(KP-11) Why Minorities Unite For a Cause Easily But Majorities Don't
About Sudha Mahalingam, a solo traveler at 70 | Jim Carrey on what it means to be a human being | Marcus Aurelius on how to deal with shameless people with equanimity
Life Lesson
What I have learned this week is that in order to bring about a change, be it of any kind - positive or negative, some people will have to convince others to support the cause, because only some people can not do it alone.
Similarly, to disrupt the harmony too, some people need to convince (or brainwash) others, force their own ideals, because only some people can not do it alone.
When the ‘quality’ of unity in one group exceeds than that of the other group, then the former overpowers even if the former is in the minority because quantity matters less than quality.
We have seen lately how a minority (Taliban) wreaked havoc in Afghanistan.
So, how to bring about that unity among peace-loving, common people?
That is difficult because:
(i) The fact that the minority united because some of them were suppressed and oppressed earlier.
(ii) They had seen such bad times that death or dying for a cause that causing bloodshed and violence can’t be much worse.
On the other hand, we have lived relatively stable and peaceful lives. We’ve not developed the habit of coming together, joining hands for a cause. So when the time comes, it gets difficult for us to unite against evil though marginal force.
So, how to bring about that unity among peace-loving people?
Positive Feel-Good Story
Will you go on a solo trip when you get 70 years old?
Will you go sky diving at the age of 70?
I don’t know about you but I doubt if I would do it.
But this woman Sudha Mahalingam from Bengaluru thinks otherwise. She is 70 years old and says that there is more to life than just a good job, marriage, or kids!
She is 70 years old and says that there is more to life than just a good job, marriage or kids!
She has been traveling solo for the last 25 years and she has done sky diving, deep-sea diving, tracked orangutans in the rainforests of Borneo, and set off on driving expeditions across Russia, Kazakhstan, and Myanmar.
Mahalingam says age is just a number and gender a social construct. She prefers trips that are unplanned without any bookings or an itinerary to follow.
Instead, Mahalingam prefers to “land up” in countries, stay in hostels and learn about a place through fellow travelers and locals. She says that traveling alone as a woman has never stopped her from having fun.
An inspiration!
Book/Podcast/Video Suggestion
I am going to share with you the commencement address Jim Carrey gave to Maharishi International University (MIU)'s class of 2014.
Some people think he is just a comedian, some people think he is a mad man, but I think he is a whole man.
Some key takeaways from the speech are:
life doesn't happen to you, it happens for you.
there's a huge difference between a dog that is going to eat you in your mind and an actual dog that is going to eat you.
you can fail at what you don't want so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.
the effect you have on others is the most valuable currency there is.
My soul is not contained within the limits of my body. My body is contained within the limitlessness of my soul.
How tricky is this (our) ego that it would tempt us with the promised of something we already possess.
Quote/Poem
Marcus Aurelius on how to keep your mental composure and emotional equanimity when people let you down.
Whenever a person’s lack of shame offends you, you should immediately ask yourself, “So is it possible for there to be no shameless people in the world?” It isn’t, and you should therefore stop demanding the impossible. He’s just one of those shameless people who must necessarily exist in the world. You should keep the same thought readily available for when you’re faced with devious and untrustworthy people, and people who are flawed in any way. As soon as you remind yourself that it’s impossible for such people not to exist, you’ll be kinder to each and every one of them. It’s also helpful immediately to consider what virtue nature has granted us human beings to deal with any given offense — gentleness, for instance, to counter discourteous people.
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