FALLACY

Some years ago, we were conducting training for an organisation. The lunch was served in their canteen. The person who accompanied us was very courteous but did not partake in the meal. He sheepishly admitted that he would not eat as his mother had instructed him to abstain from food during the solar eclipse that was occurring that day.

He told us that during the eclipse, all water and cooked food would be thrown out. After the end of the eclipse, all would bathe and fresh water would be filled from the tap and used to cook fresh food. He explained that during the eclipse, the food and water would be contaminated. My colleague asked him, ‘Do you empty the overhead tank, the reservoirs and rivers as well? Surely they would be under great exposure.’

Even the educated succumb to the fallacy, because we think that it does no harm to follow a tradition with seems to bring no harm. But a fallacy will eclipse our thinking abilities in more ways than one. While fasting during an eclipse, or any other time, is not bad as long as our body can take it; surely throwing away edible food and water is not condonable.  

So often we base our actions on erroneous beliefs. Premises based on invalid references lead to the empowerment of fallacy. False notions and misplaced logic leads to wrong conclusions. In fact, most fallacies are propped up by the crutches of distorted scientific principles. After all, we so easily allow our knowledge to be eclipsed by erroneous reason.

Let’s BE BETTER at keeping every fallacy at bay...

By not allowing reason to be eclipsed any way!

- Pravin K. Sabnis 

BREVITY

‘Brevity is the soul of wit’

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the words are spoken by Polonius, whose various advices are often quoted by orators. However, the above quote is ironic in the context of the play, as Polonius is anything but brief in his long winded speeches. Hence, while it is an impressive line, its real worth eludes its own articulator.

The line implies that to be better at intelligent communication, we must go straight to the point and not beat around the bush. Being brief is an important aspect in today’s fast paced world. By being brief, our communication becomes better focussed and we create a better impact akin to hitting Bull’s eye.

However, we feel that to be impressive, abundance is a must. Indeed, when orators are asked to speak for three minutes, they wonder how it is possible to make an impact in such constratined duration. But it is pertinent to remember that Abraham Lincoln’ famous Gettysburg speech was just over two minutes as it included just ten lines.

Effective film makers are those who have the courage to edit and leave out the unnecessary, even if they are excellent shots. Ditto for effective orators, writers, communicators... Brevity comes with the courage and conviction to avoid the unnecessary and focus just on essentials.

Let’s BE BETTER at using words with rarity...

And make an expressive impact with brevity!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

INDIGNATION

The first edition of Aamir Khan’s television show exposed the brutal reality of the daughters of a nation fondly called Mother India. Social networking sites were full of expression ranging from appreciation to indignation… all in approval of Khan’s call to halt female foeticide.

This is not the first time that the harsh social inequality has been exposed. Way back in the 1920s, Katherine Mayo uncovered the shameful treatment of the women of our country. Over the years, sting operations by journalists have exposed the murderous ways of doctors, educationists, leaders and others. Social reformers have been working for centuries to reclaim human dignity for women. 

Indignation happens when somebody else commits the crime. When we are the culprits, justifications emerge. Ultimately, the killing of the girl child does not happen just as a foetus. Even when ‘allowed’ to exist, her aspirations and emotions are often fettered, stifled or butchered. When human dignity is trampled upon, mere indignation is not enough.

 It would be better if we indulge in empathetic introspection rather than merely declare our indignation towards injustice and indignity around us. We must investigate our own attitudes. Do we genuinely recognise the rights to equality, liberty, dignity and opportunity of all human beings? Do we shun irrational rituals that treat our women as commodities? Otherwise even well-intentioned indignation is just another transitory emotion with no connect to transformative and responsive actions.

 Sans responsiveness, there is little to indignation 
Dignity will BE BETTER reclaimed by real actions 

