Tuesday, June 2, 2009

"Common Sense"

I guess I should put up one last post on this Blog of mine before I stop writing here.

First of all, apologies for the sudden leave; I was caught up in a VERY tight net of academics. I had been putting a lot of stuff off for a long time, and it took its toll. I guess I should have written this post a long time ago, but I had to really put myself together for my last exams. Second, thanks very much if you've been visiting this place even in the utter neglect I gave it.

Many ask me the reasons for my plan not to Blog anymore. Well, First, my Life at IITB is over. The purpose of the Blog is over. Second, Blogging is one of the "Intuitive Loops" I fall into. With such a plethora of ways to express your creativity on the Blog world (and that you always want to find out what others think of it,) you tend to find yourself deep within a mire, especially if you're a perfectionist like me. You tend to forget everything else and soon deviate far from the original purpose of your Blog. The Blog stays at the back of your mind in all aspects of your life, and in a way, you're caught in a big Loop.

Well, now that I'm back to my most liked mode of creativity (Programming,) I no longer have that itching desire to write here. If anything, this Blog has been my mate for 3 years. I'd like to keep it that way: as a memory of those days. My original plans of writing all about IIT life don't seem so lucrative anymore; in fact, I'd like to keep those memories within me. Whatever I wrote here in place of it reminds me of those times in a very different way, and I think it's pretty intriguing to anyone (with the exception to myself and those who know me very well) to infer my state of mind from what I wrote. That's pretty brilliant, in my opinion.

But I think this place deserves one final rant. Here goes:

I hate it when people say, "Common Sense." Everyone's so up in their brains with this concept. Anyone without it is instantly seen as dumb and not worthy of company. Frankly, I don't understand a bit of it. Isn't it common sense that says lighter objects fall on Earth later than heavy objects based upon the common observation that a feather falls later than a stone?

It's "Common Sense" to wear great clothing. It's common sense to impress others with your dress sense (including a job interview). It's common sense that a man who "thinks too much" must have some kind of a problem. It's common sense that a man without Confidence is worthy of no responsibility (A man who doubts his decisions has a better chance of anticipating potential flaws and disasters in schemes and plans, and hence is better adept at handling them.) But no; We want "Smart" people in the lead, who take decisions at lightning pace, and who, when things go wrong blame "market conditions" or "the government" for everything. Why? Common Sense.
I was once among a group of people who were talking about how they deal with Life and it's vagaries. There was this person who said, "I don't believe in Hard Work. Smart Work is everything. It's this age's necessity. You can't go anywhere without Smart Work." All such people are capable of are coming up with witty Advertisement Taglines or catchy Bollywood tunes.

Well, why am I so angry about this? If all we human beings ever used was Common Sense, we would still be living in caves. "If fire were such a good idea, why weren't all the other cavemen using it already?"

If "Smart Work" is all that we ever cared about, nobody would have invented the Wheel. Everyone would have been busy attempting to look pretty/fight with others in order to mate.

It seems, under the shelter of society, most have forgotten cold, bitter reality: Nature is not kind. We might have left our primitive roots far behind, but we're all animals in our hearts. Sex is still a big issue in all our minds; food is what makes us go; power is highly desired; and fights between tribes (now called "countries") still exist.

I wish people would leave "Common Sense" and for once look at reality, cold and bare. I wish to see a place where nobody is trying to show others how "Confident" they are. Rather, I'd like to see a place where people find themselves in a perpetual state of enquiry and wonder. That's where we'd reach the Next Level (if that doesn't make sense, I guess you're one of those who thinks we've reached an endpoint in our evolution.)

I urge you to look around you and try to find out what you know about the things around you, and how they work. Now imagine yourself in a primitive state without those things. You'll begin to understand what I'm hinting at. Try, for a single day, doubting and questioning everything around you. You'd experience something akin to childhood; and it will give you a very painful feeling. You'd want to run away, back to the sweet shelter of society and technology. You can choose to do that and keep in that inertial state forever. Or you can face the pain for a while and enter a state of pure wonder, back to reality.

Anycase, enough ranting. I'm staying with my parents at Bilsapur, and here's an advertisement designed by one of the "Smart Workers" at this place:

Bbye from me on this Blog. I hope I actually made a point here, in this sea of opinions that is the Blogosphere.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Stairway to Heaven

Remember this post I wrote almost an year ago?

