Some scholars and economists are now suggesting that current global downturn is happening because there is no new technology around which can survive economy. Since the industrial revolution, mankind has depended upon machines and electronics and indirect way those inventions have helped global economy on move. But since the mobile and internet technologies, we haven’t seen any major invention and lack of new technology, there is no driving force for money to flow around.
In early 1900s, telephone and car industry made a huge impact and they were the first of few technologies that were involved and counted a big part in economy. After that, we have seen electronic chips, television, computers, etc becoming part of our daily life. It’s the new technological development that brings new projects from government, construction for new buildings and sites, skilled worker employments and prosperity in our lives. Currently, we are just seeing upgraded versions of computers, laptops, mobile phones, websites, mp3 players, etc and there is no great product on horizon that can start global economy moving again.
Important projects like robotics, nano-technology, fuel-cell powered vehicles, biotechnology, etc are still in development phase and scientists are not sure when these technology will be available to mass audiences. Until we will not able to see any of these technologies in production line, there are very less chances that global economy will recover.
Friday 30 January 2009
Thursday 29 January 2009
Who are we to judge any person?
We often try to judge other people and make up our mind about them without knowing them personally. Most of the time, people are not bad only time upon them is bad. Therefore, their decisions taken during the bad time makes negative affects on observers or people who are closed to them. Hence, I think, we should not judge any person, and instead we should try to put ourselves at his or her position and see what choices they had when they decided to do something that we cannot justify as a positive decision.
For example, most of us think that Hitler was a bad person. I agree, that he killed so many people and he was one of a main causes to start WWII, but I don’t have any authority or I am not that much knowledgeable to make any judgement. I cannot rely upon the resources that are provided by those who have written history from one point of view and often did not depict that person’s angle. I know that there is no justification for massacre and whatever Hitler did at that time could have been avoided and he could have achieved his goals without being mass murderer but I cannot say that he was a bad person as a whole because I cannot make that decision without going through the same or similar pain he felt and the circumstances on which he chose to do such a big bloodbath. As all these things happened in the distant past, it doesn’t affect us that much in our daily life.
But, when a person close to us, like friend or relative, makes a certain decision because of which we get a lot of pain, we most often make assumptions about that person and his/her personality. We generally ignore to understand their perspectives and we do not put ourselves into their position to see why they have made such a nasty decisions. Even worst than that, if we receive some opinions from third-person on them, we generally believe third-party and we close our mind to think from our friend or relative’s point of view whose decision has caused such a great frustrations. We feel such emotions only when the person is very attached to us and hence we should try to understand him/her and should not make our judgement on what we have seen or what we have heard but on which conditions that person has made such a huge and controversial decision. If we are able to see that point of view, we generally find that he/she may be right and whatever he/she has thought is best for all the people who are involved in the situation.
We will be able to do this only when we put our ego aside and when our mind and character are strong enough to withstand whatever result may come in the future.
For example, most of us think that Hitler was a bad person. I agree, that he killed so many people and he was one of a main causes to start WWII, but I don’t have any authority or I am not that much knowledgeable to make any judgement. I cannot rely upon the resources that are provided by those who have written history from one point of view and often did not depict that person’s angle. I know that there is no justification for massacre and whatever Hitler did at that time could have been avoided and he could have achieved his goals without being mass murderer but I cannot say that he was a bad person as a whole because I cannot make that decision without going through the same or similar pain he felt and the circumstances on which he chose to do such a big bloodbath. As all these things happened in the distant past, it doesn’t affect us that much in our daily life.
But, when a person close to us, like friend or relative, makes a certain decision because of which we get a lot of pain, we most often make assumptions about that person and his/her personality. We generally ignore to understand their perspectives and we do not put ourselves into their position to see why they have made such a nasty decisions. Even worst than that, if we receive some opinions from third-person on them, we generally believe third-party and we close our mind to think from our friend or relative’s point of view whose decision has caused such a great frustrations. We feel such emotions only when the person is very attached to us and hence we should try to understand him/her and should not make our judgement on what we have seen or what we have heard but on which conditions that person has made such a huge and controversial decision. If we are able to see that point of view, we generally find that he/she may be right and whatever he/she has thought is best for all the people who are involved in the situation.
We will be able to do this only when we put our ego aside and when our mind and character are strong enough to withstand whatever result may come in the future.
Wednesday 28 January 2009
Change
We are used to certain things, timings, environment, arrangements, etc in our daily life. By knowingly or unknowingly, our certain acts on certain things depend upon particular sequence and if some part of that sequence changes, we get frustrated. On contrary, some people get bored of routine life at home or at work in few months or in few years.
Only one thing in our life is constant and that is change. Sometimes, these changes are very big and we are not able to take those easily and we take a while to adapt to those transforms. Personally, I like to vary few little things in my daily life on a regular basis. I generally take different route between office and home every few days, try to do experiments with my diet quite often and I am not afraid of trying new hairstyles regularly. But, I am also afraid of few hasty changes in my life and want few things to be the same as they are or at least I should have control over them. But that is not possible in real life. And when these changes happen, I struggle a bit to get used to those. I take these situations positively and try to learn from them.
