And that’s where the discourse is going wrong — I spent my last week in a weeklong residential naturopathy program. It begins at 5.30 a.m. with a long yoga session. The session was interspersed with mild to medium doses of political and cultural discourse. The political and commercial gods of India We have gods for everything: money, animals, death, knowledge, air, and rivers. …

Misunderstanding effect for cause — Everybody has an answer to the question of leadership skills, but it has always left us wanting. There are two reasons for this: We don’t know the answer and are merely playing guesswork; we don’t want to know. The fundamental reason why we are not great leaders is because we…

A story of my endeavour to express what I believe — I mulled over the reason for my rejection. I have always believed that we sabotage ourselves in an attempt to “fake it until you make it”. It works in mild proportions. This brand of marketing has gained currency as it works with unseasoned evaluators. …

The opportunity is always around the corner — I worked under one who was a dead ringer for the certified narcissistic characteristics. A grandiose sense of self-importance characterises it. Live in a fantasy world that validated his grandiose fantasies. Praise and admiration were always in short supply. Possessing a strong sense of entitlement. Always willing to take advantage…

And safety behavior is the biggest cue — The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard coined the word “angst” in his pathbreaking book, “The Concept of Anxiety.” Angst is a feeling of dread and anxiety. He professed, “Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.” Anxiety is equated to the feeling of dizziness a man faces standing at the edge of a…

scopolamine is a very curious potion — You are at the nightclub, melting the accumulated stress from the day’s labor. You entertain the advances of a young woman, understanding them to be the usual money trade-off. You take a restroom break or are made to look up the other side. You finish your drink, spend some time…

Wu Wei is easily misunderstood — Wu means not, and Wei means action, making, or forcing. Wu Wei is the principle of not forcing. If we watch a player who is forcing his moves and doesn’t look to be in flow, we can easily make out the artificiality. Some of the best artists, musicians, and writers…

Can you address the problem of fear in parts? — Fear of failure is my biggest fear. As per Freud’s psychoanalytical theory, the root of this is buried in my childhood. …

There is a deep meaning in his story — A young boy had snuck onto a train en route to Berlin. Upon seeing the ticket checker, he slipped under the seat. He couldn’t evade the scanning eyes of the man who bent down and asked in a stern voice, “Show me your ticket, lad.” With no hope in sight…