Well, let me connect it to my favourite song of all time, Stairway to Heaven:

"There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
And she's buying the stairway to heaven"

Of course, this "lady" is representative of uncontrolled desires for "glory" (For example the belief that All that glitters is Gold). The reference that she can get what she came for "with a word" means that she believes that power over others is heaven.

The repeating lines "And she's buying a stairway to heaven" is a kind of Sarcasm, since the whole point of the song is, you don't need to buy a stairway to heaven.

"There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven
It makes me wonder
It makes me wonder"

This says, "Look outside, the songbirds are singing, free."
Sometimes all our thoughts are based on a bad assumption, and that makes the singer wonder.

"There's a feeling I get when I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who stand looking
It makes me wonder
It really makes me wonder "

Sometimes we long for freedom, from this "Mortal toil" :D
The singer says he has seen signs and patterns (rings of smoke) through this maze, and what the people who watch the world go by are saying, and it again makes him wonder.

"And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter"

Remember the Pied Piper of Hamelin? This is what this is referring to.
The forest will echo with laughter because the people who "stand by, looking" are celebrating.

"If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now
It's just a spring-clean for the May queen
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on
And it makes me wonder "

If something strange happens, don't fear, it's just an aspect of nature you don't understand yet.
The correct path to go on is the path of reason.

"Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know
The piper's calling you to join him
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind? "

It's the voice of reason inside your head that is calling you join it, and that is brought to life by the piper (I believe this to be a self-reference, the piper is Led Zeppelin).

Here is where the Sarcasm is revealed: There is no need to buy a stairway to heaven. It already exists, along the "whispering" wind.

"And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll"

We often deviate from the path of reason, and when we do come back, we have a Shadow...
But then there is a lady (Lady Liberty this time, not the previous one), who shines white light and wants to show that how we can turn things to gold.

And when you realise this, you will understand the tune of the piper, and learn to be a rock (take your own stand, be strong) and not to roll (go with the times, go with the flow, "chalta hai").

"And she's buying the stairway to heaven"

When you've found your own liberty, your inner beauty, you will be strong.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Intention

When I started blogging about two years ago, I understood something, which I misplaced and stopped using, in search for that very thing (I know this sounds kinda dicey, but it is true).

You see, when I would see, read, experience anything, I would try to find the intent behind it. As if I were the creator of that very thing. It made me understand things very clearly and perfectly. Even blogposts. That was my way of life: understanding the central idea, the theme. I thought this method wrong sometime later; I'm not sure why.

Anyway, I'm back to my positive self now, and here's what I've learned:

If you do something with a positive intent, it will turn out to be good.

If, when told (or forced) to do something that you do not intend to, (especially if it makes you go "Arre yaar!" or "NO!"), Do not do it. Or, understand the intent behind the person's making you do it, and then do it if it appeals to you.

If you are doing something without any intent, you are wasting your time/life. Stop doing it. Nobody can stop you.

This intent is called by Ayn Rand as "Rational Self-Interest"

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Muddy Moody

Sometimes I wonder why I write here. (<---woohoo strange alliteration there)
Do I write so that people should read me?
Do I write to gather followers?
Do I write to express myself?

Why did I make this Blog in the first place?

It's as the title suggests, representing my Life here at IITB. It's been some years of EXTREME struggle, when I was expecting comfort. This Blog represents my past. It shall always remind me of what I've been through and what would inevitably follow. It can be a guide to me when facing a similar situation in the future. It shall remind me of where I might be heading.

The answer to the above questions is, I write first and foremost to express myself. It's a kind of removal of negative energy, and creating something positive out of it. If you like it, you can read it. I have no obligation towards reading your posts, you have no obligation towards reading my posts. I don't care if you like what I write or not. It's first and foremost that I should like what I write.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Wisps

Why Worry, Wistful Woman?
Would Worrying Wrest Wonder?
Wretched Whining's Worthless,
Worry Why Wishes Wander.

Wonder Where Wraiths Wither,
Wonder Why Woods Wane...
Wonder When Wands Wobble,
Wonder What Waits'n Wain...

Wails, Whines, Worthless Wars,
Why Would We Want Worse?
We Want Wily Wild Whoopers,
(Who) Wrest the World of this curse.

Opeth : The Led Zeppelin of Our Age