The WHY Question

 

THE “WHY” QUESTION

HOW TO DISCOVER YOUR VALUES and LIVE IN HARMONY WITH YOURSELF

By

VIKRAM KARVE

Values are core beliefs which guide and motivate attitudes and behaviour.

When you value something you want it (or want it to happen).

Values are relatively permanent desires.

Values are answers to the “why” question.

You keep on asking “why” questions until you reach a point where you no longer want something for the sake of something else. At this point you have arrived at a value.

Let’s take an example – I was once teaching a Post Graduate Professional Programme at a premier university, a centre of excellence, and I asked a student, “Why are you doing this academic course?”

“To gain qualifications,” he answered.

“Why do you want to gain qualifications?”

“To succeed in my career.”

“Why do you want to succeed in your career?”

“To reach the top.”

“Why do you want to reach the top?”

“To get power.”

“Why do want do you want power?”

“To control people,” he answered.

“Why do you want to control people?”

“I want to control people.”

“Why?”

“I like to control people.”

“Why?”

“Just for the sake of it – I like controlling people,” he said and further why’s elicited similar responses related to control. [Control for the sake of control – that’s when you discover your value!]

I realized that control was one of his values and maybe he was a future megalomaniac in the making!

The same line of questioning of persons undergoing higher education may reveal values like knowledge, money, status, standard of living, ambition, achievement, growth, reputation, excellence, fame.

Values are our subjective reactions to the world around us.

They guide and mould our options and behaviour. Values are developed early in life and are very resistant to change.

Values develop out of our direct experiences with people who are important to us, particularly our parents.

Values evolve within us not out of what people tell us, but as a result how people behave toward us and others.

Remember, there cannot be any “partial” values.

For example: you cannot be 50% honest (half-honest) – either you are honest or you are not honest!

Are you doing you MBA?

Keep asking yourself why you are doing it, and you will ultimately arrive at your value.

“Why are you doing your MBA?”

“To learn the art of management.”

“Why do you want to learn management?”

“To get a good job in a top firm as a manager.”

“Why?”

“To make more money.”

“Why?”

“To have a high standard of living.”

The person I was talking to re-iterated here, again and again, since standard of living was his value but you can go on and on till you find your true core values.

In one case I was surprised to find conformance as a prime value in a student of MBA – she was doing MBA because everyone else, especially most of her friends, were doing MBA!

With the rise and predominance of the utility value of education, the most important criterion for ranking B-Schools is the pay-packet their students get and not other factors like the quality of faculty and infrastructure, academic achievements and ambience etc.

That’s why there is a rush towards IT and Computer Science as compared to other more interesting and challenging branches of Engineering and Technology – money seems to be the cardinal value amongst students these days!

Some do prefer the civil services even after completing their Engineering from premier institutions as, for these individuals, things like status, service, power, and maybe, patriotism may be important values.

• Is a high salary important to you?
• Is it important for your work to involve interacting with people?
• Is it important for your work to make a contribution to society?
• Is having a prestigious job important for you?

It is most important for you to find out your own values (by the “why” method) to avoid value mismatch.

Value mismatch is at the root cause of dilemmas in your life.

Even when you plan to marry or have a relationship you must look out for value mismatch.

A conflict between your personal and organizational values may result in ethical dilemmas at the workplace, while value mismatch between two persons may sow discord and cause stress and turbulence in a relationship.

Your values are possibly the most important thing to consider when you’re choosing an occupation or workplace.

If you do not take your values into account when planning your career, there’s a good chance you’ll dislike your work and therefore not enjoy it.

For example, someone who needs to have autonomy in his work would not be happy in a job where every action is decided by someone else.

It is important to distinguish between values, interests, personality, and skills:

• Values: the things that are important to you, like achievement, status, and autonomy.
• Interests: what you enjoy doing, like reading, taking long walks, eating good food, hanging out with friends.
• Personality: a person’s individual traits, motivational drives, needs, and attitudes.
• Skills: the activities you are good at, such as writing, computer programming, and teaching.

Of these, interests, skills and personality can be developed, but values are intrinsic core beliefs inherent within you. You have to look inwards, analyse, introspect, reflect and endeavour to discover your own true values.

