Intimidation

The great scientist Dr. Albert Einstein, is reported to have said this : “It [atomic energy] may intimidate the human race into bringing order into its international affairs" (Albert Einstein).

And even in law, the theory of punishments includes one type of punishment as a “deterrent”, only with this hope of intimidating the onlookers.

What is wrong, in exploiting this vulnerability of being prone to intimidation, when we ourselves are ready to be subjected to intimidation day-in-and-out, in all our activities?

“Everybody” is a gentleman, when there is a policeman around the corner”.

People who genuinely tried “Gandhi-giri” in their real life failed, only because they did not notice the element of ‘intimidation’ by the “media effect” in the examples that the movie ‘Lage-Raho-Munnabhai” had depicted.

The fear of death intimidates us, and we die many times before it really happens.

The ‘vacuum’ after retirement, intimidates people who are otherwise clearly convinced that voluntary retirement is the best option when the work place no more supports sincerity, and when financial considerations are no more valid.

We do many things, opt for many things, merely because we feel intimidated of being left out, singled out, etc.

Oh! Even I seem to be indulging in that needless intimidation, reminding ourselves of the situations that trigger intimidation.

I am tempted to look at “expectation”, as, perhaps the root cause of this intimidation.

We expect that we are allowed to live a little longer, and therefore death finds scope to intimidate us.

We ‘expect’ lots of respect from others, all the time, and therefore that forced ‘ethical’ behaviour intimidates a visible adherence from us all the while.

Try to intimidate a three month old baby with anything, anyways, anyhow…. In all probability, at best, it may find your gesticulations/articulations quite an entertaining amusement!

We settle the score with that child, as soon as it acquires a little bit of ‘self-awareness’ and now starts to choose, relinquishing that priceless ‘choicelessness’ that it had enjoyed as nature’s best benediction for that brief, blissful, baby-period. Now, we recklessly intimidate that child, be it our ‘own’ even, with all samples of direct and indirect intimidations, till the child grows up to repay us in our ‘own’ coin!

That is why perhaps, these wandering mendicants choose to beg just one thing, their food, and declare their “abound” nature by choosing “choicelessness” quite consciously, to be least available to intimidation of any sort for the rest of their lives! They choose the ‘death’ even, in evolved cases/instances.

We can try out in small measures, to test its efficacy, if that intimidation and ‘expectation’ are really related.

Regards,Psn(22nd February, 2010)