It is less than a year ago that I wrote about a billion-plus India rejoicing to no end about a World Series Cricket victory over a twenty-odd-million Sri Lanka. The 11-member team rode on high pedestals, while facebookers indulged in unprecedented nationalism and misplaced rhetoric. The Indian diaspora suddenly woke up to their roots and claimed allegiance to the winning team.
Today, the same team stands humbled by defeat at the hands of a twenty-odd-million Australia, on the heels of another humbling experience at the hands of another much smaller country - the fifty-million England. The heads that rode high in pride are now finding a spot in the sand. The blame game has begun, and the press is rife with analyses by Monday Morning Quarterbacks.
This amusing phenomenon offers a learning experience - that pride is bad in the first place, and worse when it is misplaced, as in the revelry of the billion in 2011! Indian philosophy denotes Pride as one of six enemies of mankind (the other five being Lust, Greed, Anger, Attachment, and Jealousy).
Cricket will continue as a game, and so will many other. Nations will play each other - and one will win and another will lose in almost every instance. One can feel good about the winner, and sad for the loser, while getting exhilerated about the experience. That can leave a net positive effect. "Win-win", as Covey says!
Today, the same team stands humbled by defeat at the hands of a twenty-odd-million Australia, on the heels of another humbling experience at the hands of another much smaller country - the fifty-million England. The heads that rode high in pride are now finding a spot in the sand. The blame game has begun, and the press is rife with analyses by Monday Morning Quarterbacks.
This amusing phenomenon offers a learning experience - that pride is bad in the first place, and worse when it is misplaced, as in the revelry of the billion in 2011! Indian philosophy denotes Pride as one of six enemies of mankind (the other five being Lust, Greed, Anger, Attachment, and Jealousy).
Cricket will continue as a game, and so will many other. Nations will play each other - and one will win and another will lose in almost every instance. One can feel good about the winner, and sad for the loser, while getting exhilerated about the experience. That can leave a net positive effect. "Win-win", as Covey says!
1 comment:
That's such a nice nice perspective; almost a sweetness to it. I didn't know that Indian philosophy was so close to Christian i.e. 7 deadly sins
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