Most often, the work pattern and work environment frustrates people. I know someone who gets bored and frustrated within few months in the same company. I have been with my current employer for last two and half years. I like the environment here, working style, working hours, etc but I know that if I want to work longer with this company, I have to make certain changes every often in my work style, lunch timings, things I do when I am not busy in work and I need to keep it up with technological updates so that when big change happens in the company I am prepared to adopt that easily.
Most of us like our home and love our life with family members. Hence, we try to avoid moving to new house until it becomes unavoidable, make any changes in living room or in bedroom, paint new colours in house, etc etc. We get attached to all these non-living objects so much and want them to be as they are forever.
Only one thing in our life is constant and that is change. Sometimes, these changes are very big and we are not able to take those easily and we take a while to adapt to those transforms. Personally, I like to vary few little things in my daily life on a regular basis. I generally take different route between office and home every few days, try to do experiments with my diet quite often and I am not afraid of trying new hairstyles regularly. But, I am also afraid of few hasty changes in my life and want few things to be the same as they are or at least I should have control over them. But that is not possible in real life. And when these changes happen, I struggle a bit to get used to those. I take these situations positively and try to learn from them.
Most often, the work pattern and work environment frustrates people. I know someone who gets bored and frustrated within few months in the same company. I have been with my current employer for last two and half years. I like the environment here, working style, working hours, etc but I know that if I want to work longer with this company, I have to make certain changes every often in my work style, lunch timings, things I do when I am not busy in work and I need to keep it up with technological updates so that when big change happens in the company I am prepared to adopt that easily.
Most of us like our home and love our life with family members. Hence, we try to avoid moving to new house until it becomes unavoidable, make any changes in living room or in bedroom, paint new colours in house, etc etc. We get attached to all these non-living objects so much and want them to be as they are forever.
Monday 26 January 2009
Religion as a tool for socialisation
Recently, I had a good talk with a person who often comes to local temple, here in Southampton. He has already been retired from and spends almost every evening at temple. What I noticed about him was that, although he helps a priest a lot for arranging prayers and keeping temple clean and tidy, I never saw him praying to god and just sits around and chats with people.
I was enthusiastic about his opinions about god and wanted to know whether he believes in god or not. So, I asked him whether he believes in god or not. I was expecting negative answer. But, surprisingly, he told me that he does believe in god but doesn’t like to pray or bow his head to god that something typical devotees do. In order to explain this behaviour, he told me that he sees religion, at least Hinduism, as a tool for socialisation. We had a good talk and I grasped few of his views on religion believes.
At the time of when Hinduism was formed, according to him, people were depressed, only self oriented and society as a whole were near collapse. Clever people from that time met to discuss the situation and decided to act together by creating new thing, called a religion. They became Monks (Sadhus) and built temples all around the places. Their aim was to start people getting socialised again and in order to do that people have to travel around and meet new persons. Hence, those monks built temples at the top of mountains, in jungles, near rivers, etc so that when people visit those places for religion purpose they can also see the beauty of nature and learn new culture around those places.
If people understand this way of thinking and take this positively, it may help us again to build the society. Right now, societies, in India and in Britain and in some other parts of the world as well, are collapsing. I believe we are not spending enough time to get socialised anymore and seeing religion places as tools by monks for making money. But, a person doesn’t have to give any money to these places or he has to believe in god in order to go to church or temple. If a person doesn’t believe in god, even he should go to church or temple and try to interact with people, understand culture around religion places, take positive things from priests and give something back to the society either by some volunteering work or by sharing things with others in which he is good at.
I was enthusiastic about his opinions about god and wanted to know whether he believes in god or not. So, I asked him whether he believes in god or not. I was expecting negative answer. But, surprisingly, he told me that he does believe in god but doesn’t like to pray or bow his head to god that something typical devotees do. In order to explain this behaviour, he told me that he sees religion, at least Hinduism, as a tool for socialisation. We had a good talk and I grasped few of his views on religion believes.
At the time of when Hinduism was formed, according to him, people were depressed, only self oriented and society as a whole were near collapse. Clever people from that time met to discuss the situation and decided to act together by creating new thing, called a religion. They became Monks (Sadhus) and built temples all around the places. Their aim was to start people getting socialised again and in order to do that people have to travel around and meet new persons. Hence, those monks built temples at the top of mountains, in jungles, near rivers, etc so that when people visit those places for religion purpose they can also see the beauty of nature and learn new culture around those places.
If people understand this way of thinking and take this positively, it may help us again to build the society. Right now, societies, in India and in Britain and in some other parts of the world as well, are collapsing. I believe we are not spending enough time to get socialised anymore and seeing religion places as tools by monks for making money. But, a person doesn’t have to give any money to these places or he has to believe in god in order to go to church or temple. If a person doesn’t believe in god, even he should go to church or temple and try to interact with people, understand culture around religion places, take positive things from priests and give something back to the society either by some volunteering work or by sharing things with others in which he is good at.
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