Putting things in perspective

“What yaar, these xyz people are earning so much.” we often hear. Probably I would have used these same words many times over the last 5 years.

“So what’s the C2C?” The inevitable question pops up whenever old b-school friends meet up.

It is interesting to observe how we often compare ourselves to those better off than us and feel bad that our life is not as good as theirs.

“That guy is working less than me. I will also work less like him and earn the same salary.”
“He has a Honda Accord. I will drive a Jaguar one day.”
“What a bungalow. Hope I had a house like this.” are some of the sentences often heard.

I personally have heard fewer people say, “I am so lucky I was born in a ‘good’ family. I had the opportunity to a good school, a good college, a good b-school and get a job with a salary which atleast 95% of my countrymen do not earn.”

Remember the first few pages of our CBSE NCERT text books, one of which had Gandhiji’s Talisman in a beautiful border (Talisman means something which has magical powers). So it went,

"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man [woman] whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him [her]. Will he [she] gain anything by it? Will it restore him [her] to a control over his [her] own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to Swaraj [freedom] for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."

Those days as school children it probably had little meaning. Students and teachers alike were more concerned with finishing of the rest of the text book, preparing for the inevitable exams. I personally stopped over on that page a few times in my school days but never really thought deeply about it. I hope others did!

But now I realize that the Talisman or the learning from it may be the key to that little happier life.

Always comparing oneself to those better off than us due to whatever reason, is rarely going to help us feel better or happy. Only when we keep reminding ourselves that the very fact that we are reading this article on a computer using Microsoft Word makes us amongst the luckiest on this earth. Many like us around the world probably never saw a computer till now.

In other words, putting things in the right perspective or comparing our life with those who are far worse off may help us in being a little happier. Happier not in the sadist kind of way, but feeling lucky that our life is much better. Practicing this over a period of time may even make us act to try and lift these unfortunate people who never got the opportunities that we had.

As I finish write this, I am again reminded of that 80’s song by Phil Collins, “It’s just another day for you and me in Paradise.”