The more I think, the harder it gets!

The congregation all nods in unison. They hail the young preacher's view of life. It appears all too easy; that we should be contented with what we have, that there is no limit to human desires, that the world has everything to meet all our needs but not our greed, that a happy man is one who makes the best of what is available around him. A man who finds joy in the simplest of things is a happy man! The congregation go all agape with his simplistic outlook on life even though none could complete a single day without the comfort of their air-conditioning and the nimble, agile limbs of their ever-obedient servants. If only the place were right, they would raise their hands in awe as if they were at a qawwali performance. It all sounded like Epicurean teaching to me, but the sceptic part of me went overdrive.

Is it not human nature to always strive for something higher? Our ancestors, the caveman, must have yearned to explore the green strip of land across the wavy blue sea. He would have asked himself how it would be to gaze over the hill like the birds did. He must have been bewildered by the ever-changing shape and site of the glowing ball in the night skies. He must have wanted to touch the moon, literally. We would all still be cave dwellers writing this message on cave walls if not for their desire to explore, to take the first step out of their comfort zone and be restless and discontented. He built his first junk, his first flying contraption and his first telescope. All these arose out of his restlessness of wanting more.

Maybe we are just atoms in a mammoth piece of matter. We are just specks in a vast ocean. What is essential is civilisation, not just the individual. It is the forward progression of the whole life-form that matters, not the individual.

But then, a slight aberration in the sequencing of proteins on a DNA thread may actually eat up the entire host in the case of malignancies. Hence, each individual seemingly unimportant action may indeed make a difference. So, conformity makes sense?

Well, that sounds like a carte blanche to the people in power, be it in religion or politics, or are these two mutually inclusive? A scenario of plebeians moving in concert to the tunes of the religious or political leaders may sound enticing to those already in power to continue exerting their tyranny. What a home run!

Subservience and delinquency must both be necessary traits for our survival. 

Various shades of gray

Like my father who carries on his whole life with blinkers, minding his own work and not wanting to know other people's problems, I seem to have fallen into the same trap (or is a blessing?). Feeling that I have enough on my plate, the last thing I want to be dragged into is other people's melancholy. However, every now and then, I do get sucked into this quicksand. The best I can do is walk around the quicksand and maintaining my foot rooted on solid ground. And believe you me, it is an art. 

Two individuals had things going on fine in their business venture. After umpteen years of smooth sailing, their yacht hit a rough patch. Their term of the deal appears unsavoury to both parties. 

The justification in supporting their side of the bargain is the typical textbook description of mirror image conflict. I am no skilled negotiator or arbitrator. So, the most I can do is lent them my ears and utter the occasional nods, Ummm, 'oh!', 'is it so?' and the occasional smile.

The last time I heard, equilibrium had been reached. They met somewhere in the middle, and life goes on. 

The lesson of the day - Partnership is tricky. We have to anticipate eventualities and make periodic changes to satisfy all parties involved.