Revisiting Ayn Rand - Redefining Life

"You only see, what your eyes want to see." Madonna (From her album "Frozen")

"A thing can affect you only when you are already a part of it." Shankar Narayan Iyer, my classmate at CA Final class

"Every drunkard has an excuse." Kamal, my college mate.

"It is important to be able to forgive oneself" Ketan Panchal, a blogger, whose beats I follow and enjoy

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This World Sucks

This post is not an ode to these people, but my ramblings on this whole world, which sucks big time! Or is it?

Of late, I am having this sense, that people to whom I am recommending the works of Ayn Rand, are becoming far too serious, and forgetting that they had once this ability to appreciate and smile, and be happy. Is she making them, her readers, a bit more fussy about the world we live in?

Accepted there are a billion things about this world, that can be complained about. But, the pertinent question is, are we complaining because what is happening around is wrong, in an absolute sense, or is it because it is wrong, in a relative sense, for we are not comfortable with the happenings around us? Answer to the question is good for your soul, but bad for the ego.

The Metaphor

Right from my school days, I used to write or scribble a whole lot of things in my notebooks, tables, boxes etc, to help me define, understand, and motivate myself. I have been doing these things since I can remember. I have scribbled a lot of words and phrases, which, I affirm, was only for me. To help me direct my thoughts and actions, and to rev me up, to propel forward with a purpose.

When I read Atlas Shrugged for the first (of several) time(s), I was thoroughly impressed, for, I was able to relate more with that piece than any other thing, for that philosophy was something which I was following (or atleast trying to follow) for sometime now. It moved me because I felt the underlying idea was already part of me.

One of my scribblings-cum-ideas, which I have been tinkering with, whose final iteration was "Dare! and Be That Change" was one the things I saw and experienced in "Atlas Shrugged", while "Don't Complain, Be Happy with your Work" was what I felt, as the prominent undercurrent in "The Fountainhead". And in part, it was these ideas also, that endeared these books to me, and made me recommend them to a lot of people.

There are couple of things about Ayn Rand's work, which I strongly feel, is thoroughly misread and misunderstood, which is being highlighted in a very subtle way right throughout her writings.

Purpose

"The most depraved human being is the man without a purpose" so said Francisco D'Anconia in Atlas Shrugged. As to what is that purpose was never said directly, but was conveyed indirectly through her central characters in a crystal clear fashion.

The purpose of life is the most difficult thing to find, so voted thousands of people in a portal I came across (second only to finding "peace of mind"). The same portal also offered an answer to that question. 'Don't look for that purpose, because you won't find it. Create a purpose. You should give a meaning to your life, and not wait for life to give the meaning'

How true! We go about defining the purpose of our life - please note, WE SHOULD DEFINE, and not wait for somebody to define. It is my belief that, we should set the purpose and fix up the targets for our life, rather than somebody else fixing it up for us. I have often come across situations wherein the targets which I have set on myself, I have invariably accomplished it, and with those set by others, and accepted by me (by choice or by force), I have failed miserably.

The other pertinent issue is what could be that purpose? Obviously it is for you to find out all by yourself. But that purpose cannot be - COMPLAINING.

My Own Happiness

"My Own Happiness" is often understood to be selfish, in an absolute sense (though Rand repetitively calls this as "Selfish"). It was a metaphor to highlight the significance of self, which has for long been considered vulgar. It was a strong word used to convey the point. Most importantly, the idea "my own happiness" was never meant to be sadistic pleasure or happiness, that which is found in hurting others.

But funnily, as with any great writings, the metaphor is remembered more than the underlying message. God is remembered from the scriptures more for his mojo, than for his good deeds and words.

Your friendly pat on the back of your friends head will be accepted and admired as "closeness", whereas the same thing done on a stranger will more often result in black eye and bruised body, with stars around your head. A sweet little kiss on your life's other half, in private, may be admired, in public, admonished.

The idea of "my own happiness" was based on an "absolute". In financial terms, I call it as "certainity". We can be certain only about what will make us happy, and not what will make others happy. We know what our expectations are. We can go about seeking that happiness. In trying to seek happiness by impressing others, in trying to meet others' expectations, we might fail, for we may never be certain of what the "others" want of us.

A lesson I learnt during my teens was this - All my actions, cannot appease or make, all the people happy, at all times, in all places. This is so, not just because EACH OF US IS DIFFERENT, but an individual is different in different places. The reverse is also true. All that happens around us, cannot make us happy, at all times, in all places.

Therefore, find happiness in the work we do, in our actions. Don't attach happiness to the reactions to our work or the results of our deeds. And what should be that action or deed?

Our Actions

Both Swami Vivekananda and Ayn Rand advocated our energies to be put to use for a productive purpose. 'You will reach heaven by playing football than by reading Gita' - Swami Vivekananda said to the youth of Bengal more than a century before. The emphasis was, even here, in these words, on the work we do.