Whether it is your work or relationships, value congruence is of paramount importance – your values must be in harmony for the relationship to tick.

Value Dissonance due to mismatch between individual values and organizational values can cause great strain and trauma at the workplace.

Even within yourself, in order to avoid inner conflict there must be no confusion about your true values.

Remember the saying of Mahatma Gandhi: “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony”.

Dear Reader, please sit down in a quiet place all by yourself, introspect, ask yourself the “why” question and find out your own values.

First know yourself. Then know others.

Try to ascertain your and their values (personal values and organizational values too!).

Avoid value-mismatch and value-dissonance to the extent feasible.

The extent of mutual harmony in your values should determine your choice of work, activities, relationships, friends and partner.

Is freedom an important value for you?
Is the career or job you are considering (or the person you want to marry or have a close relationship or friendship with) going to give you enough freedom?

Do you value leisure?

Oh, yes! Leisure is not only an important value but also a determinant of character – If you want to know about a man find out how he spends his leisure.

It’s true in your case too – If you had a day off what will you do?

Would you read a book, write a story, go hiking outdoors, play your favourite sport, adventure sports, chat with friends, picnic, see a movie, eat your favourite cuisine in a restaurant, or cook it yourself, socialize in your club, spend the day at home with your family, study, play with your pet dog, or see TV at home, or just spend the day in glorious solitude enjoying quality time with yourself?

Or would you rather not “waste” your leisure time and spend the day doing something “useful” connected with your work, career or advancement towards “achieving” your “goals”?

How you spend your leisure reveals vital clues about your values too!

Do you value humour, fun, pleasure, food, enjoyment, sex, family life, quality of life, status, money, success, fame, power, prestige, security, nature, loyalty, love, affection, independence, privacy, togetherness, tranquillity, adventure, leadership, followership, competition, contentment, creativity – look within, reflect, find out for yourself, and the values of others too who you want to relate with – match and harmonize your values, and be happy and fulfilled in your work and your relationships.

Remember, at any important milestone in your life, when you have to make a vital decision, whether you are on the verge of selecting a career, a job, a house, or a marriage partner – trust your sense of values!

In conclusion here is a quote from the German Philosopher Friedrich Hegel: “A man who has work that suits him and a wife whom he loves has squared his accounts with life”

 

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

Appetite for a Stroll

 

vikramkarve@sify.com

ELIXIR OF LIFE

FOREVER YOUNG

Zest for Living and Passion for Learning

By

VIKRAM KARVE

There are a number of retired senior citizens in the colony where I live in Pune. Yes, there are still large numbers of pensioners living all over Pune though Pune is no longer a pensioners’ paradise.

I have noticed one intriguing thing. Though most are of the same chronological age, some are “young” and some are “old”.

Further observation reveals the formula for remaining young: Zest for Living and Passion for Learning is the best anti-ageing recipe that keeps you young forever.

Look around you and you will see what I mean. There are many oldie-goldies who are living life to the fullest and always eager to learn new things and there are also others who have no “juice” left in them as they have lost the spirit to enjoy learning with enthusiasm and relish the pleasures of life to their utmost.

I know a “young” senior citizen who, after retirement, started learning classical music from the scratch, enjoyed studying for 10 years till he completed his sangeet alankar, living life to the fullest in epicurean style – good food, music, concerts, plays, movies, travel, picnics, swimming, trekking, playing with his dogs, social work, you name it – he did it; and with the advent of internet he is enjoying moments exploring the mysteries of the web, learning new things and latest technologies, actively blogging with passionate fervour, and with gusto  doing all sorts of learning activites, creative writing, surfing, social networking, making virtual friends, teaching music – for him variety is the spice of life.

He lives a delightfully active life, loves the company of youngsters and has the enthusiasm and energy of a child – and though in his late seventies he is “younger” than even those chronologically many years his junior and it is his zest for life and passion for knowledge that keeps him healthy, happy and youthful.

Remember you are as old as you feel, not as old as you look, or as old as you chronologically are. It is in your hands to forever remain a “young” senior citizen.

I will end this piece with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi:

Live as if you are going to die tomorrow

Learn as if you are going to live forever.

