Abhijit Naskar's Blog - Posts Tagged "character-building"

I am not a writer, writers have limits,
I have none, I only have responsibility,
The responsibility to unite the world,
The responsibility to humanize humanity.
We are setting out on this journey,
With the awareness of being responsible,
For responsibility makes one honorable,
Honor makes one responsible.
Fervor of honor is beginning to fade,
From the fabric of society and self.
It is definitely no sign of progress,
In fact it is a sign of utter decadence.
Honor is, in truth, another name for character.
With the demise of honor all good will disappear.

Ripped jeans and twenty dollar shirt,
That’s how we’ll change the world.
It is okay if your outside is dirty,
Make sure your heart is without dirt.
Too many people wear suits and boots,
In order to cover up the filth within.
Those who have their character intact,
Care not whether their clothes are shinin’.
The world needs purpose, integrity, honor,
None of which is predicated on clothes.
Those who think clothes make the person,
Will never discover any of the civilized roads.
Heart makes the person, heart makes the world.
A world without dirt comes from a heart without dirt.

Competition is for horses,
Education is for the human.
Either education or competition,
You can have only one.
Education ought to build character,
Not to raise snobs hooked on cash.
Love is needed, kindness is needed,
It won't come by raising tribal trash.
Cash-building education is uneducation,
For it only sustains self-absorption.
Character-building education is ascension,
For it paves the way for true civilization.
One can be educated yet a filthy savage.
True sign of education lies in selflessness.

Hard as steel and soft as flower,
That's the motto for a civilized human.
Tough as thunder, sweet as honey,
That's the motto for a braveheart human.
Not too much unguided sentiments,
Not too much intellectual coldness,
To give either of them total slack,
Is to bring destruction and lifelessness.
Corazón primero, después dinero,*
Thus speaks the human of revolution.
Humanidad primero, después verdad,**
That's the motto for the being of evolution.
Strength, warmth ‘n reason, all are needed.
And all are to be guided by oneness uncorrupted.


(*Heart first, money later. **Humanity first, truth later.)

You don't know love, till you've known heartbreak,
You won't know sight, till you've known blindness.
You don't know courage, till you've felt helpless,
You won't know light, till you've been in darkness.
Darkest clouds herald the brightest sunshine,
Direst circumstances make the bravest of character.
Heavier the rainfall, more breathtaking the rainbow,
Steeper the hill to climb, sweeter the summit vista.
Once your back is against the wall, only way is through,
You won't know integrity, till you are left in pieces.
Lose all identity, only then you'll know to be human,
You won't know wholeness, till you've felt nothingness.
More ominous the night, more spectacular the daybreak.
Till we're wiped out for a purpose, there’s no upliftment.

Age doesn’t make you wise, curiosity does.
Intellect doesn’t make you curious, growth does.
Experience doesn’t make you grow, expansion does.
Travel doesn’t make you expand, self-correction does.
Cynicism doesn’t help correction, awareness does.
Books don’t make you aware, accountability does.
Law cannot make you accountable, humanity does.
Appearance doesn’t make you human, acceptance does.
Wokeness doesn’t make you accepting, character does.
Clothes don’t make character, conduct does.
Etiquettes don’t define conduct, goodness does.
Tradition doesn’t make you good, oneness does.
Oneness is the mother of all civilized behavior.
Without oneness we’re ever headed for disaster.

Character, I say, is no commodity,
To be traded in for luxury.
Integrity, I say, is no commodity,
To be traded in for security,
Virtues, I say, are no commodity,
To be traded in for applause.
Values, I say, are no commodity,
To be traded in for comfort.
Warmth, I say, is no commodity,
To be traded in for image.
Humility, I say, is no commodity,
To be traded in for respect.
A life without honor, I say,
Is a life totally gone astray.

From error to error, we’ll correct our errors.
From failure to failure, we shall rise high.
From despair to despair, our fears disappear.
From scar to scar, our heart learns to fly.
From one jinx to another, we become destiny.
From darkness to darkness, we become light.
One wound to another, we become the cure.
From one loss to another, we understand life.
Dust bite after dust bite, all dust become ointment.
One lost road after another, we draw a new map.
Teardrops upon teardrops, all tears turn elixir.
One screw-up after another, we learn to grow up.
One heartbreak to another, we become the healer.
Bearing crisis upon crisis, we shall rise as creator.

“Freedom of religion can exist only,
Where there is religion of freedom.
Freedom of love can exist only,
Where there is love of freedom.

Freedom of choice can exist only,
Where there is choice of freedom.
Freedom of being can exist only,
Where there are beings of freedom.”

“If the bible comes and peddles phobia,
I’ll burn such bible to ashes.
If the koran comes and peddles violence,
I’ll tear up such koran to pieces.

If the vedas come and peddle superstition,
I’ll crush such filth to pulp with my foot.
If the constitution comes and peddles war,
As concerned parent I’ll grab their makers,
And spank out all their dormant good.

Even if some two-bit God comes,
And peddles division,
I’ll divide him so many times,
Even to his apostles,
He’ll bear no recognition.

And a little word of advise to those,
Priming their guns, swords and tridents.
When a volcano erupts,
Insects are supposed to run,
Not hide behind bows, arrows and bibles.

Brain is mightier than bullets,
Heart is mightier than the homunculus.
When a 3 pound brain falls on bigoted bugs,
There is no running, only burning to cinders.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Canım Sana İhtiyacım: Amor Apocalypse

Arrogance has its purpose, but first you gotta learn how to use it, so that it’s a force for good, rather than a primeval tendency of self-aggrandizing.

Let me tell you a story. I was traveling to deliver a talk. The driver friend picked me up at the airport and dropped me at a fancy hotel booked by the organizers. At the reception before me there was an elderly couple. From what I gathered, their daughter had booked a room for them, but they were having a little difficulty communicating it.

I could sense that the hotel people at the desk didn’t take them seriously to begin with, probably because they weren’t dressed fancy. I kept quiet.

Finally the elderly man and woman gave up. They lowered their heads in disappointment and turned around to walk out without checking in. And just as their backs were turned, I heard one of the receptionists make the remark, “village idiots!”

That’s it – I lost my cool! In that situation, at that moment, I felt as if my own parents were being treated like that.

I held the elderly gentleman by the wrist, marched up to the desk, and spoke.

“You think you are so fancy, don’t you – working at a fancy place in your fancy clothes and phony etiquette – so much so that you forgot to treat people like people!

You ridicule them because they don’t speak English.

Well, in that case, I speak more languages than you can count – then how should I treat you – you pathetic little tribal jerks!

It’s not enough to wear clean clothes, go home and wash your heart with some soap. Despite all that cologne, you stink!

You can manage a hotel, you can manage a business, but you don’t manage people, you treat them like family.”

I would’ve went on and on, but the elderly person stopped me. Don’t know whether the people at the reception realized their mistake, but by the look on their face they sure did feel small.

A moment later with a tinge of remorse and utter humility in voice, the other receptionist spoke. She apologized to the couple in their native tongue and finally helped them check in, without any miscommunication or frustration.