The Divine Architecture: Understanding the Human Mind and Personality!

​The journey of human life is often viewed through the lens of biology or psychology, but according to the celestial revelations of The Urantia Book, we are far more than a collection of cells and impulses. 

We are a "creative synthesis"—a meeting point where material evolution, planetary intelligence, and divine presence converge. 

To understand who we are, we must look at the various pillars that build the human experience.

​The Foundation: Biological Intelligence and Talent

​Everything begins with the physical vehicle. Our mind function is initially conditioned by the quality of our physical brain and nervous system. This is our biological inheritance—the "material mechanism" through which we perceive the world.

​Within this mechanism, we find our Intelligence and Talents. Intelligence is the "capacity of the vessel"; it determines how much information we can process. Talents are our specialized genetic predispositions, such as a natural leaning toward music, mathematics, or art. 

However, in the Urantia book's teachings, these are merely tools, not virtues. A high intelligence provides a larger workshop for the soul, but it does not, by itself, make a person more spiritual.

​The Planetary Connection: The Adjutant Mind-Spirits

​The mind is not "produced" by the brain; rather, the brain is "encircled" by mind. This occurs through the ministry of the Seven Adjutant Mind-Spirits. These external influences act like a spiritual broadcast, enabling different levels of intelligence.

​While the lower circuits like Intuition and Courage are shared with the animal kingdom, the higher circuits of Worship and Wisdom are uniquely human. It is through these higher circuits that we begin to recognize values, practice judgment, and seek a connection with the divine.

​The Ego: The Temporary Pilot

​As we interact with our environment, the Ego emerges. Residing within the material mind, the ego is our self-centered consciousness. It is the "I" of the flesh that seeks status and security in the material world.

​While the ego is a necessary stage of evolution for self-preservation, it is meant to be a servant, not a master. It is the "temporary pilot" of our consciousness. As we grow, the ego is meant to be transcended, shifting our focus from the selfish "Me" to the God-conscious soul.

​The Mystery Monitor: The Indwelling Spirit

​The most profound element of the human mind is the Thought Adjuster, or Mystery Monitor. This is a literal fragment of the Universal Father that lives within us. The Adjuster does not override our will; instead, it works silently to "spiritualize" our thoughts. It acts as an internal guide, translating our material experiences into eternal values. The resultant mind function is heavily influenced by how much we choose to cooperate with this divine resident.

​Character: The Eternal Resultant

​While intelligence and talents are given to us, Character is something we must forge. Character is the habitual pattern of our moral choices. It is the "fruit of the spirit" that grows when we align our mind with the leadings of the Thought Adjuster.

​This is the most critical product of our earthly life. While our physical intelligence and earthly abilities stay with our material bodies, the character we build—our spiritualized mind—is what is transferred into our evolving soul for the next stage of existence.

​Personality: The Sovereign Coordinator

​At the center of it all is Personality, a unique gift bestowed directly by the Universal Father. Personality is distinct from the mind, the body, and even the spirit. It is the "unchanging" anchor that integrates the physical body, the intellectual mind, and the indwelling spirit into one cohesive, self-conscious whole.

​While the mind provides the arena for choice, the Personality provides the sovereign "will" to choose. It is the Captain of the ship, deciding whether to steer toward the shores of material selfishness or toward the horizon of eternal spiritual growth.

​In this divine architecture, we see that a human being is a masterpiece in progress. We are given the tools of intelligence and talent, the guidance of the Spirit, and the freedom of Personality. 

Our destiny is determined by how we use these factors in the "arena of mind" to build a character that is worthy of eternity.

Competency, Character , Courage and Compassion -the 4 C's that Ensure Long term Success of a Leader!

Some time ago, some one in a large organization asked me the essential traits that are required for any leader to lead an organization and ensure long term success. I explained the relevance of Competency, Character, Courage and Compassion the way I understood it, to answer his question. My friend was not so convinced. I know, a good majority of my fellow country men in India would not take my views.

But whether they accept it or not, it is a universal truth. Leaders who do not have these traits might seem to be successful for a while but the irony is that they would not be able to sustain their success for long.

The organization could be any thing. Political, business, governmental, administrative, religious, social, educational, military, law enforcement, judicial, etc, etc. It could be large or small. It could be autonomous or dependent. It could be a organizational conglomerate with multiple objectives or a simple one with a single objective. Whatever it is, leaders lacking the 4 Cs above could ruin it after some time.

Human civilization has seen many powerful political and national organizations such as many great empires of the past rising and thriving for some time, only to be disintegrated wholly after a while.

Even in the recent times we have been observing such phenomena.

While an individual human being with  a life span of say 70-80 years on an average is considered generally as a very good one with regard to age an organization sustaining it activities for a few generations is viewed with some admiration. We have very few organizations of that kind. Even political or national organizations that have survived a few generations are also rare, yet they do exist.

