A sign of things to come

[Thad E Ginathom]

There is nothing wrong with appreciating the accomplishment of a sports person. What always leaves me feeling odd is the "national pride" thing that comes over people when one person wins something. Even if it was a national team i culd understand a bit more. This international; everybody does it.

But hey, sport is my blind spot.

Correction: sport is one of my blind spots!

 

[thevortex]

The skill and control required in sports require awareness and mental focus and being consistently on top over years requires mind training that parallels (maybe to a lesser degree) the quest for a spiritual consciousness.

Just my chaar aanaas.

-G

Absolutely, Gobble!

 

[svenkateshsmart]

Out of topic, beg your pardon!

@Ajay124 - you may want to use the "quote" option from the replies which you want to refer to in your post, rather than copying it! Thought it would help you!

With the way the world is heading and functioning, I too agree with Ajay124's thought on sports, notwithstanding the fact about the efforts involved in sport.

Cheers!

 

[psychotropic]

wait, i thought this was a discussion on the rupee symbol. and Bala, there is no 'national language'. It's a common misconception. The constitution recognises all the major langauges. Hindi and English are the official languages of the Central Government. So by that logic English is also the national language .

 

[server3249]

Hindi and English are the official languages of the Central Government. So by that logic English is also the national language .

It has to be, since none of the Indian languages are self sufficient to pursue even rudimentary forms of higher education. Other than conversing with bus conductors, servants and other such people, regional languages of India are of no use to learn, and nothing can be gained by getting good at them either. That's the hard truth.

 

[asliarun]

There is nothing wrong with appreciating the accomplishment of a sports person. What always leaves me feeling odd is the "national pride" thing that comes over people when one person wins something. Even if it was a national team i culd understand a bit more. This international; everybody does it.

But hey, sport is my blind spot.

Correction: sport is one of my blind spots!

The reason why you find this nonsensical, as I do too, is because the artificial construct that we call a "nation" is itself a nonsensical notion.

This "pride" that people feel is mainly a tribalistic instinct, a throwback instinct of our cavewoman/caveman past. This instinct often manifests itself in the form of "national pride", "regional pride", "religious pride", "racial or skin color pride", "gender pride", etc. My theory is that most of the inhuman crimes that we have committed over the years against each other can be attributed to this tribalistic instinct or "pride".

On the other hand, what I do celebrate is the pursuit of excellence, be it in sports, music, movies, books...

 

[gobble]

It has to be, since none of the Indian languages are self sufficient to pursue even rudimentary forms of higher education. Other than conversing with bus conductors, servants and other such people, regional languages of India are of no use to learn, and nothing can be gained by getting good at them either. That's the hard truth.

Your ignorance about Indian languages appalling. Your realization "truth" is best kept with you. Sadly the contagion will be handed down your generations ... nothing others can do about it.

Dont waste my time justifying your viewpoint. I Just meant to flash the mirror of ignorance in your face, as a hint.

-G

 

[gobble]

The reason why you find this nonsensical, as I do too, is because the artificial construct that we call a "nation" is itself a nonsensical notion.

This "pride" that people feel is mainly a tribalistic instinct, a throwback instinct of our cavewoman/caveman past. This instinct often manifests itself in the form of "national pride", "regional pride", "religious pride", "racial or skin color pride", "gender pride", etc. My theory is that most of the inhuman crimes that we have committed over the years against each other can be attributed to this tribalistic instinct or "pride".

On the other hand, what I do celebrate is the pursuit of excellence, be it in sports, music, movies, books...

Again appalling lack of insight into the history of Indian civilization. Throw some smattering of psycho-babble into it to make it look well though out and there you are!!

-G

 

[server3249]

Your ignorance about Indian languages appalling.

Which part of the post was untrue? Is it possible to learn higher levels of any stream of serious education in any of the Indian languages? Which company in India can you rise to the top by NOT knowing English? Fortunately we have English as a second language, which allows us to be preferred over China for outsourcing work. Wake up and accept reality.

 

[thevortex]

wait, i thought this was a discussion on the rupee symbol. and Bala, there is no 'national language'. It's a common misconception. The constitution recognises all the major langauges. Hindi and English are the official languages of the Central Government. So by that logic English is also the national language .

Actually, Vinay, the list of 'official langauges' as per the Indian constitution is quite long. And certainly more than the two languages you have cited .

But that is a whole different conversation in itself. My point was only that I would not blame the designer for using the Devanagri script. It is perhaps the most popular one in India. From North to South; East to West.

 

[thevortex]

Which part of the post was untrue? Is it possible to learn higher levels of any stream of serious education in any of the Indian languages? Which company in India can you rise to the top by NOT knowing English? Fortunately we have English as a second language, which allows us to be preferred over China for outsourcing work. Wake up and accept reality.

Are you measuring the value and significance of the Indian languages based on how we use them today? When we shamelessly copy anything the Western world does and says?

Shocking - just as Gobble says. Please search for 'Nalanda' on the internet formore information. After this look for 'Sanskrit'. Then 'Tamil'.

