Ship of destruction?

Like I keep lamenting, philosophers very seldom give pleasant advice. Much like dieticians. I mean, ever heard of a dietician tell you that the route to a size zero figure lies through a pastry shop? That gorging on cakes would help you to a slimmer future? Much like that, if you go to a philosopher hoping that he'd say that a 'eat, drink and be merry' lifestyle is the mantra for success, you are doomed to disappointment.

Tiru, unfortunately, is no exception. Here he says

Neduneer maravi madithuyil naangum keduneeraar kaamak kalan - Titukkural

Procrastination, forgetfulness, sloth and excessive sleep form the ship transporting those destined for ruin - Loose translation

You know, you actually can see why these habits will lead to destruction. To keep postponing vital jobs is a good way of inviting trouble on your head. To FORGET what needs doing is even worse...if a job done late creates problems, the same job not done at all could cause havoc. Laziness, the lack of any enthusiasm to do what needs doing...that ensures that the procrastination and the forgetfulness is not a one time aberration but a rule by which you lead your life. AND excessive sleep...well, if you have fewer waking hours, there is actually scant little that you can really do. Where is the time?

All these, though, are the outward manifestations of something that is lacking inside. A lack of enthusiasm, of inner motivation. I mean, let's get back to that dietician. IF, indeed, there existed such a dietician whose diet plan started with pastries...so you really see yourself procrastinating on starting that diet plan? The whole point about all this 'procrastination, forgetfulness, sloth and sleep' cycle IS the fact that you do not WANT to do what you NEED to do. Hence you postpone, thus you forget, therefore you avoid by laziness or sleep. The thing to do is to develop that enthusiasm...either for the job or for the fruits thereof.

What, then, if neither attracts you? Really? If neither attracts you, you'd not be hanging around here lamenting. You'd either be fast asleep or lolling in bed with a bowl of popcorn staring pop-eyed at the latest offering by Netflix. Get out of here.

The biggest disability

There is always something uncomfortable about philosophers. They tend to hold uncomfortable mirrors to you and seem to revel in your embarrassment. It is especially true of long dead philosophers. You don't really know enough about them and cannot say,"So what about you? YOU do not measure up, too, because of this that or the other." AND, of course, they are not around to be trolled and feel hurt or shamed, even if you know enough about them. (There is always this thing that they are not around to defend themselves either. Which is very handy when you are poking at someone w

by using their own words. It is no help, however, when you are trying to deflect the shame you feel while reading their words and knowing that you fall short.)

So, yeah, when Tiru says this...

Poriyinmai yaarkkum pazhiyandru arivarindhu aalvinai inmai pazhi - Tirukkural

There is no blame on someone who has ill-fortune; to be intelligent and knowledgeable and yet not exert oneself is disgraceful - Loose Translation

Ill-Fortune, here, needs interpretation. You see, if you say 'good luck' you relate it to the success of efforts. HERE, Tiru is talking about the mere putting in of efforts. So, the ill-fortune he means here is causing the inability to put in efforts. As in, a physical inability or the lack of intelligence or knowledge to know what needs to be done. So, essentially, what he is saying is that a person who does nothing because he knows not what to do or is incapable of actually doing it due to physical disability carries no blame. (In fact, poriyinmai can also literally translate to physical disability...lack of organs.)

The chap who has the intelligence to understand a situation and the knowledge of how to tackle it and, yet, chooses to remain idle is a disgrace, according to Tiru. Let us put it in a simple example. You see a fire starting in a house. Others around you also see it but are either disabled or children, say, who know not what to do or cannot do what is needed. YOU know it and, yet, instead of taking efforts to put out the fire, you stay idle and allow the house, with its occupants, burn. Are you, or are you not, a disgrace?

The extent of how much disgrace you deserve may depend on the effects of your negligence. The fact remains that a person like that will disgrace himself sooner or later.

THAT is what Tiru says.

Munificence and productive efforts?