What makes an organization to sustain a life exceeding the average life of a human being? If you study such organizations, you would realize that the leaders of such organizations had the above said 4 C quality much more than their contemporaries. 

I think this phenomena is due to the existence of an invisible divine over control over human organizations.

When the majority of people desire their leaders to be some one with the above 4 C's there is a potential divine blessing over such peoples to have such leaders elevated as their leaders. When the majority of people do not give any importance to this aspect, the reverse happens and they are bound to suffer collectively.

Now let us examine what is meant by these four words.

Competency is the ability to perform a desirable task well. It comprises of knowledge, intelligence, wisdom and a desire to learn and update. It involves skills for language, communication and such other soft skills as well. Common sense is very important. Competency is a mixture of inherent qualities enhanced by proper education and training. A leader should be competent enough to know his organization, understand the work, differentiate between good and bad and should have the ability for reasoning and decision making. Different works might require different kinds of competency.

Competency of a person is polished by his or her character. Character is that innate quality of a person to select and opt good from bad. It involves such traits such as honesty, values, ethics and the like. A highly competent person can have a good character or may be ever characterless. A characterless leader with high competency is highly dangerous for the organization and the people. If we study history, we can see hundreds of examples of this kind.

Courage is the trait that makes a leader different. If a leader lacks courage to lead and take appropriate decisions at appropriate moments, such leader could bring failures and disasters for the organization that he leads even while he has enough competency and is a person of character. At the same time courage should not be such that it causes misadventure. In other words, courage should be reflected through wise decisions.

A leader must be compassionate to fellow human beings. His or her decisions should always be based on compassion to other humans. But compassion should not blind him or her from taking corrective actions. A compassionate leader is bound to be 'mild and soft as a dove, but clever and assertive as a serpent'. Love and mercy to all humans be his guiding force. But his competency should come to his aid in weeding out those inherently bad elements who do not deserve love and mercy. Perhaps this is one of the greatest problems many leaders face in their lives. They often commit great errors of judgement in realizing the real motives or natures of others. Often this causes, leaders to like and promote those around them who are good in the art of sycophancy. The fundamental principle to understand here is that people with competency and character are less likely to indulge in pampering others with good words and deeds with some hidden agenda of receiving favors. They are also not likely to fall preys to flattery.

If a nation has survived a few generations successfully, it is an indication that it has strong internal organizations led by people with the 4 C's at various levels. The moment, the national organizations get people who do not have these 4 Cs, the organizations begin to disintegrate. So, it is highly essential that organizations resort to proper leadership changes when leaders of any level is found to lack in the 4 Cs to some recognizable degree.

Though all the four Cs are important, my personal priority of arranging these four in the order of decreasing importance (higher to lower) is like this: Character-Competency-Compassion-Courage!

Often people have this doubt. Would it be possible for a person of character to withstand many others who are characterless in other organizations around?

I would say, yes. And my belief is that in the years to come, characterless people are bound to fail more often than in the past. When I say this, I have some strong intuitive reason for such a belief. That does not mean that we would not be seeing characterless people making successes. Characterless people are going to make short term successes in the future too, just as in the past. But their fall would be quicker.

So, no nation or business would sustain longer when they are infected with people lacking the 4 Cs that I mentioned. Organizations that give honest importance for these 4 Cs for their people are bound to succeed and win over those who do not, in the long run.

Our world is not going to face any global apocalypse or Armageddon . Such scenarios in minor levels could keep happening in the future, because of nations and organizations infected with people lacking the 4 Cs. But total destruction of this world is never going to happen, as feared by many, because of the over control exercised by divine powers. It is absurd to believe that God has created humanity for facing ultimate destruction because of the foolish deeds of some inferior humans or even some inferior angels as believed and taught by some religious leaders of the past or the present.

While the misdeeds of some inferior humans who lack competency, character, courage and compassion in them might bring some disasters now and then, here and there, with some of us facing the consequences, such things should not dishearten us or cause our minds to such levels as praising and admiring evil. In that case we are aligning to the evil that gets happening due to evil men and women who lack the 4 Cs. Instead, it would be better idea to look for instances and people who bring lasting success and the importance of the 4 Cs in those cases. That would help in us aligning towards good rather than evil.

Just think about these and make your own judgments.

Are You Just Living to be Laughed and Clapped for a While Displaying Your Skills and Talents ?

Yesterday I have brought to your notice a list of twenty eight philosophical statements which the authors of my favorite book want us to give some special attention. Today, I want to discuss about the first statement from this list.

This statement in full is like this : A display of specialized skill does not signify possession of spiritual capacity; cleverness is not a substitute for true character !

It is not very difficult to digest the universal truth that this philosophical declaration contains. But just as there are people who can understand truths fully, there are people who do not get it so easily. Forget those people who do not try to understand or those who are with bloated egos and self pride that do not allow them to listen and tune to any other truths other than what they feel like agreeing. Forget also those who do not have any mind capacity or basic intellect to understand philosophical truths.