 - Pravin K. Sabnis

TRIPLE FILTER

Once a scholar was accosted by a person who said, ‘Do you know what I have just heard about your friend?’ The wise one interrupted him, ‘before you proceed, let’s apply the triple filter test... the first filter is Truth; are you sure that what you are about to tell is true?’ ‘Well... actually I have just heard it’, the man admitted. Next the mystic applied the filter of Goodness and Usefulness... ‘Is what you are going to tell me about my friend something good?’ ‘Is what you want to tell going to be useful to me?’ When both the replies were in the negative, the sage queried, ‘if what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?’ It is hard to find a filter that does not make something better. The above filter is attributed to Socrates as well as some Abbasid scholar. But while we do not know whether the story is true; it is definitely useful and carries a good message. Every time we talk about somebody or something, it would be better to use the Triple-Filter-Test. So often we are carriers of careless gossip that would never pass through the Filter-Test. We come across scandalous information that we feel compelled to pass on to others and we end up causing irrevocable damage to reputations, relationships and lives. Hence it would be better to follow the simplified counsel by Thumper’s parents in the film ‘Bambi’: ‘if you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all!’ We must BE BETTER at using the Triple Filter Test If not true, good or useful; lay the rumour to rest! - Pravin K. Sabnis

PLAY MANY PARTS

‘All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts…’ – William Shakespeare (from ‘As You Like It’) The Bard’s drama dialogue refers to changing roles played across the biggest script of all – LIFE – an account of the highs and lows, of talents and choices, of careers and goals. So often we are mesmerized by self-absorbed dreams and fears of what lies ahead that we are unable to see beyond the illusion. We watch the smoke and mirrors and special effects – floods, famines, wars, epidemics - that recur in our world, but we move on playing one track roles within a self-centred comfort zone. We do have the free will to choose at every moment how we will script and play out each scene. We determine if the script is going to be a tragedy or a comedy. Every different decision makes a different scenario play itself out. This feature gives us the illusion of chance, chaos, and even fear –components of any good script. After all, the script doesn’t make the actor, the actor makes the script. Our attitude toward the roles we play is everything. The best players demand challenging roles. The best performers play many parts that include not only scripting, directing and performing; but also supporting, responding, appreciating and cheering other roles. For the world to be better as larger stage, we must be better at playing many parts. We must BE BETTER at playing many parts… Every stage requires players with a large heart! - Pravin K. Sabnis

ALTER ATTITUDE

A woman approached her friend for some poison to kill her hostile mother-in-law. Her friend cautioned her, ‘since, everyone knows that you hate her, it will be obvious that you killed her. Instead if you give her this slow poison every day, she will die in six months. In the meanwhile behave as if you love her. When she dies no one will suspect you.’

The woman started giving the poison to her mother-in-law; at the same time, she acted as if she loved her. Shortly, her mother-in-law began to reciprocate her love and caring attitude. Now, the woman no longer wanted her to die. She rushed to her friend to ask for an antidote. Her friend calmly replied, ‘what I gave you is harmless. I knew that if you changed your behaviour to your mother-in-law, she would reciprocate with positive feelings towards you.’

Surely, attitude is difficult to alter. But behaviour can be easily changed. A changed stimulus invites a transformed response. A renovated response gives rise to positive experiences which lead to positive outlook and affirmative thinking. And affirmative thinking leads to a positively altered attitude.

Mahatma Gandhi said it so well, ‘be the change you want to see in the world!’ So often, we crib about the negatives in others. But the attitude of others is also impacted by our own attitude that is reflected in our behaviour towards them. Surely, it would be better to alter our own behaviour to discover positive impacts that eventually result in transformed thinking and attitude on both sides!

To alter the attitude of the other seems wrong…
BE BETTER at altering your behavioural song!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

GRASPABLE

The Rotary Club of Panjim Riviera annually organises a 4-day camp for the visually challenged. The schedule includes learning of employability skills, fun activities and showcasing the talent of the campers. Upon being invited to conduct a session, I knew my greatest challenge was to ensure that my communication was graspable to my participants.

The experience of work with physically challenged, hearing impaired teams and ‘special’ persons taught me sensitivity, patience and the effective use of body language. But here the additional challenge was to use language that is unambiguous. The following choices helped keep unintelligibility at bay:

• Always identify yourself as well as others by name.
• Do not presume comprehension, confirm it at all times.
• Talk about how and what you are doing so that they can truly see.
• Give clear directions and avoid ambiguous ‘here’ and ‘there’
• Ask if help is needed, do not take for granted.
• Declare that activity is over instead of just moving away.

Amusingly, the above tips help to be better at clear communication with not just sight-impaired persons, but all others as well. Surely, the ability to grasp is greatly dependent on the clarity of graspable communication. And the primary onus rests with the communicator to convey what emerges from the out-of-sight confines of the individual mind.

Let’s BE BETTER at graspable communication
So that our listeners can grasp a clear vision!

- Pravin K. Sabnis