A theory of something

On March 11, 2011, a 9.03 magnitude earthquake shook north – eastern Japan, unleashing a savage tsunami. Undoubtedly, the catastrophe destroyed the physical structure of the coastal community, but failed to break down Japan’s societal morals.

At stores across the affected cities, straight lines of Japanese tsunami victims waited for rations. No one was directing those lines, they were organised by the people themselves. At the front, which took hours to get in to in some cases, shoppers were limited to ten food or beverage items. No complaints, no cheating. The fabric of social cohesion keeps this country together till today.

Had it been India, the scenario would have been radically different. Why? The question ensues. ‘The paramount reason being that the Japanese from a young age are socialised to put group interest ahead of individual interest’ quotes Jeffrey Kingston, a scholar in Temple University, Japan.

Let me present a different picture altogether now. I presume some of us feed birds and animals as we all believe in  peaceful coexistence. Now, there’s a trend I’ve observed and here’s drawing attention to that trend. As the number of days increase, the number of pigeons who come for their feed also increases. The pigeons definitely do not have a news channel to broadcast their new found feed. It indicates that the phenomenon is innate by nature, atleast that was what I could elicit from my observation. May I pose a question here? Would the situation be similar with human beings? I doubt. Sharing is a value often preached but seldom practised. 

Let me articulate that these innate attributes transcend any kind of training and learning experience. Some of us, like the Japanese, possess the exceptional quality to treasure innate attributes which have a positive and powerful impact on a civilisation. As Yogi Berra observes, “In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is.”

So let us kindle the innate tendency of ours to be inquisitive, observant and keep on garnering cues advanced by nature for our holistic and harmonious development. In this tireless crusade of life, this might help us comprehend our cosmic significance in His eternal design. 

Well, we may not create a ‘Theory of everything’ like Stephen Hawking but we can always strive to create a theory of something which shall enrich our lives and of those connected with us.