COLLECTIVE GUILT……..

COLLECTIVE GUILT……..

 

……itself has become our strength. I will explain. Let us suppose there are three employees, A, B and C. Let us further suppose that A is guilty of violating some norms. And is getting away with it. After sometime the other two employees also begin to violate the norms. Their reasoning is: A is violating, so are we! Some reasoning. I am guilty of leaving the office early. You are guilty of enjoying an extended lunch break. Someone else is guilty of something else. Being guilty means you are enjoying a benefit that you are not entitled to. If your actions are not in the best interests of the institution then you are guilty. Guilty of whatever kind, whatever magnitude. Guilt is guilt. You may attribute your being guilty to so many reasons. All of which genuine and justifiable. These undue benefits look highly tempting and irresistible, especially when you can justify. To use a cliché, the best way to resist a temptation is to succumb to it. So you succumb to it. After all, you can take shelter under these justifiable reasons. What then are these justifiable reasons?

“He is also coming late to the office frequently”

“Mr X is taking extended lunch break”

“Mr Y has claimed excess travel allowance and has got away with it”

If you find someone violating some guidelines, do you then think that it is a justifiable reason for you to become guilty too? Is this how you define yourself? Educated label notwithstanding? Does someone else’s guilt give you LICENCE to indulge in acts which are equally deplorable?! I am not for a minute defending somebody’s indiscretion. All that I am trying to highlight is that if someone is violating some norm and appears to be getting away with it, it DOES NOT GIVE YOU LICENCE to misbehave. This “HE-IS-GUILTY-SO-I-AM-GUILTY attitude has spread so much that there appears to be hardly any effort to stop it. Of course you will find a stray voice of protest decrying this ‘degeneration’ here and there, now and then. But it is too feeble and is easily drowned by this strong force of “COLLECTIVE GUILT”. You don’t want it stopped because then you will lose your pound of flesh, howsoever illegitimately acquired.

You don’t realize that your ‘collective guilt’ is eating into the very edifice, which has been built upon some extraordinary sacrifice by some extraordinary men. To you these short-term gains look more inviting, blurring ‘corporate objective’. Besides, our legal system is time consuming, as a result of which, the guilty-however guilty they are-always fancy a reasonable chance – howsoever unreasonable it may seem to the discerning eye – of getting away with it.

I have never been able to understand how a rise in literacy level will result in development. When I say development, I mean our outlook, mindset, and our ability to view things positively. Of course, cynics will laugh. Now, consider this: lunch break is for 30 minutes. Manager allows delay of 10 minutes because you may not be able to leave for lunch break exactly at the close of business hours.

OPTIONS BEFORE YOU:

a)      You will always come 10 minutes late taking advantage of this relaxation.

b)      You will not take undue advantage of this concession.

You will find that 7 out of 10 will follow option ‘a’. Well, so much for literacy. You are literate enough to skillfully cling to the technicalities overlooking the larger interests of the institution. The more I think of it, the more I am inclined to believe that the literacy has only enabled us to maneuver things/situations to personal advantages. The attitude of our literates is so outlandish that we seem to have attained REASONING MENOPAUSE.

That is literacy for you. Endless instances of indiscretion/guilt by countless people, and at all levels. Only degree of guilt will vary!

‘POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE’ is an absolute necessity for growth. By this I mean you must will yourself to overcome the temptation for this ‘undue fringe benefits’ and become MORALLY STRONG. By this I mean, you must become intellectually superior. By this I mean you must not allow yourself to be distracted by the outlandish acts of our literate illiterates. In short by POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE, I mean directing your thought process in a way that will best suit the institution.

If I had the option of choosing between a man who is moderately literate but with positive mental attitude and someone who is highly qualified but is (dis)reputed to hold the institution to ransom to suit his convenience, I would unhesitatingly hire the former.

It is time that you rid yourself of this attitude and start reflecting. And start thinking on positive lines. The knowledge that some are guilty-of whatever kind-is upsetting. Ignore them and look forward to help achieve corporate goals. Guilty will be booked. May be it will take time. So then, rid yourself of this myopic vision and ego. And make meaningful contribution. The question here is one of attitude. One of moral standards. Of your concern for the institution. It is a tragedy that one act of brilliance is overshadowed by other acts of outlandish designs. It is sickening and frustrating. So rectify yourself before you compel someone to rectify you.