STRANDOMS: the stray and random thoughts
March 29,2020
Prof. S. Ramkumar
Education
Clarity in complexity
The one message to be learnt and shared is: “the success in life depends on our ability to develop clarity in complexity”. Sequencing to ever-changing scenes of life in the best way possible! That’s when we improve our faculty to view the complexity (or a problem) with a clearer mind.
This is about the “information” that COVID 19 situation generates and spins around the humanity of our planet. In simple terms it’s about how cautious we need to be as “managers of Information” on what we hear, listen, talk and spread – whatever maybe the media we depend on.
What do you want to learn and teach (if at all) in life?
“Ability to achieve clarity in situations of complexity”. And life is a series of situations, complex in its own ways (some prefer to call this complexity as problems). Every situation is unique, and dynamic, steering and clearing to the next situation. And complexity (situation or problem as we want to see) may transpose as we advance in time, age and experience. The key is to enhance the ability to find that “transparent, bright and clear spot” amidst the “cloudy frame” .
Clarity is a product of “endurance, perseverance and balanced emotions” in a situation of complexity and/or chaos. The issues of complexity are different at different stages: for a child, teen, youth, middle aged, the more aged …
It is important to learn and teach on “complexities as part of life” and ‘exploring clarity as a solution to deal them” and “never as a process of worry to brood on”.
Learn ourselves and, and teach others (especially the youngsters) on the principles of facing life in adversities (or complexities).
- Fix the dithering. Learn to make decisions. We can’t avoid complexities; even if we want to, situations are inevitable and they will not avoid us. The best way is to have a mind to address them. Think clearly before taking a decision: if the mind is agitated, pause to get the normal senses and then try to see the problem.
- Life is as what you are to life; its what we make it. A concept which may not be so comprehensible for children and youth. The simple message should be understand your abilities and aspirations and work well through life. Life will discover you.
Some people say how life has been unfair to them with lots of situations of worries and challenges. Apparently it looks a genuine statement. However its also important to reflect on the abilities given to use by life to address these complexities. We need to learn or be taught, and teach this capacity to others. That helps us to steer through life in difficult or complex situations. Rationality needs to be redeemed in life.
- Clout of worry, anxiety and anger affects clarity. They can provide a perception of blind end. Do not believe in blind ends, they are the passing phases through the temporary dark tunnels, always opening to the daylight waiting. Avoid clouts; we can foresee the light at the end of the tunnel.
- Life is a bundle of joy, but joy cannot be experienced unless sorrow is known. But then the sorrow (if seen as a complexity) has to be viewed as a part of life, understood and addressed to come out and move forward.
- Try to see the complexity as an outsider, as a third person. Viewing from outside, gives better insights of comprehending certain universal truths applied to our situations. It helps to get separate strands of solutions from the otherwise coagulated complexity.
Losing the near and dear is a sorrow; parting with kith and kin is a moody situation; strained relationships are stressful – all these are examples of the compulsory packages of life.
What is to be understood by us, and explained to the next generation is that all these will happen in life. Losing, parting, straining…. Clarity is the ability to cope with these and that decides the success. We need to accept these, and move through these complexities with endurance of determination (in one way it’s the emotional intelligence). This ability helps us to sail smoothly from one shore of the sea to different in our life. This boat of sail is made of “values and beliefs” we strongly uphold, aimed at the good of the globe.
Building the ability to create clarity in situation (a self-driven quality) is often influenced by the people and examples around (family, friends, teachers, media…). To listen to those which will add clarity, and to weed out the ones that purports complexity, is a message of life that we need to heed from early years.
Ultimate aim of Education, formal in schools and colleges, non formal at home and in society should aim at helping in exploring and understanding life for a better dwell for self and society ; pins it down to “clarity in complexity”.