It is breathtakingly simple to remain young forever, Dear Reader. It is all in the mind. Forget your chronological age. Spend time in the company of young happy people rather than old fogies. Get a pet dog and enjoy playing with your dog. Rediscover your childlike enthusiasm. Stop reminiscing about the “good old days” and start living it up every day doing whatever you like with zest and passion to learn new things like blogging, exploring the internet, the mysteries of information technology and nurture your creative interests, hobbies.

All you’ve got to do is to have a zest for living and passion for learning.

First thing in the morning, the moment you get up, recite your new art of living motto: “Live as if you are going to die tomorrow, learn as if you are going to live forever!”

All the Best!

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

vikramkarve@sify.com

MARRIED BACHELOR OFFICE WIFE

MATRIMONY – A PARADIGM SHIFT

Short Fiction – A Story about Modern Life

By

VIKRAM KARVE

Married Bachelors are proliferating all around me.

Come, walk around with me in my workplace, and I’ll show you what I mean.

Let’s meet the latest entrant to the Married Bachelors’ Club.

“Congratulations,” I say.

“Thank you, Sir,” says the smart upwardly mobile young man standing before me.

“How was the wedding ?”

“Grand – it was really a fantastic wedding.”

“Honeymoon ?”

“In Seychelles.”

“Wow! Come to our place in the evening. We want to meet your brand new wife,” I say.

“Sir, she hasn’t come.”

“Hasn’t come?”

“She is working in Delhi, Sir.”

“Tell her to quit.”

“Quit her job – why should she quit her job ?” he looks at me as if I have said something blasphemous.

“She can take a year or two off, can’t she? Come on, newly married couples like you must stay together; especially in a beautiful place like this. Now is the time, when you are fresh and young.”

“She’s very career conscious, Sir,” he says proudly, “and this a very vital phase for her – she’s on the verge of a promotion, working on an important project.”

And it was the same for the ambitious high flier go-getter standing in front of me. He too had “heights” to scale.

From a true bachelor he had become a married bachelor.

Just like his brand new wife.

Of course, now that they were endorsed with the hallmark of marriage, both of them, husband and wife, married bachelors, were free to focus their entire efforts on climbing their respective separate career ladders to “success” and fulfill their professional ambitions.

She is married to her job; he is married to his job – and, of course, they are married to each other.

Why do people marry ?

For togetherness and companionship, isn’t it ?

Then why do they stay separately by choice, especially in the formative exciting passionate early years of marriage ?

I just can’t fathom this paradox.

And here is my colleague – a charming lady – a veteran married bachelor.

I prefer to call her a married bachelor rather than married spinster!

If actresses can be called actors, why not refer to spinsters as bachelors.

She’s not the overly ambitious type. She once told me that given a choice she would give up her monotonous backbreaking job.

Then why doesn’t she do what she wants and quit her job ?

Well, she is caught in the EMI trap.

They’ve bought an exclusive penthouse flat in the classiest posh township in the city and a weekend “farmhouse” bungalow in the hills. And they are so busy earning to pay off their backbreaking and never-ending loan EMIs, she grinding herself off here in her office while he is slogging it out at sea.

Far apart, sometimes wonder whether it was all worth it – sacrificing the best years of their lives for material comforts, fearing that life may pass them by and they may become too old and worn out to enjoy the very comforts they sacrificed the best years of their lives for.

And here is a similar tale.

Poor chap. He bought a house in Pune as he loved the place and comfortably settled down with his family.

And then he got transferred and had to move out.

But the family won’t move out. They love the place, and have embellished their adorable abode with such loving care, that they can’t dream of giving it on rent either. They just don’t want to move out of their comfortable existence.

Well, no one likes to leave one’s comfort zone. Certainly not his well settled family.

So the poor man will have to spend the rest of his working life as a married bachelor.

It is difficult and painful.

Once you have tasted and savored the fruits of family life, it is difficult to live alone – you can take my word for it!

Let’s move on to another married bachelor. Just have a look at him – the man with the forlorn look. Why is he a married bachelor?

“Children’s Education,” he says.

“What’s wrong with the schools here ?”

“I don’t want to disturb them. I want them to get the best.”

