ANALYSIS
The resilience of Simone George and Mark Pollock as individuals and as a couple shine through every minute of their 19-minute talk.
I was recently sent the link to a TED talk titled ‘A Love Letter to Realism in a Time of Grief’. The speakers were a couple - Simone George and Mark Pollock.
Mark an adventurer, was struck by blindness early in life. Later an accident paralysed him from the waist down. His partner Simone is a human rights lawyer. They are now committed to finding a cure to paralysis.
The resilience of Simone George and Mark Pollock as individuals and as a couple shine through every minute of their 19-minute talk.
Early in the talk, Simon, speaks of Viktor Frankl’s book Man’s Search For Meaning. One can see the bulwark on which their commitment to each other stands on.
Simon speaks of the difference between hope and realism. Hope is about life governed and fueled by goals, no different from deliberately putting all eggs in one basket.
Realism, on the other hand, is a pragmatic approach to hope. It’s about acknowledging the lay of the land and paving the way accordingly.
It is living one day at a time.
Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist, lived through the Theresienstadt ghetto, Auschwitz, and camps linked to Dachau. He observed that fellow inmates who lived in hope, setting themselves deadlines for freedom which were in no way linked to their reality, as a way to survive the horrors of the concentration camps died when those deadlines passed. Others who accepted and worked with their situation survived.
Unmet hope, can lead to debilitating disappointment and the dilution of the will to get up and live.
Hope, is not always what it is meant to be. From time immemorial it has been understood to be an Achilles Heel. Thus it is no surprise that axioms, philosophies and religions have spoken of ways to avoid being drawn to this Siren’s song.
The Shrimad Bhagwad Gita, many millennia older, also speaks of the same thing. Krishna tells Arjuna to not be attached and one does not have the right to the fruits of one’s labour. Similarly, Lord Buddha advises ‘Be where you are; otherwise you will miss your life’
In the T-Group methodology, the concept of ‘Here and Now’ is key to understanding and respecting the individual and group processes.
It serves as the defining principle, which guides individuals to focus on the present instead of dwelling on the past or future.
This value placed on the present in interpersonal and relationships with the self is exemplified by Thich Nhat Hanh’s statement ‘We have more possibilities available in each minute than we realise.’
Janis Joplin said ‘You can destroy your now by worrying about tomorrow’. She was one of the most influential song writers and singers making a profound observation for the hippy set.
But it is not only her. There have been innumerable iterations of ‘Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery’ and are now forwarded as good morning messages.
These words, that have been shared over the centuries, are but a recognition of a human affliction - the affinity to draw solace from an intractable future instead of deriving strength from the potential of the present.
It is surely not our sense of adventure that attracts us to this unknown future. Could it be a lens that sees the present as insurmountable? Or is it the ghosts of the past that leaden our feet?
Many religions that have found favour with humans to bring order in their lives abuse the two extremities of time.
Abrahamical religions have a future in mind when they speak of life after death. Hinduism, on the other hand focuses on the past with the concept of Karma. The underlying assumption is that a person’s current situation is based on past life actions. Thus, the concept of the unassailable ‘Here and Now’, as espoused by religions, is injected with a degree of time addled fragility.
Author has worked in development sector
DNA TV Show: Hindus in Bangladesh unite against fundamentalism
‘Another example of…’: MEA on Canada labelling India ‘cyber adversary’
'Bhai kyu jhooti tassali....': Mrunal Thakur criticizes fan who photoshopped her in Diwali pic
Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani set to earn money from Singham Again's box office collection, here’s how
Adani Power cuts Bangladesh electricity supply by half due to $846 million unpaid bills
Here's what is happening inside Ratan Tata’s Bombay House since after death of business magnate
Virat Kohli dispels retirement rumours, suggests he may continue playing cricket till....
Meet man, highest UPSC exam scorer, who broke IAS Tina Dabi's record, he is...
Swati Maliwal pours bottle of polluted water outside Delhi CM Atishi’s residence; WATCH
IPL 2025: R Ashwin tops CSK's wishlist as franchise plans to utilize RTM for THIS New Zealand star
'Abki baar...': AI imagines Donald Trump, Kamala Harris as Indian politicians, netizens react, WATCH
Amid bomb threats, ammunition cartridges found in Dubai-Delhi Air India flight
This Indian king, was first man to make history by marrying foreign woman during his trip to...
Mukesh Ambani's Jio once again TOPPED in global telecom industry, sets record in...
Bhai Dooj 2024: Date, shubh muhurat, significance, rituals and more
New ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’ emerges: Meet man who declares himself to be Bitcoin founder but fails to...
Watch: Former CSK star gets hit for 6 sixes in an over against England during Hong Kong Sixes
'Makes no sense': Ex-India star slams Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir for absurd Sarfaraz Khan decision
World's richest man Elon Musk faces lawsuit from Ex-Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal for...
Security forces kill 2 terrorists, including a foreign national in Jammu and Kashmir
WWE Crown Jewel 2024: Full match card, timing, live streaming details - All you need to know
'Absurd and baseless': India dismisses Canadian minister's allegations against Amit Shah
IND vs NZ: Virat Kohli scripts history in Mumbai Test, becomes first player in world to...
This 51-year-old woman leaves husband to marry 30-year-old Indian security guard
Mukesh Ambani's best plan for Jio users, 200GB data, 90 days of unlimited calls at just Rs...
'Thanks for...': Abhishek Bachchan's viral statement amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai
Jammu and Kashmir: 2 terrorists killed in encounter with security forces in Anantnag
21-Day Mars, Moon simulation in Ladakh
Prashant Kishor's fee for advising in one election will leave you shocked, it is Rs...
Dua Padukone Singh: Here's how Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh named their baby girl
Another BIG move by Mukesh Ambani, set to provide some help for debt-ridden Ghana as Reliance Jio...
J-K: Gun battle breaks out between security forces and terrorists in Srinagar's Khanyar
Noel Tata takes BIG decision at TCS after Ratan Tata's death, plans to hire...
'Will chop them up...': Mithun Chakraborty hits out at TMC’s Humayun Kabir at Kolkata rally
Delhi Air Pollution: Delhi-NCR AQI turns ‘very poor’ as city wakes up to toxic smog post-Diwali
Gautam Adani's next BIG step: Adani Power stops Bangladesh’s power supply due to...
Indian troops start patrolling Demchok sector in eastern Ladakh following India-China disengagement
Amy Jackson announces first pregnancy with husband Ed Westwick, flaunts baby bump in adorable pics
In THIS Indian village, families live with cobras, the reason is...
Hardik Pandya flaunts his special 'World Champion' ring after being retained by MI, video goes viral
Happy Govardhan Puja 2024: Top 50 WhatsApp wishes, messages, quotes for loved ones
Despite massive Diwali opening, is Singham Again paying the price for banking on huge star cast?
Shah Rukh Khan's heartfelt gesture towards jewellery store staff wins internet, watch
DNA TV Show: Public calls out celebrities’ hypocrisy on Diwali pollution
Fashion designer Rohit Bal dies at 63: Last year, he was on ventilator for heart ailments
BCCI scraps India's intra squad warm-up game ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy, reason revealed
Legendary fashion designer Rohit Bal dies at 63 after prolonged illness
Another terrorist attack in J-K, militants shoot two non-locals in Budgam