PS - I am not saying these are the only languages which were used in various stream of education. Just the ones I am conversant with to a very limited extent.

 

[square_wave]

The reason why you find this nonsensical, as I do too, is because the artificial construct that we call a "nation" is itself a nonsensical notion.

This "pride" that people feel is mainly a tribalistic instinct, a throwback instinct of our cavewoman/caveman past. This instinct often manifests itself in the form of "national pride", "regional pride", "religious pride", "racial or skin color pride", "gender pride", etc. My theory is that most of the inhuman crimes that we have committed over the years against each other can be attributed to this tribalistic instinct or "pride".

On the other hand, what I do celebrate is the pursuit of excellence, be it in sports, music, movies, books...

Good one !

 

[square_wave]

Are you measuring the value and significance of the Indian languages based on how we use them today? When we shamelessly copy anything the Western world does and says?

I think it depends on what one's pursuit is

 

[psychotropic]

okay let me explain further. There are two things here. Official langues of India, that is Bharat,......that is the long list in the constitution.

Then there are the official languages of the central government. That is only Hindi and English.

So therefore there is no single "national language". Yes it may be spoken by more people than any other single language. But that still doesn't make it the national language.

But ya, my chief objection to the symbol is that it looks like crap.

Actually, Vinay, the list of 'official langauges' as per the Indian constitution is quite long. And certainly more than the two languages you have cited .

But that is a whole different conversation in itself. My point was only that I would not blame the designer for using the Devanagri script. It is perhaps the most popular one in India. From North to South; East to West.

 

[thevortex]

okay let me explain further. There are two things here. Official langues of India, that is Bharat,......that is the long list in the constitution.

Then there are the official languages of the central government. That is only Hindi and English.

So therefore there is no single "national language". Yes it may be spoken by more people than any other single language. But that still doesn't make it the national language.

But ya, my chief objection to the symbol is that it looks like crap.

I did mean 'official language', Vinay in my earlier post. Perhaps it did not come out that way.

And count myself in on the description of this symbol.

 

[psychotropic]

and boss, why are we arguing about nation states and pride of identity and all that here. It's a recipe for a slanging match. Might as well throw in secularism and atheism into the mix also.

I think we should blow the whistle on this argument and talk about the symbol, the currency and so on. (I know I am guilty of probably starting off the argument on national pride, for this I seek forgiveness)

 

[asliarun]

Again appalling lack of insight into the history of Indian civilization. Throw some smattering of psycho-babble into it to make it look well though out and there you are!!

-G

I could have been an Armenian, Chinese, Egyptian, or Korean, and still written what I previously wrote. There is nothing "Indian" about what I mentioned earlier. "Group-ism" is a malady that afflicts us all equally.

Anyway, I will stop now as this is going way off-topic.

 

[gobble]

Which part of the post was untrue? Is it possible to learn higher levels of any stream of serious education in any of the Indian languages? Which company in India can you rise to the top by NOT knowing English? Fortunately we have English as a second language, which allows us to be preferred over China for outsourcing work. Wake up and accept reality.

You are talking short term gains that appear to be "practical". However the statement "Other than conversing with bus conductors, servants and other such people, regional languages of India are of no use to learn, and nothing can be gained by getting good at them either. That's the hard truth." has a lot of ramifications.

Learning languages, its poetry, meanings and subtleties needs to be perused as a goal in itself. It holds great value for understanding civilization, cultural processes and insight.

Most graduates in modern India today turn out to be duds precisely because they haven't learnt to grasp things in their own language. I see so many professionals who watch all the Hollywood and TV soaps that are famous in the west and appear to enjoy "sophisticated" conversation thrown about in the media in English, yet they are outright "dumb" when it comes to understanding technicalities of any discussion. They are unable to follow the nuances of what is being explained in an email by peers in the offices abroad and debate with excruciating verbosity for 15 to 20 mins what should implicitly have been understood in the very first second the paragraph is speed read.

We absolutely have to make a move towards primary and secondary technical education in mother tongue along with English. The Japs and Germans and French manage it, so can we. That is from a perspective of long-term nation building using the resources of our youth as an intellectual asset.

Besides it is my conviction that the English language is deficient for esoteric discussions on a lot of topics although it may be convenient.

Anyways this is going OT so I will not add the many other dimensions to this that I possibly could.

-G

 

[thevortex]

Gobble you are a man after my own heart! And despite the fact that I love the English language I cannot but be bemused by its failings.

I particularly believe that the gift of innate musicality was not given in any great margin to English as compared to several other languages. Among other gifts, that is.

 

[gobble]

I could have been an Armenian, Chinese, Egyptian, or Korean, and still written what I previously wrote. There is nothing "Indian" about what I mentioned earlier. "Group-ism" is a malady that afflicts us all equally.

Anyway, I will stop now as this is going way off-topic.

Never Mind. I was "piste" because this is propaganda that people fall for. I know where it comes from and what the objectives are, for the "pushers" of this particular line of thought.

But its OT so lets stick to that fugly currency symbol

-G