So husband and wife sacrifice their marital happiness for the sake of their darling children, who owing to their brilliant academic accomplishments are sure to fly off to better pastures, leaving behind the “married bachelors” [the  sacrificing parents] to endure the remains of their marital lives as strangers in their empty nest.

I wonder why these married bachelors prefer to live miserably in self-imposed desolation and loneliness. Will they never experience the warm glow of the “much-married” feeling that comes after years of togetherness and friendship ?

Ah! At last, I see the lovey-dovey couple I’ve been noticing for weeks now – a truly “made for each other” couple!

“Good to see a lovely married couple at the workplace,” I comment.

“Hah! Married couple ?” pipes up the office jester, “Of course both of them are married, but they are not married to each other.”

“What do you mean?” I ask bewildered, “I see them together everywhere. Can’t you see that distinctive togetherness about them that you can see only in happily married spouses ?”

“Oh yes. You can call them spouses – office spouses – office husband and office wife.”

“Office Spouses ?

“Yes, Office Spouse. Workplace mates. Call them what you like. It’s the in thing, you know, especially among ‘married bachelors’ as you call them – to have an office husband or an office wife.”

Married Bachelors. Office Spouses. What’s the world coming to? I’ve had enough – and just imagine, I thought marriage is being together.

Well, it is time for a paradigm shift, isn’t it ?

MATRIMONY – A PARADIGM SHIFT

Short Fiction – A Story about Modern Life

By

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

Appetite for a Stroll

vikramkarve@sify.com

Disease to Please

THE DISEASE TO PLEASE

A Story

By

VIKRAM KARVE

As long as you live your life in such a way that your happiness is dependent upon things you cannot control, you will be a puppet in the hands of external circumstances and entities.

Similarly, if you are obsessed with seeking approval of others and always worried about pleasing others and your actions are guided by what other people would say [The LOK KYA KAHENGE syndrome] it looks like you may be falling victim to The Disease to Please and it is high time you read this Mulla Nasrudin Story.

Mulla Nasrudin and his son were travelling with their donkey.

Nasrudin preferred to walk while his son sat on the donkey.

Soon they passed a group of bystanders, and one of them scoffed, “Look at that selfish boy. The hale-and–hearty young son is riding on the donkey while his poor old father is forced to walk alongside. What disgraceful behaviour? And it is so disrespectful. What a horrible and spoiled child!”

Mulla Nasrudin and his son felt  so embarrassed by these comments that they quickly switched places.

Now Mulla Nasrudin rode on the donkey while his son walked.

Soon they passed another group of people. “Oh, just look at that, what detestable behaviour!” one of them exclaimed pointing to Mulla Nasrudin. “That poor young boy has to walk while his shameless father rides the donkey! That horrible man should be ashamed of himself for the way he is treating his son. What a heartless father! It is appalling!”

Nasrudin was extremely upset to hear this. He wanted to avoid anybody else’s scorn, so decided that both he and his son ride the donkey at the same time and asked his son to sit along with him on the donkey.

As they both rode on the donkey, they passed another group of people. “That man and his son are so cruel,” one bystander said. “Just look at how they are forcing that poor donkey to bear the weight of two people. They have no consideration for the poor mute animal. Cruel merciless scoundrels, that’s what they are!”

Nasrudin heard this and told his son, “I guess the only way we can avoid the criticism of others is to both walk.”

“I suppose you are right,” the son replied.

So they got off the donkey and continued on foot.

But as they passed another group of people, they heard them laughing. “Ha, ha, ha,” the group jeered. “Look at those two fools. They are so stupid that both of them are walking under this scorching hot sun and neither of them is riding the donkey! Have you ever seen such stupid idiots? What morons!”

[In another version of this story, the criticism and comments of people continue, iterating and reiterating, and in the end the exasperated Mulla Nasrudin and his son finally carry the donkey on their heads...!]

So, Dear Reader, the next time you are overcome by the disease to please and feel governed by a desire to seek approval of others for something you want to do, feel like pleasing others to the detriment of your own needs, just remember this Mulla Nasrudin story, listen to your inner voice, seek your own approval, and act accordingly.