Now coming to the statement as above. It is not so difficult to understand that we humans exist in this world with varying levels of skills and abilities. We all have varying levels of abilities or talents. It could be physical, intellectual or philosophical. 

Some are extremely good in some sports and games. Some have much greater physical strength than many others. Some have much superior and beautiful bodies. Some are with high intellectual abilities in mathematics, physics and such other sciences. Some are very good inventors and may be owners of many patents. Some have acute business knacks and might have amassed money and wealth even they cannot measure or know.

During my school days, I used to wonder about the mathematical ability of a lady hailing from my neighboring state, Karnataka, in India. She is no more now, and her name is Shakuntala Devi. She never had any formal education, but she possessed a brain that was even faster than modern computers in arithmetical calculations. Indeed her ability even made our renowned physiologists wondering!

I watch those Karate black-belts break tiles and bricks with their bare hands, in awe. How is it that their hands become harder than rocks in a fraction of a second? How do their soft tissues change their softness to such awesome strengths? 

I had a lovely pet dog named, Sonu. She was a pure white Pomeranian  , though not as pure in her breed. She was our faithful companion and ferocious protector of our home for more than a decade! While her body and paws used to feel like soft cotton to us always, I used to marvel at her extra ordinary steel like strength her soft body acquired when need arose. She used to kill rats, house lizards and also some clever crows in just one blow with her otherwise soft paws. Is it not something exciting our curiosities? 

No doubt,  these abilities could be some extra ordinary gifts from the various agencies of God for enabling humans (and animals) not only to facilitate their material living, but also to make a few of us to think, explore and wonder about the supreme designs in the Nature that are presented to us by the agencies of God.  

But a mere possession of some of these extra ordinary gifts does not make any human being any special one for God. Because, such special gifts and abilities are abundantly provided in varying degrees to animals and humans. In the case of animals, the special abilities are for their natural survival and existence. But for human beings these abilities are not only for their own survival, but for them to care for others and also for realizing the existence of God from whom these talents come, with utmost humility.  

If the individual who possesses the special gift, instead of using it for his own selfish satisfaction, tries to find out what God wants him or her to do with that gift, he or she is making an effort towards enhancing his or her spiritual capacity. The person is aspiring to find out the unseen spiritual existence and desire of God!

Such persons would recognize the need for living according to the desire of God. The most essential feature of this recognition is the desire to love and serve other human beings, without the desire for gaining some personal benefits.

But a good majority of people forget this. Their special gifts soon transform and get augmented with cleverness. Cleverness is that special ability to cheat or hoodwink others. In that process they lose their spiritual capacity to love and serve others.

If our world appear as a world of partiality, injustice, envy, hatred and exploitation, it is because of the clever acts of such people. 

A mere possession of some special talent does not automatically ensure possession of a desirable and good nature that is known as character. Remember, most animals have some special abilities that are not found in humans. Many of these animals may pose a threat to our lives if we are not careful. They need not have a character that is too good for us! But humans are not to be like the unthinking animals. That is the reason why we are different. Character is what make us different from animals. But yet we find many human beings who are similar to animals. They are the characterless people. They just live like animals without using their superior abilities of mind which are not in animals. They refuse to recognize the existence of God and give reverence to Him, just as the animals. Many of them take undue pride in their abilities and the pride ultimately becomes the cause for their fall and destruction. How sad!

They have been privileged persons. But they refuse to realize the existence of the spiritual force that maintains every thing material and physical in this world. 

They refuse to enhance their spiritual capacities of coming near to God, a pre-requisite to progress in life even after their material existence in this world for some years. 

They become too pre-occupied with their special skills during their material existence that they forget to board the ship that could have taken them to the other shores of abundant life and everlasting adventure!

Character development while living a material life is essential for enhancing spiritual capacity. 

Spiritual capacity means the degree of nearness to God. Nearness to God provides the much desired potential for overcoming the dangers of personality destruction after material death. 

Material abilities and skills, though good while living in this world, do not ensure spiritual capacity or possession of a good character. Physical and mental abilities and skills do not make a person special for God. But spiritual nature makes a person special for God; a special feature that enhances the bond of love between man and God. The higher the spiritual ability, the more the person becomes humble! Because, with spiritual nature developing, the person begins to develop character and recognizes his or her insignificance before the Supreme existence of God. Selfishness and ego begin to vanish in such persons. In other words, animal nature begins to fade and the human becomes more like real humans instead of being like animals. 

More and more people with good character make this world transformed to a world with divine presence. Just as the heavenly worlds !

If you have some special material skills or abilities, you also have some additional responsibilities to use those in the manner in which they should be utilized. 

Mere possession of those special skills and abilities does not make you a desirable person for God. It has no significance in the long run !

