Quoting Quotable Quotes

Someone has rightly said: Some rationales transcend rational explanations. The rationale behind a quote being quotable is a scintilla in the domain of logic. But its effect in domain of argument/dialogue (will use argument in rest of passage) is a raging fire in the jungle. It’s not that a quote, by some comprehensive detail or by an apt logic, proves something. For the ‘detail’ part, if someone wants to tell detail why would he resort to a brief quote in the first place? And by its very nature there has never been logic behind someone quoting a quote. I say ‘nature’ because quote by its nature is not a scientific theorem or an axiom, one uses a quote mere to take help of an ‘impressive and convincing’ (though illogical it maybe) external factor in our argument.

To me some of the reasons why one quotes some quote are:

• The quote is said by some famous/popular person and big personalities have good impression on us though one has absolutely no idea in what context given famous person said it.
• When one has nothing else to say to defend oneself, one just picks up a random quote along with a terrible smile and feels proud of his argument. (I do it, frequently)

By the given reasoned argument we can say that when one builds some hypothesis or logical concept, one should not take the support of a ‘quote’. But the truth is I am limited by my own weakness of limited knowledge and limited ability to conclude something logically (in questions that happen to be relatively tough for my ability). Therefore it becomes essential for me to resort to such petty ways. Anyway who cares!!

There are some I freely and usually refer to in times of emergency of loosing a war of words. These quotes come pretty handy in times of crisis with some smart chap, try these

• Ignorance is bliss
• Everyone has a mortgage to pay
• Choices become the destiny
• Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted
• There is no right or wrong, its just perceptions
• The pen is mightier than the sword
• Actions speak louder than words
• Doubt is the beginning of wisdom
• Wise men make proverbs and fools repeat them
• Hey Ram!! (This bit is just to embarrass someone)

There are some purely my own creations also:

• God created man and in answer to that devil created wo-man.
• Words without action lead no one nowhere
• Truth is as much logical as I want to believe
• Only in the darkness, one can savor moonlight
• The world is not enough, but there is no way you can get more than world. Alas!!
• You believe you have seen the entire world, but reality is you don’t have eyes in the first place.

Then there is the plagiarized one:

• “My goal is simple. It is a complete understanding of the universe, why it is as it is and why it exists at all.” -- Stephen Hawking
  “My goal is simply complex. It is a complete understanding of the life we live, how do we live, why do we live and why do we have to live at all” – Sukesh Kumar

Counter-arguments and more inputs to quotes are welcomed...

The One Where Advani Shows Up

Reading the speech of L K Advani has changed my perception of BJP in its entirety. First of all when I read this I laughed my ass off on Advani’s boastings. But when I thought it over and with much inspection I came to realize that it contains more truth than I had imagined.

BJP maybe notorious for its emphasis and handling of Hindutava issue (rather propaganda) but this one issue aside on economic front BJP really has a great agenda. The very thing that is in favour of BJP is that the ideology of BJP is not limited by left or right politics. Their politic behaviour is very much close to realpolitik. Nothing can compare to his reflection that government has no business to do business: “Raja Bane Vyapari, Praja Bane Bhikari”. Apart from that Modi’s win was also not just because of Hindutava issue but good economic policies and governance was also one of the mammoth reasons.

When he talks about GDP he can’t be more true. The intentional over emphasis of UPA ( PM Manmohan and FM Chindabaram) on GDP and Sensex serves only the purpose of alluring Indian people for vote bank and making of an image. I am not saying GDP is bad for Indian economy but the reflection of GDP on Indian poverty is not to be seen. Even the rise of GDP is also not in anyway consequence of government policy; it is all the effect of rising awareness of Indian citizen and liberation of 1991. Well that’s not issue here, it can be discussed separately. The point being that BJP(Advani) at least recognise the problem of lack of good governance.

Congress on the other hand tries its all means to keep the family tradition of keeping the ‘crown of rule’ under its armpit. Congress leadership is not dominated by ideology or politics rather it is dominated by family values of Gandhi-Nehru legacy.

Note: Let it be clear that I do not support any political division or organisation, I am merely concerned with my Bharat. Also I have kept the case of Hindutava just aside and have not disregarded it entirely.

The Butterfly Effect

It hurts my heart a great deal when a narrow view by masses of people of their identity becomes a danger to themselves. Recent failed attempt of riots by Raj Thackeray is just a passing example in the long alley of Indian history of violence. It is not identity politics that is being played by Raj but it is separatist politics that he is trying his hands on. In a pluralist democracy like India it is not only a setback to see such incidents but it creates insurgence and continuous strengthening of a virus that is crippling backbone of multi-façade India.

Let us get into more details by using mantra of Atanu Dey: Cause and Symptom. The problem is not that Raj Thackeray is playing the card of separatism and state-pride. His ability to play the card is just a symptom of another underlying problem. The problem is that his followers are blind enough to be provoked by a mere statement of their leader and can go to the extent of killing their own Indian brothers. This problem is not only limited to MNS(Maharashtra Navnirman Sena), the problem lies with every political party that tries to amass their troops on the call of separatism. And cause of this blind faith is very simply their ignorance and inability to weigh good and bad by their own judgment. If not this cause the person in concern is compelled to do this because of his unemployment and abject poverty. These both causes ‘ignorance’ and ‘Poverty’ are in turn a symptom of serious problem with Indian social and economical condition. The cause and solution both to these problems is simply ‘education’.

More has been elucidated in Educating the education minister by Tavleen Singh.