Values & Beliefs

Values  & Beliefs .... seem very close , but I think distinction exists , however thin  . My understanding is that,  Values are kind of guidelines one has ( a self understood sense of Right , Wrong ) , whereas beliefs are what we believe as true ( valid for us ) like convictions . In a way values also have to be beliefs ( convictions ) though they go beyond being ( mere ) beliefs & actually guide or channel our behaviour -- it's a ' fall back ' mechanism of our conscience .

I tend to use analogies as they help clarity on a point . If I can take analogy here from science ; Values to me are ' Vectors ' ( which have a sense of direction ) & beliefs are like ' Scalers ' ; both may have the same weight ( quantum ) , but  'Values'  in addition have direction .

If we take values as guidelines & not as virtues ( good / bad ) , in that sense , I suppose everyone -- including a criminal or a politician -- has ' Values '

A linked in debate on woman’s dress with rape on India Leadership Network

YCS posting on July 23 , 2012 to a much worn out stereotypical debate on ‘ freedom of dressing ‘ … missing the core issue of saving the victim 

Background : There were huge number of posting on this ' not new anymore ' topic of whether how a woman dresses , encourages a rapist  . Sadly most of the postings as always indulged into theoretical intellectual debate on a woman's freedom to choose how to dress -- which is very inconsequential since it doesn't help a woman caught in the ' circumstance '  .  While such debate is taken as a showcase of ' intellectual prowess' of the ' poster '  it misses the core issue of how to help the victim . Hence felt need to set the perspective .

Yatin Samant • Are we missing the point ... it's not about an intellectual paper discussion on what is right / wrong or what is legal & legitimate ... the core point is to protect a woman's right , dignity & security .
While it's true that it should be in individual's ( here woman's ) right to choose the dressing & no body else's business & while it may also be true that it's more to do with a criminal's mind than a woman's dressing ; to me that's not the point --- at least not enough . For a woman in distress situation it's not as much about upholding freedom of choice as much it's about saving her life & dignity . Please empathise with the victim , what she needs to do to escape from the situation / save herself or better still way to prevent one . If the core issue is about debate on protecting a woman's right to dress .... carrying with her a law book & letters from many of us endorsing her right to dress should be enough for the victim forced into a situation to save herself to just overwhelm the criminal by showing him these documentary evidence .... if that helps her to escape , all this predictably theoretical intellectual debate is worthwhile ... it's not , if that does not help .
Bringing in an attitudinal change is a solution in the right direction .... but that will not happen overnight .... what should possible unsuspecting victim do in the meanwhile , how does she take care of herself , is to my mind , a more relevant discussion .
Transforming criminal when faced with one , is an uphill task for a victim .... however what one can possibly do to save herself in a situation or better still is there anything a woman can do to avoid situation / minimise chances , we should think of that ... well if there is nothing that one can do ( & left entirely to the criminal to decide whether he wants to rape ) , there is no debate -- we'd need to depend on one's luck .
It's in this context choice of dress , location , time may come into picture , if one at all has a choice there .
Take an analogy : While in a civilised society with established law enforcement machinery , it's logical to argue that whether I lock my house while going out or do not lock the door or even keep my door open .... should be my legitimate , democratic right .... it's not for the criminal or even my neighbour to ask me to lock my door . One can also argue that it's more to do with the criminal tendency of a robber that my keeping door unlocked , which has to do with the crime of robbery ....well then , how many of us go out with our minds & doors open at the same time .... most don't , makes sense that while me keeping door open is no reason for a robber to come & take away my belongings , I take ' adequate precaution ' that at least I do not make it any easy for the robber to choose my house.
It's in this context of learning from this analogy that it may make sense to a woman to be conscious of risks of her ( free ) choice of dress , location , time .... not for us to have a theoretical exercise on debating what she should do . Of course a woman should have her right to choose .... my only submission is that in her own interest she does so with her eyes wide open .... sense & weigh risks associated with whatever she chooses & be equipped to handle that , because caught in a circumstances a debate with the criminal may not help , only the woman has to take control of her life !

OneWorld: Thought-Counterthought : Political event v/s socia...

OneWorld: Thought-Counterthought : Political event v/s socia...: A couple of news items in past week caught my eye on some inherent contradiction , thought of sharing this with you : 1) Cricket with Pak...

