Foreword

About two decades ago, in my home town, a neighbor of mine had planted trees on the sides of road, in our colony. In no time, the talk of the area was, “what is in it for him”, “He must be aspiring for a political stature”, “He may have gobbled up funds, so giving a silver lining”, “For all the sins he did, he is suffering remorse, so he did”.

Do you see, how it has taken different odd colors. There is a saying in Telugu, which fortunately happens to be my mother tongue, where poets like Vemana, Baddena, Srinath have born, who have poetically created a grand way to understand and live life for children in their “Satakas” which mean (100 verses). Any child who learns by heart,  at least one of these Satakas, will live a peaceful, clear, sensible life. Of course modern times have stripped them off, from all these learnings, and hence peaceful, sensible living. I wish and hope, sensible times return. Any way, the two word saying is:

Lokulu kaakulu – Which means “People are like crows”, they just do caw caw, and respond with  a caw caw, and more of caw caw, and it becomes cacophonic, doesn’t sound good, and it looses its meaning.

This man we discussed earlier, had no aspirations. His grand daughter was reading aloud about Emperor Ashoka, who planted trees on both sides of roads about 2000 years back,  and he was inspired by listening to it, and he did a little, on those lines. In this process, the colony failed because, instead of nurturing the plants and embracing the “goodness radiated”, they tried to dig filth out it.

Another politician, in another village, out of his sheer sympathy, had given a donation of about one lakh rupees, to a few slum dwellers. Suddenly crows caw cawed. “To get votes”, “No, they can do some odd jobs for him”, “No he occupied their lands, and to make them shut up, he offered money”. This politician retired after his term, went to his small village and continued farming, living in a small house. Instead of getting inspired by his action, and do their part, people only dug filth, and smelled! What a pity!

Now Skepticism

What we saw earlier was “presumed” intelligence. Intelligence of idle men, has  taken a new twist and turn, in the modern times, due to constant bombarding of “negativity” by media, and constant business oriented mind, that

“For today’s generation of people, delving beyond an action to identify the cause behind, is more important than the action, or the consequence of the action, and that is intelligence”

Sounds intelligent right, identifying a cause for any action, done by anybody, is sheer intelligence. Right ? No, it is absolute stupidity. When you have  love  for me, and for the love you have for me, I am trying to find a “selfish motive”, suddenly it makes a statement about me, not your love. That I am not really worthy of being loved. So, for what selfish reason are you loving me? Isn’t it?

But then, the intelligent have this question. What if he/she really had bad intentions when they perform certain action. How can we take it for granted? Well, the answer is two fold. When something good happens, just see the consequence and the good action. Don’t dig any filth. If something bad happens, then you start thinking, or there are agencies to think. When there is something happening which is too good to be true, be cautious, and if it is happening, let it happen. You still don’t have to show your intelligence and dig filth out.

I have observed this quality in 7/10 people, that they want to make an intelligent statement about someone doing good, the good, that they can’t do, or the good, they can’t believe someone can do. Freedom of expression is not questioned here and  it is not about freedom of expression, it is about how our mind navigates us to ashtray!

Why not?

Firstly, when we are constantly skeptic, our mind is getting trained, to see dark corners only in others, and thus it is unavailable to interface with the bright side, which rules out any possibilities for it to become elated, happy, joyful. If mother feeds kid, it is sheer love, soon in the next two three decades, children will assume the intelligence of being skeptic about their mothers feeding them, or asking them to eat on time. And once it happens, the “interface to love” is lost. Isn’t it? How many of us are not doing it with our parents?

Secondly, this brings dryness in our lives, and our lives start appearing lifeless, stale. When beauty, delicacy, love, trust, faith vanish in life, it pushes us slowly into anxiety and depression case. It taints our relationships, friendships. What will remain is a tall, dry, tree in a barren land of no goodness!

Thirdly, the good in the world, slowly retracts, because it doesn’t find value, trust, confidence, happiness in the eyes of recipients nor the onlookers. Many of my friends don’t step forward in society, at the times of need, though they are capable, because of only one reason

“When nobody’s concerned, why should I be, as a fool or appearing to have a selfish motive, and tainting my character”

When good withdraws, and your mind is full of skepticism, how are you trying to live in this world? How are you going to make your children survive? Do you understand what I am trying to say?

Conclusion

All this has come because of only one thing “Business every where”, man has started looking everything as business. “What is in it for me?”

When we do something, we ask the question, what is the takeaway? We think that is an intelligent way to live. Really! Do we need takeaway from everything we do? What is the takeaway for me in writing this article? Nothing! Now, don’t become skeptic about the articles I am writing, “what is his goal, or selfish motive”. My goal is better society, and there are no selfish motives.

So, for your own betterment, social calmness, radiating goodness, stop being skeptic, be cautious instead, if the situation is doubtful. If you can’t spread good words,  don’t spread at least skepticism, unless you really know the truth. You are not a psychologist to study others minds, and when there is a need, there are real professional ones, or investigators officially available.  Ain’t they?

What we throw into air, comes back, perhaps with more force, and so does skepticism, in a different form. (Read three, “why not” above)

Skepticism, a silent killer of Humanity, beware and careful.