Log kya kahenge…? Don’t worry…  Kuch to Log kahenge, logon ka kam hai kehena…

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

Appetite for a Stroll

vikramkarve@sify.com

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT – VON MANSTEIN MATRIX

VON MANSTEIN MATRIX

How to Categorize Human Resources

By

VIKRAM KARVE

Human Resources are the most precious asset of an organisation. Hence, before we try to “manage” Human Resources it may be prudent to classify your employees into suitable categories based on certain attributes.

The Von Manstein Matrix is an excellent paradigm to categorize your organisation’s Human Resources, especially the Executive or Officer level employees.
General Von Manstein identified four types of officers in the German Officer Corps of the army. I think this categorisation applies to employees most organisations even today.

LAZY and STUPID

As per Von Manstein, the first category comprises the lazy, stupid ones. He suggests that they be left alone as they do no harm. Maybe one reason for this is that lazy and stupid people rarely do much active harm. The harm they do is more often based on missing opportunities and stifling the creativity of those who report to them. Sometimes they are the unavoidable “baggage” or “passengers” you have to carry along.
HARD-WORKING and INTELLIGENT
The second category comprises the hard-working, intelligent individuals. These are excellent staff officers who ensure every detail is accurate. The hardworking and intelligent lot make competent administrators and line managers who can take orders from above and deliver the desired results.

HARD-WORKING and STUPID

In the third category are the hard-working, stupid ones. These, hardworking “idiots”, according to Von Manstein, are a nuisance and menace and must be fired at once because they only create irrelevant work for everybody and force everyone around them to perform pointless tasks and are a pain in the neck for everyone around them.

LAZY and INTELLIGENT
And finally there are the lazy, intelligent ones. These select few are suited for the highest office. Laziness stimulates creativity because lazy people are always looking for easier, simpler, and less laborious ways to do things, so they try and innovate. And if a lazy person is also intelligent he or she will certainly be a fantastic and ingenious innovator. Lazy people are also natural delegators so they find it very attractive to let their subordinates get on with their work without interference from above. Lazy, intelligent employees make natural leaders as they focus on the essentials and ignore anything that might make for unnecessary work, whether for themselves or other people. It is the lazy intelligent top managers who indeed make great strategists and leaders.

Dear Reader, now you know how to reach the “top” don’t you?

Why don’t you look around your workplace and confirm the accuracy of the Von Manstein Matrix.

Do comment and let us have your views.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

vikramkarve@sify.com

Appetite for a Stroll

TECHNOLOGY IMPACT ASSESSMENT – An Ethical Perspective

Ethical Dimension of Technology

ETHICS, VALUES, TECHNOLOGY

By

VIKRAM KARVE

The historical derivation of the term technology comes from the Greek word technikos, meaning “of art, skilful, practical” and the portion of the word ology indicates “knowledge of” or a “systematic treatment of.”

Thus the derivation of the term technology is literally “knowledge of the skilful and practical.”

However, this definition is too general to imply how one may predict knowledge of the useful before it exists.

For this reason, let us use a slightly different definition of technology.

We will define technology as the knowledge of the manipulation of nature for human purposes.

This definition retains the notions both of knowledge and practicality (human purposes) but adds the new concept of manipulation of nature.

This implies that all practical or technical skills ultimately derive form alterations of nature.

Technology depends on a base in the natural world but extends the natural world through the phenomenon of manipulation.

Since we want to manipulate nature, the ability to predict what nature will do when manipulated is most useful, indeed imperative.

THE ETHICAL DIMENSION

By very definition, technology manipulates nature for human purposes.

Thus, technology intervenes in the lives of human beings, directly or indirectly, trying to alter behaviours.

Technology, therefore, has an ethical dimension.

The very raison d’etre of technology is human purpose.

What is the fundamental purpose of human life?

Is it to increase standard of living?

Or is it to improve quality of life?

Or is it to enhance satisfaction in life?

All these various aspects can be distilled into a single holistic concept: VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE.

VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE

The value of human life may be defined as the balance or ratio between satisfaction or happiness and pain or suffering.

VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE = HAPPINESS / SUFFERING

In the context of this definition, the ultimate purpose of technology is to enhance the value of human life, with a long-term perspective, by maximization of happiness and satisfaction and a concomitant reduction or minimization of pain and suffering (physical, mental and emotional).

