"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan- like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion."

- Thoreau

Toulouse

Of all the cities I visited in France, Toulouse was my favourite one. Famous as the Pink city for its red brick architecture, it is situated on the banks of river Garonne.

Honor Killing.

I am sitting at home and watching TV. There is a series of news on honor killing by communities in rural Haryana. Its shocking ,disgusting and shameful. Coming from rural Bihar , I have heard about worse things done socially in name of honor and pride. How can prejudices make people blind to basic human sensivities? And how can they do such despicable act in name of honor. Usually, I am the first one to admire India's varied and earthy culture,but instances like these make me see the diversity in a different light.

"The rule of Thumb"

I believed from the beginning that there is more to the world that what I see.Its hidden from me, just around the corner.Always intrigued to see it beyond the next hill, on the end of the road, in next street; to find out something ,someone but nothing or no one in particular. Just looking.

I did not decide to hitch hike from Marseille with a particular plan. I didn't have one and didn't want to make one. No date , no time, and no particular immediate destination.With only some basic clothing,a sleeping bag ,some chocolates in my bag ,an english- french dictionary, a note book and a pen ; I went to the nearest highway exit of the city.

A day ago, I was hauled by the police back in the city while trying to take lift on the Autoroute 6. Cars are not allowed to stop on the autoroutes. So I chose a safer starting point within the city. Few french hikers were already in business on the crossing , so I had reached the right place. One of them, Michael , whom I met again in Lyon again,taught me few useful tricks of the trade.

1. Write the name of the destination on a piece of paper visible enough for the oncoming traffic.
2. Choose a traffic light or a toll passage instead of open roads.
3. Never wait on the curve. Can be dangerous.

After talking for a while ,and making some of city name posters, I chose a corner of the round-about to start my trip. For few minutes, I soaked in the environment. Bright morning sunshine, people hurrying to wherever, sea of cars, traffic police cars, shops in business. Suddenly a shyness overcame me that as soon as I raise my hand the whole chugging machinery would be disrupted. Its different in India where I feel the other persons obligation to help me out. But in France, where I barely understood the language and have a cultural disconnect, I felt hesitant.

However, my excitement far outweighed any inhibition. So I had to raise my thumb and become "the Hitchhiker". I reflected a bit. Raising my thumb would mean signing the charter of the clan of hitchikers. I also made up the charter.

Knowledge, Reality, Intelligence et al.

Havent posted anything for a long time. There are lots but I cant put all of them in words.But here is some of my own guru-style- management-speak which has nothing to do with conventional management. I know it outta place here. I promise to bring better stories when I get back from a road trip in south of France.

The concept of “reality” and complexity associated with it.

Is there something called the absolute reality? Or it is just the various interpretations of some abstract concept that each of us gives a different shape. As explained in quantum physics, the existence of smallest particle is a matter of chance (probability) than absolute certainty. What we see from the naked eye, could be misleading as the brain gives shape according to its own functions. The table we see is 90% empty and yet we trust it to hold up. There are scientific explanations for that but out reaction to it is not because of the scientific explanation but the experiential learning, that it always holds up. So we can conclude that our senses are limited to experience the complete truth. We have to find ways to experience that and understand it.Rather than an absolute reality, there could just be layers of experiences, which we can uncover one by one. As we uncover them we frame our own reality.For example, the world exists outside my awareness. We know it exists but don’t really know how. Only when we go and experience it, it becomes real for us. Until then, it’s just thoughts. Even after that it’s just thoughts. And one reality can vary from another. As one thought can vary from another. Hence reality becomes absolute only after we experience it.It has been proven scientifically that brain cannot distinguish between what it sees and what it remembers because the same process is activated by the brain to do both activities. The images in our minds are also only the associations which form a train of thoughts. So the underlying idea is of freedom. That every one of us has a choice at all points of time to choose a different reality. Can we also choose a different collective reality? Coming from an oriental culture, I believe, yes. This is beyond scientific explanation but instances (experience) have shown it can work. The “Yagya” a mass prayer conducted is part of 3000 year old tradition and people believe in them. Now does the “Yagya” have some unexplained impact or it’s the belief of the people which chooses a collective reality? I think it’s the belief of people which chooses a collective reality and prayers are means to reinforce the collective wish.

The meaning of intelligence.

There could me as many meanings of intelligence as there are needs of it. But to categorize it –One could be rationalist or reductionist, in which intelligence means to understand a model well and work faster within it. Most of the education we get is within that framework. It’s the documented and tested knowledge repository, deducible from one step to another. And we become very good at it as we do it over and over again. The brain reinforces it every time and it becomes easier every next time. Obviously for such a conditioned brain, every new experience has to be explainable in its models. It becomes difficult to learn something outside the models.The other form of intelligence could be making and breaking those models. Learning new things brain has no experience of. The faster one can do it (be flexible), more intelligent one is. This is the higher level of awareness when one is aware of the limitations of one’s models and is ready to change it. It is more difficult for the brain too. However, there could be another layer of awareness on top of that which could explain the limitations of this layer. It can go on unending. So as the question in the movie is-“How far down the rabbit hole do you want to go?”

The questions are

Who are we?What is the reason of our existence? Is there a reason or we are just part of something else?Is it possible to go in the future?Is it possible to go in the past?Are things made of thoughts and concepts?Is the existence only a matter of chance?Is there something new or we recreate always an existing reality?How do we know we can create?How much can we control ourselves? How much can we control others (organization)?

These questions will help me understand the concept of knowledge in greater clarity. The concept of knowledge can be applied to management discipline understand it more holistically. I will write upon the concepts of ontology and try to answer these ontological questions as it becomes clearer .And also how can we inculcate the knowledge in understanding of the management and management processes.

" The sea only gives harsh blows
and ocassionally the chance to feel strong,
I also know how important is it in life
not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong.
To measure yourself at least once.
To find your self in the most ancient of human conditions,
facing the blind deaf stone alone
with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head."
- Supertramp