I have seen a lot of 'either-or' types of arguments especially in the recent past. The sort of things that existed exclusively in debating competitions has seeped out into Society at large. The subject of today is also likely to be a subject of such 'either-or' debates. What is important - benevolence or productive efforts?

Tiru, as you probably know, has in a Kural already said that the 'sanyasis' depend on the 'grihastas'. After all, a sage is supposed on subsist on alms and it is the householder who is the giver of alms. So, what does he have to say on this debate topic, then?

Thaalaanmai ennum thagaimaikkan thangitrae velaanmai ennum serukku - Tirukkural

The pride of munificence rests on the foundation of persistent efforts - Loose Translation

There is no benevolence without efforts is what Tiru has to say. He does not deny that there is reason for 'pride' in benevolence. But he does say that benevolence itself cannot exist without persistent efforts. In the context 'vidaamuyarchchi' could be seen as referring to persistent BENEVOLENT efforts. Like, say, the persistent efforts of NGO heads and volunteers in achieving the benevolent goals of the NGO. The kural does ring true in this interpretation as well.

But the tone of the kural is as though it IS addressing an either-or question rather than a prerequisites for success question. In that context, 'persistent efforts' is not an answer to how to succeed at benevolence. It is an answer to the Persistent efforts vs Munificence question. AND Tiru firmly says that the former is a foundation stone for the latter. Thus, it is persistence in the productive efforts of the concerned person that makes him capable of benevolence. Going a step further, it is confidence in his own efforts that makes a person be benevolent even beyond his current means since he is sure to make the wherewithal necessary by dint of his own efforts.

Read it in that sense and it is the person who KNOWS himself to be capable of successfully making money who is capable of sustained charity.

The vice versa may not always be true though. He who is most sustainably charitable has also to be he who is confident of making the money necessary, yes. (Else, of course, the charity WILL stop once the concerned person runs out of money.) But can you consider every person who is capable of making money as someone who will necessarily be charitable?

THAT is a moot question.

Finish what you started?

To be honest, it is easy for people to say 'Do what you love and you will never work a day of your life'. You think that you love music and if you become a musician, life will be a bed of roses from then on? Like, a Taylor Swift or Rihanna or whomsoever never faced a day when they thought of abandoning what they were doing and running away? Composing music in your attic (Well, you know, businesses start in garages but the arts somehow gravitate to attics) is one thing. The business of putting together an album, getting someone to take you to the world, doing concerts and so on and so on...NOBODY does ONLY what they like. The moment you try to make a living out of ANYTHING you invite in a whole chunk of things that you'd rather not do, along with what you love doing.

Tiru has this to say for those times when you want to run away...

Vinaikkan vinaikedal ombal vinaikkurai theerndaarin theerndhandru ulagu - Tirukkural

Abandon not your efforts midway; the world abandons those who abandon their work - Loose Translation

To conceptualise something is one thing. To dream of implementing your concept is another. To actually implement it...that gives you experiences that you are seldom prepared to face. Like, with the music metaphor, you compose and when you dream of putting it out, you do not expect to sit with agents and music labels hammering out contracts. You do not expect your guitarist to get temperamental on the day of the concert. In dreams, things are all smooth, people love your music, nobody tries to cheat you on your royalties, no obscure chap sues you for plagiarism...you get the picture. Any or all of these can happen AND if you give up because of that, you are not ever going to be the face on the billboards.

It is not only a story for celebrities. It may be a matter of putting together a stall in an Industry exhibition or a project report for a new venture or your own attempt at, say, learning AI. ANY venture should be thought through BEFORE you attempt but not abandoned midway unless as a last resort. (Be sure that it IS the last resort) There are many who do not make anything of themselves because behind them lies a litter of half-done things which are never carries to completion.

Remember, you are a serial entrepreneur ONLY when your past enterprises have been carried to completion; not when all you have is a series of half-done and abandoned projects behind you.