[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Exercising people power’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’18’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY HERBERT VEGO
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
Thursday, March 1, 2018
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=’18’ font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
“IF I WERE down to my last dollar, I would spend it on public relations,” said Bill Gates, the man who is most unlikely to run out of money.
Gates believes he needs to be in good terms with subordinates who make up everybody else in his business.
When he married Belinda, he had to lose individual freedoms to enjoy a “happy we” family life.
In an article, famous American book author Robert Ringer wrote, “Even if you were to attempt to live a Thoreau-type life in the wilderness — a prospect that sounds rather boring — you still would find the need to talk to people from time to time. Food and medical care are two obvious reasons why.”
We learn early childhood that a teacher may give a student a wrong grade for a right answer just because she dislikes him; or parents may play favorites among their children.
Thus, we get disappointed over “unfair treatment” from relying too much on another person. The more we rely on someone, the more we see his imperfection without realizing that he must have seen our imperfections, too.
On the brighter side, it compels us to be self-reliant and non-judgmental of others.
We have learned from Charles Darwin’s “survival of the fittest” that people are programmed at birth to be selfish. This means that whatever good we do to others is commensurate with their usefulness to us. Imagine what would happen if we feed others to the point of starving ourselves. Indeed, there is no absolute altruism – unselfish concern for other people’s happiness and welfare.
If we choose to receive the best of whatever from our friends and relatives, it could lead to frustration and despair.
Nevertheless, accepting human nature as it really is makes us focus on symbiosis or action that also creates value for others.
People do not easily shed off ingrained habits and beliefs. I saw this for myself when I received a Hindu literature in the e-mail. Try hard as I did, I could not swallow its recommendation to worship the elephant god Ganesh in exchange for good fortune.
Conversely, the Hindus could not be forced to worship Jesus Christ.
I remember having written an article critical of Roman Catholic beliefs, only to be flooded with acidic adjectives from Catholic readers who predicted I would go to hell. It reminded me of a nugget from Dale Carnegie’s book, How to Win Friends and Influence People: “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.”
It is also true, however, that people may change even unexpectedly because of unforeseen circumstances. I saw this in my Uncle George, who had spent a decade in the New Bilibid Prison. On the day he got out of jail, he sought my father for advice on how to keep cool, admitting that bad temper had driven him to shoot and paralyze his employer.
It is therefore wise to select business associates, friends, and spouses based on common values. Incompatibility breeds dislike, as in marriage between a rabid Catholic and a rabid Protestant; that could break a home.
Against out will, times there are when we need to “adjust” to people with ideas and beliefs contrary to ours.
To quote Robert Ringer once more, “All people, at one time or another, deviate from their moral beliefs; they are sometimes hypocritical. More often than not, the cause is the desire for instant gratification.”
As said by French novelist Victor Hugo (1802-1885), “Prosperity supposes capacity. Win in the lottery and you are an able man.” (hvego31@gmail.com/PN)
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
