Abhijit Naskar's Blog - Posts Tagged "kind-hearted"
Role of Arrogance | The Peace Testament
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.
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.
Amantes Assemble Sonnet 56
Don’t look for someone you can talk sense with,
Find someone with whom you can talk nonsense.
Call it friendship, call it love, call it whatever,
Role of a companion isn’t sensibility but acceptance.
That’s why I walk around in shabby clothes,
That’s how I get to know about people’s true nature.
Everybody likes to butter up those in suits,
Those who smile at the people with nothing,
are the ones with real substance of character.
If you wanna find out who your enemies are,
Walk fancy and wait for the butter to pour in.
If you wanna find out the humans amongst the leeches,
Walk like a vagabond with your shirt not tucked in.
Be cautious of those who applaud your accomplishment.
And never lose those who walk by you in hopelessness.
Find someone with whom you can talk nonsense.
Call it friendship, call it love, call it whatever,
Role of a companion isn’t sensibility but acceptance.
That’s why I walk around in shabby clothes,
That’s how I get to know about people’s true nature.
Everybody likes to butter up those in suits,
Those who smile at the people with nothing,
are the ones with real substance of character.
If you wanna find out who your enemies are,
Walk fancy and wait for the butter to pour in.
If you wanna find out the humans amongst the leeches,
Walk like a vagabond with your shirt not tucked in.
Be cautious of those who applaud your accomplishment.
And never lose those who walk by you in hopelessness.
Soulmine | Vande Vasudhaivam
You are sanity, you are sentience,
You are the lifeforce of destiny.
You are conscience, you are concord,
You are the end of animosity.
Give up your chase of goldmine,
Labor in the caverns of soulmine.
You shall be rich where it really counts,
Beyond the dreams of animalkind.
If you must love, love without any agenda,
If they love you back, your heart grows softer,
If they break you, your heart grows stronger,
Either way, in act of love there is no failure.
Our mutual vulnerability is our greatest strength,
Across all insecurity let us be vulnerable together.
In hopelessness we are each other's compass,
In vulnerability we are each other's vigor.
United we are alive,
Divided we are dead.
Integrated we're lovers,
Divided we are duffers.
Intellect is not the answer,
Belief is not the answer.
These only amplify what we really are,
Good becomes great, jerk becomes jerker.
Be love and be light -
watch the fall of worldly fright.
Be free and be responsible -
watch the society take its flight.
You are the lifeforce of destiny.
You are conscience, you are concord,
You are the end of animosity.
Give up your chase of goldmine,
Labor in the caverns of soulmine.
You shall be rich where it really counts,
Beyond the dreams of animalkind.
If you must love, love without any agenda,
If they love you back, your heart grows softer,
If they break you, your heart grows stronger,
Either way, in act of love there is no failure.
Our mutual vulnerability is our greatest strength,
Across all insecurity let us be vulnerable together.
In hopelessness we are each other's compass,
In vulnerability we are each other's vigor.
United we are alive,
Divided we are dead.
Integrated we're lovers,
Divided we are duffers.
Intellect is not the answer,
Belief is not the answer.
These only amplify what we really are,
Good becomes great, jerk becomes jerker.
Be love and be light -
watch the fall of worldly fright.
Be free and be responsible -
watch the society take its flight.
I am the valley, you are my gate | Abhijit Naskar | Visvavictor: Kanima Akiyor Kainat
I am but a drunken treasure,
with neither beginning nor end.
Don’t fall prey to gatekeepers –
I am the valley, you are my gate.
In a world that rewards
second-hand existence,
Stand alone and original,
as a first-hand sapiens.
Monsoon comes every time,
defying all evident drought.
Whole world will lose its sight,
if one bold heart forgets to sprout.
with neither beginning nor end.
Don’t fall prey to gatekeepers –
I am the valley, you are my gate.
In a world that rewards
second-hand existence,
Stand alone and original,
as a first-hand sapiens.
Monsoon comes every time,
defying all evident drought.
Whole world will lose its sight,
if one bold heart forgets to sprout.