So, if you think that you are a very clever person, beware of the dangers. Your cleverness for you would earn you only short term gains in this world. After all, your life span of a few decades is not at all a long term!

It would be preferable to discard that cleverness for character. But building a good character together with the possession of those skills and special abilities would make you not only desirable for the people of this world but also for God.

But when you are not very sure of the afterlife, you are bound to become anxious of getting the maximum and enjoying the maximum during the short span of life in this world. 

Let us drink and enjoy, you might think! Let me take advantage of my skills and my cleverness to the full, you might reason with your soul!

But when you are in your clever act, what could be the feeling of others who watch you from all around ?  

No doubt, the spectators might laugh and clap just as they do while watching those skillful circus clowns.

But are you living just to be laughed and clapped for a while ?

Are we living to show off our skills and talents for getting clapping from our fellows?

Do you want to be like a circus clown during the entire life span?

Is it not worth to think seriously?

No Democratic Country Can Progress So Long As Its Administrative Services Are Resistive To Change: Something For India To Take Note of !

Modern democratic systems have evolved in such a way that they have two main types of people occupying the administrative organizations:

1. The elected Representatives of the people, called the politicians, who become organizational heads of various governmental organizations or ministries for some time as long as they have the people's mandate.

2. The permanent appointees occupying the service posts called the bureaucrats who are heads or in charges of various offices or functions, subordinate to the political bosses.

So the governmental administrations are carried out by organizations of people with varying degrees of power and authority. The power and authority of the people in these administrative organizations are generally supposed to be  increasing as one goes higher in the organizational set up. But the higher levels of governmental organizations are composed of individuals who do not occupy those posts for a relatively shorter period which could be anything between a few days to a maximum of five years.  

This is true for the republic of India, which has been in existence for the last over six decades as a democratic nation. However, peoples' aspirations seem to be neglected fully in  democratic India and such neglect seem to be on the rise as years pass.

Take for example the following:

1. India has not added much to its railway infrastructure. The progress is pathetically low as compared to other nations such as China. Same is the case with roads, sea ports and airports. Moreover, the quality of the existing infrastructure has not improved much in comparison to modern development in other countries and the development has not at all kept pace with the growth in population.

2. Nothing much has happened in the literacy rate. One third of Indians even in this modern era do not know reading and writing. While most of the countries in the world have made remarkable achievements in this field, India still maintains the poorest pace with regard to general literacy growth.

3. Nearly half of the population, a whopping 600,000,000 Indians, are pathetically poor as per world standards. The performance of Indian rulers who ruled for six decades is extremely poor if one compares this period with a similar period before independence when India was under the foreign bosses !

4. India has not achieved much in health care and social security systems. Neither its performance in environmental aspects anything worth mentioning.

5. The law and order system and the judicial systems are degraded versions of the systems originally made by the foreigners. No one can safely say that these systems are any  better in independent India !

7.  There are not any noteworthy contributions from the 1200,000,000 Indians in the field of science, sports or any other field in the last six decades as compared to other nations, commensurate with the population.

What could be the reason for this kind of a situation for this nation which is other wise blessed with one of the most fertile and hospitable terrains in the world ?

Is it the over population ? I don't agree. The high population should be the most advantageous situation for any country to develop at a much faster rate, provided there is a proper management system in place !

Is India inherently poor ? No, never. India is potentially rich. Only thing is that the Indians who are at the helm of affairs are people who either do not have the talents to tap the potential or are not placed properly to accomplish it. How can a driver drive a car, when his owner does not allow him to drive ? How can a scientist do some meaningful research when his boss does not understand the ABCD's of research ? How can an IAS secretary with basic education in History understand the nitty gritty of the Aviation sector and make his minister boss with basic education in say, Law, take appropriate decisions for the Aviation sector of the country ?

The problem with India is that it is having many administrative systems manned by people who are not competent with relevant knowledge and training to understand the problems and take appropriate decisions in their respective areas.

A government secretary who is meant to advice political boss who is not an expert is himself or herself a non expert. Same is the case with his or her subordinates who come from the same  administrative services. Someone who was handling Child and Women Development yesterday could be handling Science and Technology the next day ! The political portfolios of ministers and their offices keep changing according to political compulsions every now and then ! How can the country have any consistency of rules and systems in such a situation ? Where is the time for any one to think for the people and the country ?

Then there is the lower rung administration with a permanent sort of set up. They are the same always irrespective of their political or bureaucratic bosses changing every now and then. They keep seeing many type of bosses and their whims and fancies to such an extent that after some years they lose all their respect to their bosses and take things for granted. They know that the top bosses are totally helpless without them. It is the latter who keep the files and who know the procedures. The minister or his secretaries can perhaps do any thing in such a situation other than touring and attending seminars or such other functions through out the country and also in other countries. A great deal of time is also spend in planning their tours and travels and public speeches. Where is the time for these so called heads to calmly think if at all they have such a faculty still working ?