Thought-Counterthought : Political event v/s social impact

A couple of news items in past week caught my eye on some inherent contradiction , thought of sharing this with you :

1) Cricket with Pakistan 
Prima facie seems innocuous & constructive step , though essentially propped up more by political considerations than sporting urge . Hence some voices of dissent including that of Sunil Gavaskar appear discordant
Counter thought : 
If all events / relations with Pakistan were suspended after the 26/11 .... wondering , are we doing this ' restoration ' of relationship because we feel that the reasons for our suspension been conclusively addressed or are we doing it out of a realisation that the suspension that time itself was wrong ?
If suspension of relationship was to bring the Terrorist state to mend its ways .... bring the culprits to book ... has that happened now or do we ( as always ) naively believe that restoration of cricket ties will get the Terrorist state to handover the culprits to us .... or is it ( as always ) an impotent surrender of the Victim state to the Terrorist state ? 
For those who advocate separation of sports & terrorism , take an analogy  : 
If you belong to a family which has suffered life & wealth losses due to repeated attacks  by a rough family with  malicious intent , you are fighting for justice through ' proper ' channels but the rough family has not been brought to books . Now suddenly you receive a marriage proposal from a boy form the rough family for your daughter ..... would you be dispassionate enough to take a call on the proposal quite independent of the pending justice on the murders committed by the rough family
If your answer is a ' NO ' in the interest of our family & pride ; why would we want our Nation to lose its right to justice & pride ?

2) Muslim convention by a political party
Another political event prompted by state elections which are drawing closer .
There is nothing wrong with organising any such convention , if your intent is constructive & genuine to help any such community ; I'd greatly respect such an initiative .
However the problem is the intent ..... first of all there never has been any ( constructive ) content behind any such initiative ..... certain religious community have only been exploited as Vote Banks under ' minority ' politics by communal politicians ..... without doing any visible , progressive work for the community .
It's sad that communities whose only galvanisation is by the name of the religion , have blindly allowed to be exploited .
That the intent is facile is clear , since it did not happen in last 4 years , but at time , closer to the election ; it is also malicious , only to polarise society along religious lines ..... if this is not the case & if the objective is to mobilise different communities to understand issues to take up for resolution  & if  you really wanted to do something for the depressed classes ...... why does this political party or any other party not call for a Women's convention ..... if at all , in our country , more than any caste , religion ; women is the most exploited section of our society
Counter thought 
I believe , in the convention , Leader of the party ' promised ' that a certain % of  candidates will be from the community -- great idea ! ..... along the same lines & with the ' genuine ' intent of  uplifting the exploited classes ; how about the party announcing close to 50 % tickets in the election to women ?
I'd be a staunch supporter of such a progressive move  !

OneWorld: Body v/s Soul

OneWorld: Body v/s Soul: This story is about pre -war ( Mahabharat ) preparations . Both Duryodhan & Arjun approached Lord Krishna for his help in impending war . ...

Body v/s Soul

This story is about pre -war ( Mahabharat ) preparations .
Both Duryodhan & Arjun approached Lord Krishna for his help in impending war . Krishna said , since you both have approached me at the same time I need to help both . You have a choice between me & my army ; Duryodhan was given the 1st chance ; he went for numbers , he asked for Krishna's army , consequently Arjun was happy getting Krishna on Pandava's side .
It turned out to be the crucial choice between Body ( bodies ) & Soul .... the rest was History as the cliche goes .
Don't most of us , most times , behave like Duryodhan ? largely in the material world , groping mostly on the surface . We are so engulfed & enamoured by the materialistic satiations that we hardly have the time & importantly the awareness to seek depth in life , to take a profound , long term view of life , to search for our Soul , which is lost in the chaos of the mundane ! The lack of depth makes us so superficial , that our smiles have become mechanical , we count love by gifts & take money for affection --- where relationships are turned into a set of cost/benefit transactions .
Well if we don't like what we read here , there is still hope -- It means that while we may be lost , we are still alive !
 All that is needed is ' Awareness ' of what we want v/s what we are doing , what is real v/s what is facile .... in real term it's ' Soul searching ' ; the rest will fall in place .