Egoism and Us
Little do we recognize the value of our subconscious mind. This mind of ours has great potential, and almost everything that we do or react to eventually arises from our subconscious mind. Just that, it has to be played a trifle with. I will be sharing a hint from our daily lives, a fresh incident that is bound to amaze you. Read on, and you'll understand what I am really trying to say.
Representational photo. Ramesh Ramaiah/Wikimedia Organisation
It was three days back when I travelled to the town of Bandel to meet my grandparents who reside there. All well and good. Yesterday was the date to return. I boarded the Bardhaman-Howrah down train, and was surprised to find that most of the seats were empty. Quickly, I grabbed hold of a seat and in a moment was seated. Stations came, and they passed by. It was after the train passed Chandannagore station that a blind young man, probably in his twenties, boarded the same compartment and started playing a banjo-like instrument. It doesn't end here, actually. He kept on playing, and none of us were really paying attention, but enjoying it in our subconscious mind. And he kept playing and playing, until a fellow hawker passing by commented, "Bhai, tui gaan bajash na. Keu taka debe na, sob sudhu sune jabe. Bekar khatchen" (Brother, don't play that instrument. Everyone will merely listen, no one will pay you. Don't do that, because you are wasting time).
Amazing, that. The very next moment, people rose from their seats, put the hand in the back pocket and scrambled to find one or two rupee coins. One by one. Nearly all of the people contributed a small amount to him. Lucky guy. He must have thanked that hawker in his mind.
Why did everyone suddenly rise to donate some money to that poor stranger?
There is something called "ego" in all of us. Whether we are a kid, a teen, in our forties or aged, it doesn't matter. Personal dignity is of supreme importance to us. A similar technique to this is used by nonprofit and charity-based organisations in efforts of raising funds. If the hawker kept quite and did not make any statement whatsoever, none of us really would have provided him with some money. None. Just because he said that, it struck that part of our brain, again- subconscious mind. Immediately, our brain ordered us to save our self-dignity and our egoistic approach. Instinctively we tried to get some money for him.
He played and played. Of course, until the next station arrived.
It was three days back when I travelled to the town of Bandel to meet my grandparents who reside there. All well and good. Yesterday was the date to return. I boarded the Bardhaman-Howrah down train, and was surprised to find that most of the seats were empty. Quickly, I grabbed hold of a seat and in a moment was seated. Stations came, and they passed by. It was after the train passed Chandannagore station that a blind young man, probably in his twenties, boarded the same compartment and started playing a banjo-like instrument. It doesn't end here, actually. He kept on playing, and none of us were really paying attention, but enjoying it in our subconscious mind. And he kept playing and playing, until a fellow hawker passing by commented, "Bhai, tui gaan bajash na. Keu taka debe na, sob sudhu sune jabe. Bekar khatchen" (Brother, don't play that instrument. Everyone will merely listen, no one will pay you. Don't do that, because you are wasting time).
Amazing, that. The very next moment, people rose from their seats, put the hand in the back pocket and scrambled to find one or two rupee coins. One by one. Nearly all of the people contributed a small amount to him. Lucky guy. He must have thanked that hawker in his mind.
Why did everyone suddenly rise to donate some money to that poor stranger?
There is something called "ego" in all of us. Whether we are a kid, a teen, in our forties or aged, it doesn't matter. Personal dignity is of supreme importance to us. A similar technique to this is used by nonprofit and charity-based organisations in efforts of raising funds. If the hawker kept quite and did not make any statement whatsoever, none of us really would have provided him with some money. None. Just because he said that, it struck that part of our brain, again- subconscious mind. Immediately, our brain ordered us to save our self-dignity and our egoistic approach. Instinctively we tried to get some money for him.
He played and played. Of course, until the next station arrived.
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