As a generalization, people want a better life. A better life can usually be transcribed as freedom from want, access to and possession of at least some of the nonessentials or luxuries, good health, a reasonable life expectancy, the absence of emotional stress, satisfying human relations (resulting from gratifying work experience), intellectual stimulation, and personally rewarding leisure activities.

NEEDS AND VALUES

Human needs and values change through time as technology advances.

Man tends to accept the fruits of new technology more readily (satisfaction/happiness/comfort) whereas he is reluctant to accept changes in his personal life.

Thus social and cultural changes always lag behind technology causing a mismatch which consequently leads to unhappiness, dissatisfaction, pain and suffering (emotional) and consequent lowering of the value of human life.

A crude but practical way of classifying human values is to divide needs into those that are essentially physiological and those that are psychological. Most new technologies cater to physiological needs by performing dangerous, dirty, or difficult tasks (the 3 D’s) thereby enhancing the value of human life.

As regards psychological needs, an example pertaining to Information Technology (IT) may be in order.

IT caters to two unique categories of psychological needs of humans: Cognitive Needs which refer to the human need for information so as to be ready to act or make decisions that may be required, and Affective Needs which refer to the emotional requirements of human, such as their need to do challenging work, to know their work has value, to feel personally secure, and to be in control.

Undue emphasis on cognitive needs and the neglect of affective needs may cause emotional pain which counterbalances the gains to cognitive needs which may be detrimental to the value of human life as a whole.

CONSEQUENCE OF TECHNOLOGY

In our haste to milk technology for immediate economic advantage we often lose sight of the long-term consequences: the higher order and indirect effects, especially the delayed and unintended effects of technology.

The Sorenson multiple effect network methodology is a useful technique for an analyzing the impact and consequences of technology.

The term malefit is introduced to represent harmful effects and consequences of a technology in contrast with benefit as a useful output.

The consequences of a technology [Effects vs Consequences] may be categorized as:

EFFECTS CONSEQUENCES

(i)      First Order           :         Benefits

(ii)     Second Order        :         Direct Malefits

(iii)    Third Order          :         Indirect Malefits

(iv)     Fourth Order        :         Unintended Malefits

(v)      Fifth Order          :         Delayed Malefits

Such analyses definitely help in assessing the impact of various consequences of a technology on the value of human life in the long-term perspective in holistic manner.

Early identification of factors detrimental to the value of human life may prove useful in technology assessment to reduce mismatches.

We must not lose sight of our basic premise that the cardinal aim of technology is to increase the value of human life by maximising happiness and minimising suffering.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

vikramkarve@sify.com

TECHNOLOGY IMPACT ASSESSMENT – The Ethical Dimension

COGNITION – Another Story

COGNITION – Another Story

A Mulla Nasrudin Story

By

VIKRAM KARVE

 

I am sure you liked the Zen Story on Cognition I posted on my blog yesterday.

 

Here is a Mulla Nasrudin story which exemplifies the concept of Cognition.

 

A foreign scholar and his entourage were passing through town where Mulla Nasrudin lived.

The scholar asked to speak with the town’s most knowledgeable person.

Of course the townsfolk immediately called Mulla Nasrudin.

The foreign savant didn’t speak the local language and Nasrudin didn’t speak the foreign scholar’s language, so the two wise men had to communicate with signs, while the others looked on with fascination.

The foreigner, using a stick, drew a large circle on the sand.

Mulla Nasrudin took the stick and divided the circle into two.

This time the foreigner drew a line perpendicular to the one Nasrudin had drawn and the circle was now split into four quarters.

He motioned to indicate first the three quarters of the circle and then pointed to the remaining quarter.

In response to this Mulla Nasrudin made a swirling motion with the stick on the four quarters.

Then the foreigner made a bowl shape with two hands side by side, palms up, and wiggled his fingers.

Nasrudin responded by cupping his hands palms down and wiggling his fingers.

When the meeting was over, the members of the foreign scientist’s entourage asked him about the great intellectual discussion he had had with Mulla Nasrudin using sign language.

