I can resist anything, except..., (????)
I can resist anything but temptation - Oscar Wilde...
Oscar says that he can resist anything, which should mean everything on earth. But there is a catch! He cannot resist temptation, though! It is one of the best examples for a 'paradox'.
You can come across people of high resolve (taking oaths), very well-placed people, who must have promised their family (and promised themselves too) that they will not touch liquor, henceforth. (May be without touching, they may drink!). But when tempted by close buddies, who coax them with subtle compromises (of values), temptation overcomes them!
The lives of many poor families are being shattered every day due to the drinking menace. The bread-winner of the family, regularly consuming liquor, throws the family finance in tatters and the family is thrown on to the street. We can witness this scene everyday, especially in economically backward areas. Drinking is a compulsive feeling that they get. And they become so addicted to this dreadful habit, that nothing can stop them from going towards the liquor shop after the daily work schedule. They cannot resist this urge....Poor guys!
Similarly a lot of people take to gambling aided by simple prompting and prodding. May be this urge to gamble is resident in their sub-conscious minds, all the time. Rich people can afford 'Las Vegas' type of gambling. Horse racing is another gambling avenue for them. But you can also see middle class and poor people engaging in horse-racing bets. That is a pity. Card-game is another biggest menace. If played for fun in social gatherings (like marriages), it is okay to play (without using bets). But many poor people take to card-games and lose their money and sanity.
Now-a-days, due to the economical well-being of the middle class people, a lot of people get tempted to buy anything they come across, unmindful of the necessity of the same. They never ask themselves, 'Is it needed for me?'; 'Is it an absolute necessity?'. The attitude is that, 'I have a lot of disposable income and I can splurge on anything'. Can they consume (or make use of) all that they buy? A BIG NO. Some people buy things (whether needed or not) on impulse! These days people are bombarded by media ads that start screaming from the morning. In most of the popular newspapers we see full pages ads (and find some news somewhere in an inconspicuous corners!). Not to speak of TV ads. They tempt us in many different ways like, 'No up-front money', '0% interest', 'low EMI', 'buy 4 and get 5 free'.
Consumerism is of course good for the economy of the country. But what about the individual? The more we buy, more goes into garbage (creating problems of disposal, as well!). But for the momentary happiness (when we buy), do we get full utility of the things that we buy. It seldom is the case in most of the purchases we do. We must try to think twice before ordering anything online or when we do window-shopping. We will then find ourselves in a paradoxical situation, that is, 'less is more'. Less number of things, more of happiness in the long run....
Let us all seriously try to resist .....'temptation'
Oscar says that he can resist anything, which should mean everything on earth. But there is a catch! He cannot resist temptation, though! It is one of the best examples for a 'paradox'.
You can come across people of high resolve (taking oaths), very well-placed people, who must have promised their family (and promised themselves too) that they will not touch liquor, henceforth. (May be without touching, they may drink!). But when tempted by close buddies, who coax them with subtle compromises (of values), temptation overcomes them!
The lives of many poor families are being shattered every day due to the drinking menace. The bread-winner of the family, regularly consuming liquor, throws the family finance in tatters and the family is thrown on to the street. We can witness this scene everyday, especially in economically backward areas. Drinking is a compulsive feeling that they get. And they become so addicted to this dreadful habit, that nothing can stop them from going towards the liquor shop after the daily work schedule. They cannot resist this urge....Poor guys!
Similarly a lot of people take to gambling aided by simple prompting and prodding. May be this urge to gamble is resident in their sub-conscious minds, all the time. Rich people can afford 'Las Vegas' type of gambling. Horse racing is another gambling avenue for them. But you can also see middle class and poor people engaging in horse-racing bets. That is a pity. Card-game is another biggest menace. If played for fun in social gatherings (like marriages), it is okay to play (without using bets). But many poor people take to card-games and lose their money and sanity.
Now-a-days, due to the economical well-being of the middle class people, a lot of people get tempted to buy anything they come across, unmindful of the necessity of the same. They never ask themselves, 'Is it needed for me?'; 'Is it an absolute necessity?'. The attitude is that, 'I have a lot of disposable income and I can splurge on anything'. Can they consume (or make use of) all that they buy? A BIG NO. Some people buy things (whether needed or not) on impulse! These days people are bombarded by media ads that start screaming from the morning. In most of the popular newspapers we see full pages ads (and find some news somewhere in an inconspicuous corners!). Not to speak of TV ads. They tempt us in many different ways like, 'No up-front money', '0% interest', 'low EMI', 'buy 4 and get 5 free'.
Consumerism is of course good for the economy of the country. But what about the individual? The more we buy, more goes into garbage (creating problems of disposal, as well!). But for the momentary happiness (when we buy), do we get full utility of the things that we buy. It seldom is the case in most of the purchases we do. We must try to think twice before ordering anything online or when we do window-shopping. We will then find ourselves in a paradoxical situation, that is, 'less is more'. Less number of things, more of happiness in the long run....
Let us all seriously try to resist .....'temptation'
Hi Theri, you are great!. I know, you used to write on different thoughts that pass thru' your mind. Your presentation ( the style), communication skill & the substance are too good.
ReplyDeleteThis is to appreciate your work & encourage you to open up more in the coming days.
Your natural talents and ability to present make the "flow" to be good . It will draw anyone like me (lay-man) drawn to you.
God Bless!
First of all, I bow to you for your wonderful and encouraging comment. It will work as a 'shot in my arm'. Such comments do keep me going strong.
DeleteI plan to write on various subjects of 'social interest'. In the process, I try my best to not enter into the circle of controversy.
Could you please identify yourself? I would be greatly pleased to know. All my friends address me as "Theri"