Most often the top bosses act as post offices and parrots ! They mark the papers and files to down below functionaries and get reports made by the down below ones to read out elsewhere. The top, both bureaucrats and political bosses, in such a scenario degrade themselves to be led by others instead of they giving the directions. They degrade as spoon-fed babies and parrots in a very short time ! The only major decisions they seem to take interest would be the posting of people and allotment of work to those of their choice. Again, how they are making this choice to know the people in their vast administrative organizations is another interesting thing to ponder ! Of course, their interests in touring both within the country and outside remain mostly intact. Any files that they happen to take special interest would be those where their special interests are some how motivated by some one and it is well imaginable what such interests would be !

It would also be very interesting indeed to find out how the decision making files move in the administrative organizations of democratic India and who writes what in these files and how the ultimate decisions evolve !

Again, the administrative system of India is comprising of people of various degrees of calibre and character. While about half of the central administrative service officers get in to the service through the all India civil services examinations, another half get into it through departmental promotions from lower cadres. There is no harm in this kind of a system, except that it makes up a system with varying kinds of weaknesses and strengths in the organizational set up.

A senior IAS officer publicly stated the kind of officers that comprise the Indian system in the following manner:

1. Officers who are competent and honest !
2. Officers who are incompetent, but honest !
3. Officers who are competent and dishonest !
4. Officers who are both incompetent and dishonest !

I would like to add a fifth kind in the above : Officers who are competent, dishonest and destructive !

Unlike the system in the USA and some other progressive countries, the existing individuals in the service class decide how they should function or organized. They would not allow the existing system to be changed in any way that they construe as a possible threat to their own authority. Moreover, it is not wrong to say that the Indian administrative service officers have systematically captured most of the administrative authorities to themselves that it is not easy for their political masters with lower knowledge in such things to change the system even when they have a desire to do it !

In effect the politicians and the administrative bureaucrats naturally became complimentary to each other for keeping all the authority of actions to themselves, without knowing how and when to act for achieving results that are for the betterment of their nation and its peoples.

They are scared of losing their authorities and hence they would never ever ask any one outside their own fraternity for any possible advices even when they do not know what to do next or how to proceed next for the better. Being designated as the highest authorities of the land, it is not at all befitting for them to take expert guidance outside their fraternity. Even when they do such a thing at times, they never agree to any expert advice in-toto. If previous experiences are any indications, in India hardly any such things have happened which went totally as per the learned advice of the external experts !

Democracy and the incompetency of the political leadership in a way have proved a boon for administrative officers of the third, fourth and the fifth categories as mentioned above to twist the system the way they liked without any one hardly noticing. This way the bureaucracy, the guardians of the system, has practically fallen prey to self interest and greed rather than working as checks and balances for ensuring a proper democratic system.

Now-a-days a number of fresh high calibre graduates from reputed engineering, management and other such educational institutions are also taking up the civil services examinations of India seriously and getting into it because they have realized that no other service in India enjoy such vast powers. They work hard to crack the tough civil service exam, as if to capture power to enjoy an aristocratic life for the rest of their career, even when the salaries the civil services offer are comparatively much less to what they could have probably got in the multinational corporations !

I know that there are honest young men and ladies among them who are desirous of doing some thing better for the country, soon to get disheartened by the system which would not so easily allow them to perform the way they wanted. Soon their engineering and management learnings get diluted and forgotten as they hardly gain any thing in that front to augment their experiences. Their experiences would now be provided by the lower bureaucracy who knows how to mould their fresh and young masters ! Coupled with that and together with the pragmatic approach of their seniors under the physically active political system would now make these young and intelligent officers to enjoy the powers rather than use the powers for the benefit of the society at large, in a few years time if not happened earlier !

Can any one imagine any IAS officer, belonging to both genders, who had got in to the cadre due to their so-called high calibre, knowledge and determination to crack tough competitive examinations, would turn out to be so corrupt and greedy later in their career that they can amass hundreds of crores of rupees by illegal and corrupt practices using their authority ? Perhaps it is difficult for the common man to think that it is possible for these wise men and women to do like that. But it is happening in India ! It proves that the possession of any high genius or cleverness is not  a substitute for true character.

India needs people of high calibre and character at all levels if it has to compete with other nations in development. Otherwise, its 1.2 billion odd people would never be able to achieve anything worthy because they are administered and managed poorly by a faulty governmental system composed of a mixture of people of all sorts without any efforts any where for getting the best management and leadership !

Indian system does not show any dynamism and is so reluctant to changes. The key decision makers in the system would not allow any novel ideas to be adopted if they have their way. They will be the last ones to support or do some mentoring for any one who has novel ideas for the country. But if any one authority does that by some accident, they are the ones to do the lip service and pampering to that high degree that the person concerned would slip and fall without achieving anything !