“Mulla Nasrudn is truly a very learned man,” the foreign scholar said, “I told him that the earth was round and he told me that there was the equator in the middle of the earth. I told him that the three quarters of the earth was water and one quarter of it was land. He said that there were undercurrents and winds. I told him that the waters warm up, vaporize and move towards the sky, and in reply to that he said that they cool off and come down as rain.”

The townsfolk too were curious about the intellectual encounter so they gathered around Mulla Nasrudin, who started to explain, “This stranger has real good taste. He said that he wished there was a large round tray of halwa (milk cake). I said that he could only have half of it. He said that the syrup should be made with three parts sugar and one part honey. I agreed and said that they all had to mix well. Next he suggested that we should cook it on blazing fire. To this I added that we should pour crushed nuts on top of the halwa.”

“It was a very rewarding discussion,” said Nasrudin with a glow of self satisfaction, “and I am so proud that I taught the foreign scholar the best recipe for halwa for which he will be grateful to me forever.”

 

Do read the Zen story on Cognition

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/post/2009/09/cognition.htm

 

Dear Reader, any Comments?

VIKRAM KARVE

 

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

 

http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

 

vikramkarve@sify.com

A Married Woman and a Young Detective

THE MARRIED WOMAN AND THE YOUNG DETECTIVE

Fiction Short Story

By

VIKRAM KARVE

A detective always remembers his first case. Let me tell you about mine.

This happened long back – more than thirty years ago – in the 1970s – when Pune was a salubrious pensioners’ paradise – a cosy laid back friendly town where everybody knew everybody.

And let me tell you – at the time of this story – I was not even a full fledged detective – but I was just a rookie part-time amateur self-styled sleuth – studying in college – skylarking in my spare time as a private detective – masquerading as a Private Investigator for my uncle who ran a private detective agency.

Dear Reader, please remember that way back then, in good old days of the 1970s, there were no cell-phones, no PCs, no mobile cameras, handy cams or digital cameras, no modern technology gadgets, not even things like email and the internet that you take for granted today and the only method of investigation was the tried and tested good old physical surveillance where one spent hours and hours patiently shadowing and tailing your target.

“A woman wants her husband watched,” my uncle said giving me a slip of paper with a name and the room number of a well-known hotel in Pune.

“That’s all?” I asked.

“He is a businessman from Mumbai…drives down to Pune very often…at least once a week…sometimes twice…ostensibly in connection with business…but she suspects there is some hanky-panky going on…”

One week later, waiting for the client to arrive at our planned rendezvous, I sat on the balcony of Café Naaz atop Malabar Hill sipping a cup of delicious Chai and enjoying the breathtaking sunset as the Arabian Sea devoured the orange sun followed by spectacular view of the Queen’s Necklace as the lights lit up Marine Drive.

She arrived on the dot at seven and sat opposite me.

I looked at my client.  She was a Beauty, a real beauty, 35…maybe 40… must have been a stunner in her college days…I tried not to stare at her.

“Okay…Tell me,” she said, getting to the point straightaway.

I started reading from my pocket-book, “Thursday morning at ten fifteen he left his hotel room…deposited key at reception telling them that he was going for work would return in the evening…started to drive down in his car towards Deccan…picked up a female who seemed to be waiting for him…she sat next to him…and as they drove off away from the city into the countryside they seemed to be getting amorous…lovey-dovey, you know, a bit of kissing, cuddling…”

“No…No…skip the details…just tell me…is he or isn’t he…?” she interrupted me.

She seemed to be in a hurry. Maybe she was not comfortable being seen sitting with me over here and wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible.

“I think he is having an affair,” I said.

“You think…?”

“Yes…I am pretty sure…”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Well we look for three things – the three key ingredients which are required to have an affair – TIME, INCLINATION and OPPORTUNITY…”

“Time…Inclination…Opportunity…” she repeated looking quite perplexed.

“Well they certainly had the Time…they spent the whole day together in seclusion…and they certainly had the Opportunity…behind the privacy of closed doors in that lonely discreet motel hidden in the back of beyond…and as far as the Inclination part is concerned…well, the way they were behaving…I have no doubt about it….”

A smile broke out on her face.