All our efforts should be for a productive accomplishment and not for bringing down something that is good. People who have watched "Taare Zameen Par" would have certainly experienced the impact of Aamir's dialogue on Solomon Islands, about a tribe, which for felling a tree, for bringing it down, circle around it, and hurl out abuses on that tree, that it falls down on its own. No axe or machine used, but words, that brought a tree down. Our act of complaining is often like that. When we seek to find negatives in a person, in a deed, the results from that person or that deed is also just that - NEGATIVE, we bring that person, deed and its result DOWN.

And that act of seeking negatives or focussing our attention to those negatives, cannnot be treated as done for "PRODUCTIVE ACCOMPLISHMENT". Therefore, is it completely wrong to find fault? What about constructive criticism? How will you improve if you are not aware of your limitations? You will find your answer, if you read this post, properly and completely (completely?! That's a challenge, I agree).

Independence

Independence is more often (mis)understood with right to do. Independence, is certainly not about simply doing, but rather thinking on my own and doing. It is about not getting influenced by external inputs, without a reason. "Reasoning Mind" (for those who have a reasonable mind) is the idea behind independence.

Very often, an improper understanding of this idea results in people mistaking deeds done in defiance to satisfy the ego to be independence, over those done with proper reasoning. Indpendence or reasoning is not as much in disproving others, as is in proving self. And certainly, "How dare he stop me from doing this? I will do this." is not independence. The idea as communicated by Rand, was more about "unbiased in our thoughts and approach".

The term "reasoning" is also confused with debating or arguing. We should not support an act of ours because WE have done it, but because the act was the right thing to do, in an absolute sense. The first is an argument to protect the ego from getting hurt, than any reasoning mind. The second is all about reasoning. A reasoning mind will admit its mistake when proven, and go about correcting. A reasoning mind, is certainly a 'reasonable' mind.

In Search of Utopia, that Perfection . . . .

Utopia is a theory, the ideal. Ideal to whom? Definition of Utopia, the perfect world is, subjective.

Perfection as an idea, is not an end and therefore, not absolute, always. It is a journey, an emotion, an experience, and therefore relative. It means different things to different people. It means different things to the same people at different times.

On a personal front, I never found Aishwarya Rai to be as perfect or as attractive as she is portrayed to be. To me she was extemely cold, lacked sensuousnes and therefore unattractive (I can already see a billion shoes and pink chaddis coming my way). I found Nafisa Ali, Nandita Das, Monica Bellucci and a few others to be far more attractive and gorgeous than her (any roses?). (On a different note, I found Mandira Bedi beautiful, and an epitome of perfection - well that was till she opened her mouth!)

On similar lines, I find cricket to be the "Perfect" team sport, over football, for cricket, to me was much closer to life, as it was a sport involving lots of brains, plan, skills, patience, interaction etc. But football, to me, was more about skills alone. (I am telling this at the cost of losing respect and love of a few people who would swear by football, and knowing well that, the next time they meet me, they will have only swear words for me.)

Does it mean that I am correct, and others wrong? No, for my idea of perfection is slightly different from others, for we are different. Can there be any issue or tiff over this "Perfection"? No, if we understand that our tastes, expectations etc. are different. There will be an issue, and scope for ill feelings, if we try to impose our taste and likings on others by use of force, rather than reasoning. Even persistent reasoning will result in a tiff, as each one is entitled to his own opinion.

God - Where is he / she? Whom did he/she believe in?

God, as the supreme being, to me, in my life, is as important as President of Rwanda or husband of Prathiba Patil - irrelevant (who is that Prathiba Patil?!). I don't believe in the magical part of God - his ability to change the complexion of the world in one stroke, through the magic wand of his. I don't believe in the immortal complexion of the physically defined God. For even in the scriptures such as Mahabharat and Ramayan, where Krishna and Ram are Gods, are portrayed as mortals. The entire text speaks about how powerful they were, how gullible they were, how human they were, how good they were and how influential they were.

But, we have forgotten the mortal part of those text, by choice, and remember the metaphor explaining their power and influence. I don't believe such God, the metaphor, can do anything to me, except inspire, like scores have done before, and scores will do later.

For, I believe, that my efforts alone will yield results, and therefore, when there is a good result, I can rejoice on the fact that it is my efforts, and therefore no one can take credit. In the same vein, if there is a bad result, I know that I have no one to blame, except me.

I do believe in God, the way, Swami Vivekananda and my all time favourite actor, Kamal Hassan, identified. God is in goodness. God is within, and divinity resides within all things.

But can we consider those who visit temples to worship the God there as immature or lacking in self-belief? No, like each of us have a reason, we also have a choice. And it is not that there is only one correct choice. Anything done, which, in principle and object, is done without an intention to harm anyone, is good.

I do visit temples, more for the reason offered by Balaji, than expecting any magical stuff to me or my life.

Temple is one place, where people do not think of bad things. They pray for good things to happen to them. They don't pray for bad things to happen to others. The vibes are good, for goodness in people is reflected in abundance in that place. There is peace. There is happiness. And I enjoy watching that, experiencing that. The same experience which I get when watching sportsmen, students and other people exhibiting that brilliance and goodness in their work.

Now, why am I discussing God in this post? The idea of God, also happens to contribute to the problem I am discussing.

The Real Problem = Moral Superiority?