I always wonder this ! Why most in my country clamour for high posts and positions without ever having any agenda to do any thing good for the rest of the society using their positions of power and clout ! Why are they so to cling to power positions when they know for sure that they could not use their power in any manner because of their possible ignorance and incompetence ? Is moving in beaconed cars accompanied by some uniformed men with arms, such a big attraction ? The Indian public has long adored the powerful policemen and the uniformed security personnel. So getting in to a position where some of those kinds show obedience is indeed a great reward for many Indians that they can go to any extent of getting into such positions ! Hardly ever they realize that these spoiled and hard worked uniformed men are cursing them throughout and are waiting for an opportunity to pounce on their harassers if ever an opportunity comes !

The breakdown of the Indian law and order situation  is due to this aspect whether the so called administrative experts admit or not ! The bosses, have neither the time and the free brains to think of this eventuality and to make a system of dedicated and duty-bound security personnel ! The more they try mechanically, the more these men become ragged with a burning malice towards all in the society.

Our bureaucrats do not realize this saying : Never harass the cook who cooks the food for you ! But they keep doing it and keep eating the food the harassed ones keep making for them ! Should I say how it is made ?

I am not making this lengthy. The Indians need to learn to behave as human beings of a modern society. Especially the Indian bosses- whether they belong to the governmental administrative systems or any other kind. It is indeed the bosses who can shape the fate of a society and hence the bosses need to have these two  C's  in their hearts and brains : Competence and Character !

If they have those, they would not be scared of making any changes and trying out new systems and practices and using their brains. They would then learn to be generous, broadminded and with a determination to do good for the society they lead ! They would not like to cling to their seats of power and position when they cannot possibly act to do good for the society and the nation. They would gladly allow others who can do it better.

And that is the essence of democracy !


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Do You Cherish to Possess a A Civilized Nature ?

For many years, I was under the impression that power corrupts only the rich and the affluent people. But keen observations later have forced me to change that perception.

I now know that power corrupts all.

If it does not, then the person concerned is either senseless or highly civilized.

' Possessing the highest power and not using that power for self aggrandizement is a mark of the highest civilization' .

This is one of the highest learning of human philosophy. 

That is what my book of super mortal origin keeps reminding me !

Once I was introduced to a soldier of a paramilitary organization.

He appeared to me as a very simple and decent fellow. May be because I was a friend of his boss and there was nothing of sort at that time for him to exercise his powers on me !

But one day I saw the same person using his lathi (stick of the policemen) so inhumanly to terrorize a group of road side vendors. He was beating all who had not paid him the weekly hafta [bribe] for allowing them to carry on their business on the road side ! He was trying to exert his power and authority selectively for his own benefit on those poor fellows on whom he could do that whimsically!

Almost all people whom I have known personally as simple, good persons have shown the tendency of becoming rude and unfriendly the moment they get to some position of power. I have seen them coming back to normalcy only when they are no more in that power position. The transformation to either way has been observed as taking place almost instantaneously !

The more the power vested, the more arrogant and non-courteous the person be.

Business men are very polite with their customers. You may not find such loving persons anywhere if you happen to be a valuable customer !

But watch them how they treat their staff and employees on whom they can exert their power !

When it is the election time, have you watched our ministers and peoples' representatives ? They are so polite, loving and approachable ! But when they get their chairs of power can any one think of approaching them ?

I read yesterday about the results of a research some psychology researchers have carried out somewhere in the west.

They have found out that people occupying power positions tend to become too reserved and artificial that they do not smile back at those who are previously known to them, as a mark of friendly reciprocation. Deep in their minds they began to consider their old friends as potential competitors. So they no more like to continue with such friendships !

I had known a person who retired as a managing director of a big company. While in power he kept all his friends and acquaintances of yester years at a distance as total strangers that after retirement he became a lonely fellow eagerly desiring fellowship of others which was not forthcoming. I remember him crying sheepishly holding my hands when I touched upon that issue when I happened to meet him a year before his death.

Another old man who used to be a tough task manager with a rude face lived the rest of his retirement life virtually as an orphan. When he died, there was no one to assist his poor widow to carry out his last rites. I remember the company where he worked earlier sending some people on official duty for this purpose. He was fortunate that he lived in the vicinity of his previous organization and some of his junior colleagues in power that time acted to help out at least mechanically !

I have also noticed some other interesting things in this context.

The fellows who tend to become unfriendly with those on whom they could exercise their powers are those who got into the power position not so legitimately by using some clicks and connections. Those who get into power positions legitimately try to use their power and position for the benefit of the people and the organization. They generally recognize that their power and position is for the common good of the society and not for satisfying their own whims and fancies.

Those who get in to power by unfair means would be too much eager to please their bosses. Because they subconsciously know their incompetencies and try to cover up that by doing such acts to over please their bosses and keeping away from their colleagues and subordinates. For them bosses are like gods and others are like dogs ! Within no time they are in the grip of the 'god-dog syndrome' .