I was flabbergasted – now tell me dear reader – what would be your reaction if you came to know that your spouse was having an affair – would you just smile…

Suddenly I remembered what my uncle had told me, so I asked the woman, “Do you wish to increase coverage?”

“Coverage…?”

“Photographs…receipts…documentary evidence…round the clock surveillance…full details….” I elaborated.

Of course all this would be handled in a professional manner by my experienced uncle and his agency…maybe he’d take me along as a learning experience.

“I don’t think so…” the woman said.

“No?” I said perplexed, “but you will require all this as evidence to establish that your husband is committing adultery…”

“Husband…? Who said he is my husband…?” she said grinning like a Cheshire cat.

“You said so…to the head of the detective agency…”

“No, I didn’t….I just told him that I wanted a man followed…”

“But we assumed…”

“A good detective shouldn’t assume things, isn’t it…?

“But then why did you want that man followed…?” I asked curious.

“Well that’s my private matter,” she said, “but since I like you, I’ll tell you…It is like this… One day, fifteen years ago, the day I completed my graduation, my parents showed me two photographs…the first photo was of the man you were following…the second photo was of the man who is now my husband.”

The woman paused for a moment, had a sip of water, and continued, “My parents told me to choose one…and I made my choice…but since then…during all these years of my married life… I was always tormented by the thought that I had made the wrong choice….now…thanks to you… I know I made the right choice!”

She took out an envelope from her purse and gave it to me. “Your fee…and there is a bonus for you too for doing such a good job…” she said and then she got up and walked away into the enveloping darkness.

Later when I opened the envelope and saw that the “bonus” was more than the fee, I wondered whether she had two envelopes in her purse, one for each eventuality.

I never forgot the cardinal lesson I learnt from this case – I never assume anything…and now…before I start a new investigation…the first thing I do is to carry out a background check of the client.

THE MARRIED WOMAN AND THE YOUNG DETECTIVE

Fiction Short Story

By

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

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HOW TO REMAIN A BACHELOR FOR LIFE

THE ART OF REMAINING SINGLE

A Story

By

VIKRAM KARVE

There is a beautiful and bright young girl who lives in my neighbourhood. She wants to get married but just can’t seem to find anyone suitable matching her requirements. She is surrounded by so many “eligible” boys, colleagues at work and as her friends, and has “seen” and “rejected” a large number of boys her parents and well-wishers keep lining up for her. None of the boys seems to come up to her perfect standards and high expectations. But she does want to get married.

I wonder whether I should tell her this apocryphal Mulla Nasrudin Teaching story – THE PERFECT WIFE :

Mulla Nasrudin was sitting in a tea shop when a friend came excitedly to speak with him.

“I’m about to get married,” his friend said, “and I’m very excited.”

“Congratulations,” Mulla Nasrudin said, pokerfaced.

“Tell me, Nasrudin, have you ever thought of marriage yourself?” the friend asked Mulla Nasrudin, who had remained a chronic bachelor.

Nasrudin replied, “I did think of getting married. In my youth, in fact, I very much wanted to get married.”

“So, what happened?” the friend asked curious.

“I wanted to find for myself the perfect wife,” Nasrudin said, “so I travelled looking for the perfect wife. I first went to Damascus. There I met a beautiful woman who was gracious, kind, and deeply spiritual, but she had no worldly knowledge. Then I travelled further and went to Isphahan. There I met a woman who as both spiritual and worldly, beautiful in many ways, but we did not communicate well.”

“Then?” the friend asked.

“I kept on searching for the perfect wife and travelled all over the world meeting so many women,” Nasrudin explained.

“And did you find her? Tell me, did you finally find the perfect wife?” the friend asked eagerly.

“Yes,” Nasrudin said, “after travelling all over finally I went to Cairo and there after much searching I found her. She was spiritually deep, graceful, and beautiful in every respect, at home in the world and at home in the realms beyond it. I knew I had found the perfect wife.”

“Then why did you not marry her?” the friend asked excitedly.

“Alas,” said Nasrudin as he shook his head in dismay, “Unfortunately, she was searching for the perfect husband.”

Tell me, Dear Reader, should I tell the beautiful and bright young girl this story now, or should I wait till she perfects the art of remaining single ?

VIKRAM KARVE

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

vikramkarve@sify.com