Abhijit Naskar's Blog - Posts Tagged "shallow-people"
Keyboard of Revolution (The Sonnet) | Amantes Assemble
I wrote most of my works,
On broken down laptops.
Perhaps that’s why they work well,
With this broken down world.
I don’t write to butter the assheads of pomposity,
My duty is to till the soil of grassroots reform.
That’s why I feel at home creating on humble machines,
The very thought of fancy devices makes my stomach turn.
I once said to you, ripped jeans and twenty dollar shirt,
That’s how we change the world, how we build the world.
Often a fancy exterior is indicative of a rotten interior,
It’s a simple life that facilitates a magnificent world.
I don’t need thousand dollar machines to cause ascension.
Give me a keyboard, I’ll give you revolution.
On broken down laptops.
Perhaps that’s why they work well,
With this broken down world.
I don’t write to butter the assheads of pomposity,
My duty is to till the soil of grassroots reform.
That’s why I feel at home creating on humble machines,
The very thought of fancy devices makes my stomach turn.
I once said to you, ripped jeans and twenty dollar shirt,
That’s how we change the world, how we build the world.
Often a fancy exterior is indicative of a rotten interior,
It’s a simple life that facilitates a magnificent world.
I don’t need thousand dollar machines to cause ascension.
Give me a keyboard, I’ll give you revolution.
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.