I personally feel that it is not their mistake after all. Their minds have not come to what we understand as civilized levels. Remember the universal truth statement that I reproduced above. Only those with highest civilized minds can withhold the temptation of misusing power for their own selfish pleasures !

Human nature is a mix of beastly and divine. When divine nature predominates we become civilized. Otherwise we are uncivilized savages !

In the so-called civilized societies, the number of people possessing the god-dog syndrome would be lower. I haven't got the opportunity to study or observe people of this group much. But to the extent I have observed, I think this is true.

In India, presently the god-dog syndromized people appear to be more, especially in the power positions. This is not a good sign. ( That is what I feel !)  How safe you feel when you travel in a plane piloted by two uncivilized pilots though both are technically competent and certified ?

At no time in the history of independent India we had such arrogant ministers and top officials that we have now. In the guise of security, peoples' representatives are closing the high ways and roads for hours together for their motorcade to pass displaying authority and power so shamelessly !

Never in the history of India we had government and ministers suing individuals for highlighting some of their misdeeds !

My book also tells me this : Cleverness is not a substitute for true character !

It also tells like this : High civilizations are born of the sagacious correlation of material wealth, intellectual greatness, moral worth, social cleverness  and cosmic insight.

Do you cherish to possess a civilized nature ?

If not, then perhaps we may have to wait for ages to become part of a high civilization !

If you do not belong to a high civilization, there are chances that you are praised and hanged almost instantaneously.

Holding power positions in a savage society is not at all safe !

Unfortunately those holding power positions will never read this !

[View the linked list of all Blogs of the Author Here ! ]

  

How to Kill a Successful Organization ?

Don't ask me why I selected a title like this for this blog. Some of you are familiar with famous book titles like 'the games people play'. Knowingly or unknowingly people also play 'games' aiming at killing or destroying successful organizations.

Organizations are well knit networks of people for accomplishing some defined tasks or objectives in a defined framework of rules or bylaws. There are governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations, business organizations and non-business organizations, charity and non-charity organizations, professional and non-professional organizations, registered and non-registered organizations, etc., etc.

Our governments function through various kinds of organizations. Businesses are carried out through organizations called companies or firms. In short every individual now-a-days is associated with one or more kinds of organizations. Even your family is one kind of organization, perhaps a smaller version of it.

If you are an employed person you belong to an organization which employs you and you work within the organization to earn your livelihood.

So government departments, companies, societies, trusts, partnership firms, institutions, professional bodies, etc are all organizations.

Organizations are for the collective benefit of the individuals of the society or the nation. But unfortunately, organizations which do destructive, anti-social or illegal activities also exist. But for the purpose of this discussion I do not include the latter here.

I want to discuss only about those organizations which are set up for objectives which are legally approved , socially acceptable and for the common good of both the individuals within the organization and outside it.

I consider such an organization successful if it is fulfilling its objectives reasonably well for quite some time and has made a visible presence in the society by their collective efforts.

If the public and those members or individuals connected to the organization generally perceive the organization as good, then the organization can be deemed as successful.

Just as individuals, organizations also has a birth, a childhood, an adult hood, periods of sickness and old age and even death.

Unlike individuals whose life expectancy is determined by natural law and cannot exceed certain maximum, organizations can be kept alive and healthy for longer periods by some techniques known as 'good organizational management'.

If the head is the main organ of an individual, the head of the organization is perhaps the most important member of an organization. He or she is called the Chief Executive Officer (CXO) of the organization.

Just as a brain dead individual can be kept alive for some time, a headless organization also can be kept alive for some time without performing.

Just as individuals have parents, organizations also have parents, some one who takes initiatives in creating it. But once an organization gets created and gets a good CXO and survives its infancy period, it is normally capable of surviving provided its CXO functions well.

Unlike individuals, organizations are capable of replacing its heads by itself or by adopting self sustainable techniques devised for its survival.

However big or strong an organization, its strength and weakness both lies with its CXO. Interestingly, this CXO has to be an individual. Experiments to have a sub organization as a CXO have been found not so successful.

Just as successful individuals have other individuals as their envious enemies, successful organizations also can get such kind of enemies who try to destroy it or weaken it from time to time. This is the threat to any organization.

Even individuals who grudge an  enmity or envy can pose a threat to an organization. Even individual members of an organization sometimes become intellectually or mentally sick posing an internal threat to an organization's existence.

Though normally, such periodical threats and attacks are overcome by an organization which is run by an efficient  CXO. Organizations where good systems and practices are in place also can resist such attacks for quite some time.

But clever enemies who are determined to destroy an organization knows the trick to accomplish their task. They know that the CXO is their trump card. What they normally do is to get a characterless and incompetent person selected and installed as the CXO of the organization.

They know very well that an incompetent driver, pilot or captain can very easily drive the truck, plane or ship to destruction very easily.

