to change a situation for good or bad.

Since his childhood, he has been a timid and terrified person, always cautious to save himself from the undue and unnecessary flogging blue and black. It had seeped deep in 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. 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.

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 he be a little practical and stop viewing things from an emotional angle. People fool him and after some time scath 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. He should be a little practical and should think of himself, too. It’s okay to be a bit selfish. In a world where everyone is trying to extract the most without any commiseration, looking out for oneself is necessary.

As Chanakya said, oversimplicity is a bane. People misuse such persons. A straight tree is felled on priority in a jungle. He needs to change himself to this extent. Will he be capable of mending his ways in his last leg of the race? What do my dear readers think? Please do comment.

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