Agents who play both sides

From childhood I've been an avid fan of fiction. And even more so of Science Fiction and Fantasy. From the easy and cosily read Famous Five and Hardy Boys to the refined approach of Sherlock Holmes to the bizarre yet majestic Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan, the intrigue and political play + the adventure took me to another world. And in these other worlds, there were dark men, no not Africans but psychologically dark with crooked desires and wants.

And no wonder for fiction sprung from ideas, most based on real life. I've been bumping into these dark agents now more often that I move about in a few circles. Personal agendas are a huge no no for me, I always take the stance of the common good. What is the common good? It is one that benefits the majority and more nature centric too (because nature is a part of the greater good for all things in life). A little less known fact, I am a founding member of Reforest Sri Lanka. Yes I am very biased for nature :) But in human matters, I am for the common and greater good.

The dark agents have I believe in general less common sense, a lot less empathy and emotional intelligence, are power hungry and/or money centric. They scheme playing both sides, that's the more intelligent ones and believe their actions right and inteprit survival of the fittest godly. They also sabotage work, try to politicize larger movements and put in place puppets and people to sway opinion. You wouldn't believe, most of the great actions in history are carried forward by a few brave, idealogical men and women. The circle around them should be up right and good. Most citizens do not go beyond a certain point to see justice done. Isn't it time you all woke up. Hell I need to wake up more. Just be wary of these dark agents who play both sides and make decisions with people whom you can trust.

05 stages of distrust

1. Doubt: A slight feeling that someone is not what they tell they are to be. Some pieces in the puzzle that don't fit. In a movement, it is usually strangers who meet first with a purported common goal so you still cant ask around or confirm/ remove

2. Suspicion: Some doubts are confirmed. You see a pattern of actions that are leading to suspicion and your mind accedes there is serious cause for concern. You begin to look for ways of alleviating the situation. In a movement, it could be how to compartmentalize damage etc.

3. Anxiety: Your suspicions confirmed, you feel disgusted. You are physically feeling the build up of anxiety as it makes you angry, worried. In a movement, if you don't have a faithful group to relate these issues, serious damage is at hand.

4. Fear: After continued suspicions and continued anxiety build up, finally you give into fear. Fear for your own safety and others too. Sleeplessness, despair settle in. In a movement at this stage you might start to look for ways out, to stay silent and be more self concerned than about the goals.

5. Self-Protection: Finally you try to protect your self emotionally and even physically. You start to build up emotional walls against the persons and try to stop thinking about them. In a movement, at this point you might try to remove your self from it and or distance from the person/ movement.

You can easily see, Sri Lankan politicians are usually agents. They would tell you one thing, go to parliament and do something completely different.

These stages are common in many environments. Even a small company project team can go through this. But in a movement that counts on individuals with no budgets to speak of and sheer determination, it can be deadly to it. I hope I never have to go though all the above stages in our forthcoming work.

Understanding psychology is important to find out how best to survive the human condition, about how to make projects successful and attain goals. So I thought of coining this piece in the morning, and I hope to write about how to protect oneself and a movement against these agents in an upcoming post.

A psyscology of wanting more than we could afford

As children we got everything we asked for, we were pampered and brought up thinking it was going to be this easy as an adult too. From those Ice creams at a Soya centre or the daily dose of soda, the sugar rush is a subtle craving which we nourish as adults too every day or at-least a few times a week as a tasty piece of cake or a beverage. We have various excuses, ranging from its so hot outside, I worked allot today or just needing to chill. Our parents didn't know the consequences when they bought us what we asked for, that we would become over indulgent in every way, perhaps even a little lazier than they were at the same age, wanting more than we could afford. No our parents are not to blame, they just love us too much. We should blame our selves for not knowing better, they were simple Sinhalese folk who wanted to make their child happy. Now its our turn, and we should know and do better.

Credit cards, home loans, personal loans, leasing, post paid services, instalment plans... the list goes on, always inviting us to become indebted to something we really can do without. As we get used to transport over private vehicles, we shun cheap, doable public transport blaming the slow and congested service. We want a hybrid next, perhaps a sports car or and ever more luxurious vehicle. As audacious or perhaps naive and short sighted governments allow foreigners to purchase this limited land mass, land market and the ridiculous prices quoted to make a convenient nest seem impossible to a mere citizen. Is a financial crises, like the recession in 2007-2009 going to happen here. Remember it didn't affect us then, but will it now that our rupee is afloat and its at its lowest ever, when banks are offering so many schemes and companies struggle to stay alive.

Apple, Samsung, Reebok, Adidas, eat at 'that' cafe and 'this' lounge... do we really need to be branded and so expensive. If you can afford it, by all means do so. But if your spending the money that you could have used to help out your parents, buy essential goods home, doing so on credit then you should think again.

This condition, this psychology needs to change. We need to change. Maintaining a façade is short sighted, do what's right and be your self, not what the multinationals want you to be.

An unbalanced plane of power

Humiliation has never been too far for us in Sri Lanka. The land of the evergreen (once upon a time) has seen us also turn green over the years at government offices and at the hands of the officers of law.

It is easy to see, power corrupts, and the lack of united action of the Sri Lankan citizens to stand for our rights ensures it remains the same in the foreseeable future. Let me take three easy examples. 01 the police, 02 customs officials and 03 local politicos. These are all examples from factors of life in Lanka, usually connected with emotions such as distaste and fear. 

The police are hated and despised. I have only had three brief but memorable (due to their rarity) meetings of police officers who were, truly what the entire force should be for us. One was a gentleman who caught me overtaking a lorry up Saradiel's mountain (mawanella) and warned me and let me go. I was so surprised when this gentleman asked me where I was coming from, where I was going and looked me directly in the eyes and said, son be careful and drive with care and handed me the license back. The other gentleman was a Director of the PSD who I got to associate via my father. He too helped the law be implemented when a drunk man troubled us some time back. The final was in Kalkuda when me and my MBA batch-mates were fortunate to hear of a school provisions aid camp organised by the Police there, for which we also donated books and stationary. 

We despise them because of the way they bend the rules for profit. They are themselves mostly drunk when they stop cars to inspect for drunkenness. They violate the women who come for their aid in their darkest hour or beat evidence out from innocents. They are tools of politicians, drug lords and prostitution gangs. The main reasons for this is in my view, the low pay they receive, the harsh working conditions, long hours and mostly the power they posses, a power which is hardly in check or can be refuted by the majority of citizens.

Customs officials, well I'll refer to this article for why this example came to my mind to. They also are not in check unless such a large scam is brought to notice. I can also remember the hardship I had to go through to release a wedding jacket I received from abroad, and how I had to pay a sum, which I was then lead to believe was paid legally, of which some portion I believe was 'mis-placed' in the pocket of a customs officer.

Politicians, members of the parliament and ministers of public offices. They would do almost any crime. Some do have periods of good will and genuine care for us citizens. Yet after a few months in office, start to peel off the sheepskin. Damage and profit off the best in nature, kill-maim and corrupt for personal gain and stand above the law.

It is high time the people of this country put away petty quarrels and unite to push for a better tomorrow. Not just better than now, but truly a place where society is equal to the paradise on earth this land is. Let me wish this new year 2016 to be the year that we move towards this united path.

Kitchen Sink

Clean the dishes, the kitchen zinc waits. While you play politics and rave on, the sink allows water and soap to mix with the grease and other rotting particles, cleaning it up.