The Good and the Bad at the moment!
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Deccan Herald
The Search Portion of these blogs should be made well. I begin well with an apt article from Deccan herald.
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE
In search of ‘I’
Trying to understand the various facets of one’s personality can lead one to self-realisation
BY LEELA RAMASWAMY
Have you ever caught sight of yourself in a mirror suddenly and found the figure staring back at you rather unfamiliar? Or looked at a photograph and felt it didn’t look like you at all? Such experiences are common enough, but we generally brush them aside to get on with the things we feel are more important. However, if we care to pause and reflect, we would come face to face with a rather uncomfortable fact. Though we all live in our bodies all the time, none of us know who we really are.
A story concerning a philosopher illustrates this very well. He was walking along with his head bent in thought, when he dashed headlong into a man hurrying from the opposite direction. Annoyed, the man demanded, “Who are you?” The philosopher, who was cogitating that very question, merely gazed at him and said, “I wish I knew! I wish I knew!”
Psychologists tell us that within each of us reside at least four personalities — the person you are, the person you think you are, the person others see and the person you want to be! Playing out these different roles is like living with different people, all wanting different things. They are often at war amongst themselves, threatening as well as encouraging, belittling and also supporting. Little wonder that the word ‘personality’ is so difficult to define and is better understood than explained.
This phenomenon has supplied much grist to the literary mill. The great writer, Robert Louis Stevenson, was perhaps the first to make an unforgettable use of it. His book ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ was modelled on a real-life character, William Brodie, who was a well-respected city councillor by day and a vicious thief by night. So great was the impact of this character on the readers, that the term ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ has become a byword for an individual with a split personality. More recently, and on a similar theme, a book titled, ‘The Three Faces of Eve’ was published and became a best-seller.
Admittedly, the question ‘Who am I?’ is intriguing and allows no easy answers. The renowned sage of Tiruvannamalai, Ramana Maharishi, has pointed out that meditating on this question can lead you to self-realisation and give you peace of mind. The task is a difficult but rewarding one. Introspection helps to clarify your relationship not only with yourself but with others too.
An incident that happened recently to me provides telling proof. At considerable cost to herself, my friend Padma went out of her way to help me out of a difficult situation. When I went to thank her, all she said was, “Think nothing of it, Leela. I consider you my other self!” When I took leave of her, this was the thought uppermost in my mind — who you are is best revealed by what you do for others as well as to others.
PICTURE:
A good picture with the blog would be fantastic.
MOOD:
next week meet me at want to share
- Ah. It is Friday.
- I can very well enjoy the next two days.
- I have a purse in my right pant pocket.
- It is new.
- It is presented by my sister-in-law at Chennai.
- She has sent it through my wife with a 100 rupee note in it.
- Earlier I was carrying a better purse - presented by my sister-in-law. I think I was having it for some two to three years. Only thing was the cloth lining where I keep changes has torn.
- Jokingly I used to tell my wife - I need a purse - and I will get it from my sister-in-law.
- And lo....it is here with me.
- For some time....I think I will not spend the 100 rupee note inside that.
- I have a five rupee note in that purse given by my wife -which she got from swami mami - that also I will not be spending for some time.
- What to do with the old purse?
- Will I keep some money in store - reserve money.
- Let me think about it.
- There were some pictures in the old purse.
- Mostly gods - muruga, annai.....I let it remain there only.
- There was also a Rajinikanth picture in that.
- Let it remain there.
- Wife was eager to transfer the pictures there.
- I declined.
- Wife may feel bad about it.
SEARCH: Deccan Herald
The Search Portion of these blogs should be made well. I begin well with an apt article from Deccan herald.
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE
In search of ‘I’
Trying to understand the various facets of one’s personality can lead one to self-realisation
BY LEELA RAMASWAMY
Have you ever caught sight of yourself in a mirror suddenly and found the figure staring back at you rather unfamiliar? Or looked at a photograph and felt it didn’t look like you at all? Such experiences are common enough, but we generally brush them aside to get on with the things we feel are more important. However, if we care to pause and reflect, we would come face to face with a rather uncomfortable fact. Though we all live in our bodies all the time, none of us know who we really are.
A story concerning a philosopher illustrates this very well. He was walking along with his head bent in thought, when he dashed headlong into a man hurrying from the opposite direction. Annoyed, the man demanded, “Who are you?” The philosopher, who was cogitating that very question, merely gazed at him and said, “I wish I knew! I wish I knew!”
Psychologists tell us that within each of us reside at least four personalities — the person you are, the person you think you are, the person others see and the person you want to be! Playing out these different roles is like living with different people, all wanting different things. They are often at war amongst themselves, threatening as well as encouraging, belittling and also supporting. Little wonder that the word ‘personality’ is so difficult to define and is better understood than explained.
This phenomenon has supplied much grist to the literary mill. The great writer, Robert Louis Stevenson, was perhaps the first to make an unforgettable use of it. His book ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ was modelled on a real-life character, William Brodie, who was a well-respected city councillor by day and a vicious thief by night. So great was the impact of this character on the readers, that the term ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ has become a byword for an individual with a split personality. More recently, and on a similar theme, a book titled, ‘The Three Faces of Eve’ was published and became a best-seller.
Admittedly, the question ‘Who am I?’ is intriguing and allows no easy answers. The renowned sage of Tiruvannamalai, Ramana Maharishi, has pointed out that meditating on this question can lead you to self-realisation and give you peace of mind. The task is a difficult but rewarding one. Introspection helps to clarify your relationship not only with yourself but with others too.
An incident that happened recently to me provides telling proof. At considerable cost to herself, my friend Padma went out of her way to help me out of a difficult situation. When I went to thank her, all she said was, “Think nothing of it, Leela. I consider you my other self!” When I took leave of her, this was the thought uppermost in my mind — who you are is best revealed by what you do for others as well as to others.
PICTURE: A good picture with the blog would be fantastic.
MOOD:next week meet me at want to share
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