Often it is difficult to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong. Many of the things I consider right may be bad for others. Similarly many things others consider right may be incorrect for me. In such cases, ethical regulations come to our aid to take the correct perspective. But nowadays even they take sides. Or even another side is added through interpretations. Practicality or pragmatism wins most of the time in choosing between the right and the wrong.
A rich dad decided to teach his son a lesson on poverty. He took his son to a village where inferior people lived. They stayed with a family for a day and night. On their way home, the dad asked his son, “Don’t you understand what poverty is?” The answer was a nod of agreement.
“We have a dog at home. But they have four of them. We have only one pond and they have rivers. We have hanging lamps to illuminate our home; they have the stars to illuminate the night. We buy food and eat, but they make what they want. We are protected by walls. But they are not even afraid.”
He paused and continued. “Now I understand what poverty is; and who is poor.” We are the poor!” Hearing this, the dad got angry and hit his son on the head and said: “You fool, what you said is true.” But what needs to be understood is practicality.”
We can look at things and interpret them as we like. But we will accept only what we like. That is what happens everywhere on earth. Everyone believes in and accepts only what he or she likes. Since the truth is on the other side and I have neither the will nor the mind to believe it; I believe what I am willing to believe as truth. That is what is happening. The truth, after going around many people, gets twisted and becomes false. Finally, practicality or pragmatism wins.
One, after having shut his eyes tightly during that time, can argue that it is night. But his friends can say, ‘Open your eyes first and make the comment’. His reply was stronger, ‘That’s my personal preference. All I see now is darkness. This is the reality for me’.
It will be very difficult to live here on this earth if everyone behaves like this. We are lucky, there are not many like them. Only one person can be described as a soulmate. It should not be more than that. If you have more than one, everything will fall apart. We may have three or four close friends. There may be 10 or 20 people whom we know. There may be hardly 20 to 40 people with a hai-bye relationship.
About 8.1 billion is the population of the Earth at the moment. A billion is nine zeros added to one. How limited are my acquaintances on land inhabited by more than seven times that number? If everyone believes only in pragmatism, life will not be that easy.
This article is a translation from the Malayalam book ‘Ottachirakulla Malakha‘(One Winged Angel) written by G. Kadooparayil