Opinion

Yes, it is about opinion itself, from me, not just an opinion! Whether it is still an opinion (by me, for you…), though about opinion, is a matter of your opinion, again depending upon how heavily opinionated you are!


We all know why that “Opinion” poll was prohibited until at least all the phases of voting for election was over! Perhaps, the politicians are themselves scared of their own weaponry!

That is the power of Opinion!

People who were very impressed by that “Gandhi-giri” (Lage Raho-MunnaBhai Movie), were even eager to try it out! But they might be too shy to talk about or admitting it if it failed. The reason as to why Gandhi-giri did not happen to work for them is not too far to seek. It works only if it is accompanied by a “public opinion being mobilized”.
Showing another cheek if slapped on one, should be only in full public view ! Policemen actually specialize in trace-less slapping in a closed questioning-room, during investigation, and ‘showing the other cheek’ is no more a matter of choice there! Does it work!

Shaheed Bhagat Singh was not the only one to be hanged during freedom struggle. But he did understand the power of ‘public-opinion’ and it was indeed a Gandhi-giri style (being hanged for just non-violently exploding a bunch of leaflets in full public view, right inside the parliament premises!)

I wonder if those who are staunch followers of non-violence would really show the other cheek to a mosquito which lands upon one cheek to bite, or would they inadvertently slap themselves and then ‘claim’ that it was a part of non-violence too, to slap their own faces!

The present day generation is flooded with opinions of all kinds. Most of the time, we are led by opinion. Even psychiatrists seem to try that “auto-self-suggestion” as a technique, because, may be, when we tell the same thing many times to ourselves, it becomes like a public opinion to us , (public is after all “many”, so many times could be ‘equal to’ public!)

Some time or other we might have wondered, as to why we are unable to ‘hang’ on to a resolution, a decision, a determination, which we feel is needed to improve ourselves! I am tempted to look at that decision as an ‘opinion’, that is why perhaps it did not work. Opinions by themselves do not ‘perform’. The subtle nature of ‘opinion’ reminds me of that cotton-ball type of sweet candy or so which just loses it size when ‘chewed’, though it initially teases our cheeks, trying to stick on! I am voluntarily ready to disclose that the mythological character “Hanuman” gains his power not out of any opinion by onlookers, but by being “reminded” of the truth, that he did possess enormous powers (Hanuman was to remain under a spell/curse, that unless reminded, his powers were to remain latent). So it not a psychiatric ‘suggestion’ to Hanuman that worked. Suppose we lost some heavy amount by way of pick-pocket, when that amount was badly needed to save the life of a near & dear one, then we have learnt a lesson. Now we do not need a resolve, borrowing it as a dependable opinion that “it is good to beware of pick-pockets”. But, not all are depending on such hard lessons. For example intellectuals, scientists, etc can easily foresee the harm of mis-handling a hazardous material, and know of their own wisdom, that abundant care is needed. It we the ‘common’ men who find it convenient to float on opinions, instead of taking the efforts to swim across decisively to a goal!

Spirituality does not support, unfortunately, any kind of dependence on opinion. Even if a spiritual practice is done sincerely, but is ‘driven’ by an opinion, the benefits could be just incidental, physical and quite attractive, but not a lasting one, in spiritual terms.

Marketing techniques are at its best, from results point of view, when an opinion is created first, and then a product is marketed. Day in and out, we are choicelessly showered upon with opinions, and therefore what else would we become, over a period of time… “Man is but a bundle of opinions”?! All the time, we are worried about “what 4 people will say?” (that was the joke, when the Indian-language-version was translated).

Now, it really calls for “own” opinion, “original” opinion, or shall we say, a “well considered” opinion (that brain-storming, nerve-wrecking session), if at all someone is inclined to respond? No problems. I know, what it takes for a response to ‘snow-ball’ into an opinion, if we feel it safe that way, before we attempt to sincerely respond.

Opinionatively yours,
Psn (18th May, 2009)