Of Logic & Conformity

"A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him?"

"tell me the ans"

"2nd one"

"no dear :P... it's the third one"

Is this about logic? And whose logic are we talking about anyways? Can there be more than one logic behind the same thing? Something that justifies some other outcome?

Take the above question as an example. The Murderer is condemned to death. So, an interpretation of the question is that the Murderer is choosing between the different ways he can die. Yet, it seems improbable that Lions who have been hungry for 3 years be alive. Even if they are not, the stink in the room will be enough to kill any man. I guess. But, let's, for argument's sake, assume that the lions are alive, and really, REALLY hungry. The choices in front of the Murderer are:

1. Being charred to death by a conflagration.


2. Being riddled by bullets and dying. Remember, they all are assasins, and they might have sympathy for "one of their kinds". Or, they being assasins, have already killed each other, so the room is pretty much empty. Once again, let's just skip a scenario where any of the rooms are empty.


3. Being (viciously) mauled to death by Lions who havent eaten for THREE (!!) years.

Wouldn't it be nice to choose the 2nd option? Death would come quick, and it would also be less painful.

But then. It doesn't matter.


The one who had made the question knows better. In fact, the question was made for a specific answer, to accomodate a specific logic. If you don't accept the logic, you are an idiot. You know nothing. It doesn't matter what your logic says might be the answer.

And you feel euphoric just because your 'logic' matches someone else's or feel rejected, dejected, if it doesn't.

Here we are talking about conformity. Our innate attitude towards life, or shall i say, the very basic nature of human beings is to 'conform' to something or the other. It is one of the 'rules' for humans to be happy. Understandably so, because we are a social animal, and if you don't 'conform' people will make life hell for you. Perhaps the reason why Einstein, even though he was such a Genious, is still a laughing stock for many.


It is not easy to be different. If u just be happy, and keep smiling all the time, people will very kindly label you as a 'nut' case.You can't be your own, because there's always someone watching.



But aren't we forgetting something?

We might be forgetting that the way that we can TRULY be happy is by being ourselves. It is perhaps one of the reasons we remember our childhood so fondly. And perhaps the reason... we miss it too.

Toffees 'n' Memories

The other day my friend's father brought some toffees home. I picked up a few while on my way to office and stuffed them into my pocket. Not because I wanted to have them, but because I wanted to give some of them away to my colleagues. And while I made the routine journey to my office, I was flooded with memories of my childhood. That made me smile, and I realized that even though my childhood was a long time back, some things didn't change. I was, in some ways, still the child, the person, I used to be back then.
When anyone got me a lot of toffees, I used to stuff as many as I could into my pockets, while going to school the next day. Contrary to the other days, I just couldn't wait to get to school. Then I would gather my closest friends around and distribute the toffees between us. It gave me immense satisfaction and happiness to do so. It was as if I was sharing a part of a treasure that I stumbled upon. It was one of the fun things that almost became a ritual, yet never stopping being fun.
And it's strange how memories bind themselves to almost everything. Everything.

Ga-Dha

Aami Tritiyo aar Shoshthom Shurer Songom. Aami Ga-Dha. Aar Aami Sa Re Ma Pa Ni. Shob E Gaan. Shob E Shur. Aar ei gaan aar shurer ashor, amar jibon. Nachte Ichhe Kore. Dhei Dhei kore. Aami nachbo. Ga-Dha-r Shure.

COMPASSION

Compassion is the poison of our society. Poverty Feeds on compassion. We say "aww, i feel so sorry for this guy", and shell out some coins to give to the "poor" guy. But stop. And think. Are we doing it for him? No. Its just a selfish move... we are all buying our way to heaven. We, sick, selfish people are trying to buy our way to heaven... screwing up an already screwed up life. Unfeelingy feeling, passionately dispassionate, dying everyday so that that we may live in peace once we die. Compassion is the poison of our society... the most potent one. It kills both the person showing it, and the one who receives it. Painfully. Slowly. Painfully Slowly.
I am not against the showing of compassion. But to the rightful recipients. A child, maybe. Somehow, the concept of compassion got warped, misinterpreted. U think a blind man should receive alms as tokens of our compassion? I saw one who used to sell peanuts in trains. Just one. Why cant the others? As long as we go on showing "compassion" towards those who dont, they wont. True compassion is when, no matter how much you feel the urge to reach into your pocket and give the "poor guy" some alms, you hold back. So that he tries. To earn what he used to get as alms. Theres nothing called a free lunch. If we want to change the way our society is, to make this world a better place, we have to change ourselves. And then, little by little, this bleak present painting will fade into a vivid, colorful landscape.