And exactly that is how the enemies, both internal and external, of an organization try to destroy a successful organization.

First get a pliable, not so experienced or competent individual, project him as great and then install him as the CXO of that very successful organization as its CXO.

Occasionally some organization parents, out of sheer love and affection to some individuals, allow them to direct the organization, just as some wealthy kids are allowed to drive the expensive car by their parents before they get the driving license, to the eventuality of an accident later.

In either case, one thing is sure. If the CXO of the organization is an incompetent and characterless person, the organization will definitely suffer seriously. But the effects may not be visible immediately always !

Leadership by efficient, competent and honest individuals is the key to success for any organization.

A CORRUPT SOCIETY WITH CORRUPT INDIVIDUALS TRYING TO FIGHT CORRUPTION BRINGS ABOUT MORE CORRUPTION.

You cannot expect corrupt and characterless individuals to work for eradication of corruption. A characterless or corrupt leader cannot and will not promote people of character and conviction and most likely they promote weak and characterless people and assign them important responsibilities.

Let us consider some common examples here. In India, we are very familiar with corruption in the Road Transport Authority (RTA) offices, in the Police Department and probably in all government offices dealing with the general public. The registration department, the lower judiciary and the like are all in this category and any one who attempt to do any thing anytime concerning these departments will immediately know how deep routed is this malady in our country. In India, we know this and that is the Indian way of life. No escape !

You cannot get a driving licence issued in the normal way, because such normal way systems are hidden from the public. But if you are ready to spend some excess amount over and above the fee prescribed by the law, then you can get the license within no time. You can even get the license without even undergoing the driving test! In 99% of the RTA offices, this is the situation. Of course there could be some exceptions here and there.

Have you ever analysed the reason for this ? Why such a thing is uncommon in the developed nations?

Let us try to analyse this situation. Corruption here starts from the officers of the government authorized to issue the licenses. Say the Inspectors and the Issuing Authorities, called the Regional Transport Authorities. Some officers are responsible for examining the individuals and check their driving competencies and then issue the licenses, only when they are convinced that the individual has the required proficiency in driving. The assessment here is not based on any quantifiable inputs, but on the basis on the true conviction of the assessment officer on the basis of his witnessing the driving test physically demonstrated before him. The officer can also ask questions about road safety rules and things like that.

But what happens here is that most officers do not venture for such a thing now. In some states, like in Kerala, the officers are stricter and conduct the assessment in a stricter way and in some other states like Madhya Pradesh, the checking is just a cursory one.

Now you can see that the issue of license is based on qualitative assessment of the assessment officer. The assessment officer is free to decide on the issue any way he likes. He is free to be whimsical or he is free to be just and strict. It is purely up to him.

In such a scenario, what happens? If he is going to be just and strict, it causes some hurdle to me and you to get the license. We have to really learn driving and its rules. In that case, the drivers on the roads will be people with real competency the roads would be much safer and disciplined. The real purpose of issuing license for driving would have been met.

Now, if we are characterless people, we try to circumvent the situation and would try getting the license, the easier way. That is by luring the assessment officer for easing his strictness. So we are ready to bribe that officer and the officer is ready to get bribed and oblige!

So within no time, the licensing office becomes a collection center for illegal money.

The RTA officers and staff now have an opportunity to make an extra income in liquid cash, not accounted any where. The amount varies from person to person and location to location. In some places, the persons concerned makes easy money many times more than their monthly salaries. Now these officers are vested with many other such powers, where whimsical decision making is possible and consequently, opportunity for making illegal cash through bribes.

The RTA officers and staff have become collection agents for black money. The story is not ending here.

They have to shell out the ill gotten money to their superiors, at least some portion of it. Otherwise they will get transferred to some remote areas where the opportunity for making such money is less or shunted out to some posts where there is no scope for making such monies.

So from the lower collection centers and individuals the higher authorities get the share, all in black. From the lower government employees the money flows. The political bigwigs then fight for getting 'important' portfolios in the ministries. The 'importance' here comes from the opportunity for making big cash.

Who is corrupt here ? Who is to be blamed?

I say, it is we the public. We are those small payers from whom the big black money gets generated.

If we decide to get our licenses in the normal way and decides not to pay those extra small sums to ease out our one time difficulties, this corruption could have been eliminated.

But one or two individuals in public cannot do it. There has to be a majority conviction for that. The majority in the public should have character and conviction!

If that is not feasible, then the officers of the RTA has to be people of character, conviction and competency.

That can happen only when the authorities above them have the same qualities.

That too seems difficult now.

So, a characterless society with characterless people cannot eradicate corruption !

If the majority of the individuals in the society or country are weak and characterless, they are are likely to be corrupt either actively or passively.

In such societies corruption will be an inherent phenomenon.

Any attempt of fighting corruption by such a society is bound to enhance the penetration and effects of corruption and make the situation worse and worse!

Source: BewareIndia Website