The problem is not as much in our view that the world is not perfect and therefore it sucks, as much as it is in our belief that, our idea of perfection is THE idea, and ours is THE right approach, and we represent THE ideal. This arrogance, is a result of a mistaken sense of moral superiority over others. Like the theists have over atheists. Like atheists have over theists. Like the city bred has over villager and vice versa. Like the westerner has over an easterner. Like the Indian Culture Protector has over the Western adovacates of Free Love.

Moral superiority due to a skewed sense of righteousness, based on an unreasonable expectation and lacking on understanding is THE reason for the great discovery that this WORLD SUCKS. For it is that sense, that prods to find fault with others, and makes us believe that what is not in alignment with our thoughts and beliefs, is not correct, and therefore immoral, faulty et al.

The simple truth that "EACH OF US IS DIFFERENT" is best forgotten when finding fault with others, and best remembered when somebody points a finger at us. This reminds me of the same old sms I received - "In case of mistakes - with others, we seek judgement; with self, we seek compromise".

A Guilty Mind . . .

Another reason for to forget that happiness this world offers is the sense of guilt. Having committed something that should not be. Having conducted in a way, that is deplorable. Having said something that should not have been. Having thought about something, which is against basic human nature. More often, atleast in my case, more than the baseless arrogance of being morally and ethically superior, this sense of guilt had robbed me of my happiness. Despite the fact that Atlas Shrugged considers the guiltless man also as flawless, I was certainly not able to let my mind free of its scars of the past.

Though I promise myself that I should be able to forgive self, I keep forgetting that, and still try and seek redemption. As with any way of life, for seeking redemption, it is certainly important to be able to forgive self. (In the course, also learn to forgive others)

Beautiful Things

Life is beautiful, so is this world, so are people (and I am not speaking about Aiswarya Rai or Dia Mirza or about Monica Bellucci or Nafisa Ali). Lets not go about finding an excuse to complain, lets find an reason to admire and live.

Lets Complain, but ...

If you have a reason to complain about a thing, check whether the thing is really and absolutely wrong, or whether it is simply another way of life, which you are not comfortable with or not aware of. If it is really, truly and absolutely wrong, please go ahead and complain, but ensure that you have a solution to offer. And please don't offer that solution, unless you are willling to go about taking that corrective action all by yourself.

Thinking Beyond the Metaphor

The two of Ayn Rand's characters "Howard Roark" and "John Galt", reflect in more ways than one, this idea. Roark does not complain, generally. He goes about doing his work, irrespective of what happens around him, or to him, without compromise, cheerfully and happily. He seeks happiness in the work he does. His Own Happiness. John Galt does find a reason to complain, but he does not end there. He has a solution and goes about implementing that, to protect the goodness in human.

Her novels, I believe, and her portrayal of her characters with extreme complexion, is a metaphor, with the underlying message being to define what is absolutely right, and what is absolutely wrong, an idea that is required for us to really appreciate the direction to move forward. It was not to give us that moral superiority, that "I KNOW IT ALL" and "I AM THE ONLY ONE CORRECT" attitude to carry ourself, or find yet another excuse to, well, blame or complain about this world.

The Challenge

Somebody once told me that marriage is all about compromise and sacrifice, and that is life. But is it? That life is what I call existing.

The biggest challenge in life, is not as much in accomplishing bigger things, or creating huger monuments, or discovering new frontiers or inventing fantabulous gadgets; but it is in LIVING. And to me, living is not mere breathing, existing and otherwise complaining, but rather, is about understanding, admiring, appreciating, loving, caring, improving, among other things, the world we live in, the people we are part of.

Any relationship based on sacrifice or compromise cannot succeed. To succeed it should be based on understanding, for relationship is about companionship. What is life without interaction with fellow humans. We are not 'independent' machines connected by wires and pipes and rods and cement, wherein the idea of 'understanding' is as important as physical-cum-magical-God is to me.

We are humans, therefore inter-dependent, therefore need to develop a relationship and therefore we need to interact. And there cannot be any meaningful interaction without a proper understanding of others. Any relationship based on compromise and sacrifice, alone, is akin to the one waiting to be flushed out in that plumbing fixture in the washroom of yours. Understanding self as well as others, is part of life - that bigger challenge.

Finding the drunkard within

Like every drunkard has an excuse for his habit, let us find one (not for gulping down a few glasses), but for living - loving, appreciating, admiring etc.

Everything, that is not to our liking, is not bad or immoral. Some are, I admit. Many aren't, please don't deny. And it is our loathing for this "many", that kills the life we live, and blunts happiness.

I hope you see my point and find a reason to live, for there is only one life, Lets live it King Size. Cheerfully, Happily, Peacefully.

But then I cannot force your will, to see the way I see.

For you only see, what your eyes want to see.

(PS 1: Is it a copyright violation to use Madonna's words? I know she is a bit finnicky about these things. Others, I don't exactly worry, for I have a 'reason' to collect some advertising charges from them!)

(PS 2: My friend tells me that the reason for gulping down couple of 'pegs' is those pegs, why find any other excuse. Objectivsm, eh?)

(PS 3: PS is not equivalent to Play Station)