the illusion of complexity

if we look around...we can see the creations of the human mind

the pyramids of egypt

nuclear science

spinal surgeries

and simple things like sewing machine, the steam engine...absolute marvels

But if you come to think of it...how in the name of God...did they make huge labyrinths which they connected through tunnels which were designed to make u go round and round if u didnt have the map....all with the help of giant boulders fitted without modern technology!!!

if u see it...its only a question of three variables...and multiple iterations over them and u get the answer

but i'll take u to something even simpler...the 8 queens problem...and the kinky sadistic bastard that i am....i will let u take the effort of googling what the 8 queens problem is.

But again it is the problem of 1 independent and 7 partially dependent variables...all locked together in multiple iterations...

But what is the key...the key is that even though there are hundreds of variables that go into a controlled nuclear explosion...the complexity is only an illusion...once u can look past it...it all breaks down into simple variables to be dealt one at a time and pondered over iteratively

Life is like that...job, family, love, friends, health, economy...and prolly around a dozen more variables...together they provide the illusion of complexity...that illusion becomes the chains we talk about often. But if u can look past the illusion...the picture starts unravelling...and the choices we need to make in life become very simple...

I believe the smile on a sadhu's lips...is because he can see how simple how life is...and he knows we can't see that :P

a little bit of maths...a little bit of life

ok this issue of unhappy people, couples and families has been bugging me lately...And like for most things i take the help of my dear friends Maths and Logic to help shed some light on these.

And hence today we call upon Mr. Parreto and his law to help us out albeit with some modifications. For those uninitated the Parreto law says that 80% of things can be attributed to 20% of the causes. The figure can vary the 80:20 is not a etched in stone figure...its more about the spirit than the word.

So lets start with the diagnosis. How does one label oneself or a relationship happy. If for 80% of the time you are happy, happy wid your partner, having happy conversations with your family...then you are well...happy. The question you will be asking is how do i measure it...well one day spend some time observing your conversation or the conversations happening in your family, if they are lighthearted banter, serious banter, anger, disputes etc etc. Repeat this three or four days with gaps inbetween...it should throw up some light on your state...

So the next question is what if one is not happy (if u r happy then well move to another post...or come claim ure eclairs from me :) )...well then here is where the parreto and his law really comes into use...most of your troubles according to this law would be coming from a few couple of things...

I will not be addressing the breadth of issues that could possible plague u...but just one...taking life too seriously...most of the things we are serious about...in the long game of life...are actually trivialities...in school it was what if i fail, what if i don't get through iit jee, what if i am not selected in the school team, not to forget the horrid times girls went through over pimples...when you grow up the ever increasing peer pressure, the whole thing about feeding ones family, building a home, job, boss, pay raises, expectations of relatives, expectations of society.............if you let things bugger u down...they will bugger u down...if u try...u can take the burden of the atlas on your shoulders...but really the atlas will survive even if u didn't...it did so before u came on earth and after u leave...

Ok i'll help with another one...a quickie...fights...most people fight...because they don't listen and they don't try and put themselves in the other person's shoes...

So why am i preaching all this...well cause this is what i try and live by...and because bhai and bhabhi have been at each others necks for a few days now... :P

and i don't like ppl being unhappy...smile...spread miles of smiles...

(btw it ain't easy...going thru a lot of heartburn on many accounts these days...then i remind myself...eno khaao kaam pe chalo :)

smile ppl...we are god's painting...lets make it beautiful

simplify

for those who have ever tried solving a nuclear equation would realize that therein physics takes a cruel turn...of variables too many to fathom by visualization. And since even the greatest of scientist are but borne of humans like we are...they also get stumped by such complexities...

So they do what most people with simpler problems dont...they simplify...they work on one variable at a time holding everything else constant.

Our life is full of issues...we are lucky if the issues end up being as trivial as stuck in the wrong career or messed up in love...some people end up going through cancer and aids and i feel those are the kind of challenges which really i wouldnt wish on my enemy also...

But being happy...is quite a challenge...for its a summation of many choices we make...the problem usually arises because we don't consciously make most of those choices...and that we try and tackle too many variables at one go...

life's happiness usually doesn't rely on the big things we do...though when we define happiness we usually talk about the things we are going to do probably once in a month or once a year.

We don't meditate enough on what is happiness for us, hence we keep running around...taking in little stimulations at a time and hoping that is it..that is what happiness means...

i could probably tell you what happiness is...but the issue is...its not about the answer....its the question that will set you free....and secondly since i'm also still on the journey it would be unfair to talk like a saint (though prolly i'm just 13 months away from it sainthood)

Pursuit of happiness

A very philosophical question that affects most people at some point in their lives is the question of the purpose of their existence.

While I have no idea who made the earth or put us humans on it...i do believe that each one of us has a purpose being here...and it is to pursue happiness.

A friend of mine said, you spend half of your day in office...work has to be first priority. Though it was said in a different context, in a way he is right...wat one devotes most of the time to should get highest priority...and since we devote 100% of our time to our life...that should get even higher priority...and the measure of success of our life...how much we enjoyed living it.

The past one week i have spent observing and thinking on this...and i think what we mostly do is walk through our lives without pondering much on whether our actions and our pursuits really make us happy...

People get angry...people get worked up...people dedicate their lives to work, to their children, to accumulation of wealth, to honor and respect...yet most of us don't know wat gives us happiness...and so end up achieving most of everything that really doesnt add up to anything at all...

this is one article...that is very generic...gives absolutely no clue as to wat to take from it...and probably has been spoken of by half a dozen self help gurus a million times ( atleast mine is free)...yet i insist...that if you do start pondering about what will make u feel like u have enjoyed being here on earth...i shall have achived quite a lot...

the one tip i can give u is that...the first three iterations of thought are not the answer (in general terms)...and when u realize the answer it doesnt require u to leap off a cliff or give up your job (or it might)...but suddenly u might find u can start enjoying life...