I suppose all people of a certain age have contemplated suicide at some point in their lives. Or been tempted by drinks or drugs.
Much of the distress and upset which causes such drastic action is fear of public opinion. Public opinion – if it turns against you – can make life really miserable. I should know.
But what saved me from utter disaster was that I gave public opinion just that much importance as it deserved. And no more than that.
Forewarned is forearmed. I had a good idea of how people really think as they go through life. I had a good idea of the ill will that is dominant in the thoughts of most people towards everyone they interact with.
And the person who taught me or showed me how people think was James Clavell. Or rather his novels. In particular Noble House and Shogun.
There is no hypocrisy about James Clavell. The characters in his novels are not shown how they should be or how the authorities want them to be. They are shown as they really are.
Reading his novels gave me a good idea of what people really thought and felt about everybody including me. I was able to allocate the blame to where it really belonged – ordinary human nature.
Reading Clavell was and is like a cold shower. It refreshes you and you are ready for whatever the world throws at you. It was a necessary part of my education in the 1990s.
I don’t know if you feel this way but there is an impulse within me that tells me that it is my fault if people don’t treat me well. This is a flawed impulse caused by unwise upbringing. It is not based on a real understanding of the world and human nature.
What human nature is really like was explained by Voltaire in his classic Candide:
“Do you believe,” said Candide, “that men have always massacred one another as they do today, that they have always been liars, cheats, traitors, ingrates, brigands, idiots, thieves, scoundrels, gluttons, drunkards, misers, envious, ambitious, bloody-minded, calumniators, debauchees, fanatics, hypocrites and fools?”
“Do you believe,” said Martin, “that hawks have always eaten pigeons when they have found them?”
“Without doubt,” said Candide.
“Well, then,” said Martin, “if hawks have always had the same character, why should you imagine that men have changed theirs?”
It is necessary to imbibe this lesson. Know human nature to be what it is. Treat public opinion with the indifference it deserves.
Youngsters commit suicide due to social pressure. Exams, being unmarried and so on. Or take to drinks and drugs. Even mature people are prone to this. Many of these tragedies can be avoided if people were taught to give only that much importance to public opinion as is merited.
Reading Clavell and Voltaire will enable you to deal with the hostility that everyone faces as a part of life. In social situations, while walking on the road and so on.
A lot of this is due to the threat of communal violence. Due to that threat we have been brainwashed into believing that the world is a sugary sweet place where we should be nice to everyone at all times and everyone should be nice to us. The authorities obviously believed that this would help maintain order.
Now I admit that all people are manifestations of the Divine and as such there are grounds for treating people well. But these considerations only apply if you are actively seeking God. And religion – true religion – is meant only for the few. For the rest it is an opiate of the masses.
Nobody should be forced or fooled into following a spiritual path. You do not force someone to climb Mount Everest at gunpoint. He will only fall and break his neck.
So in brief, read James Clavell and free yourself from hypocrisy and false views. And teach your kids to do the same. It can save you (and your kids) from disaster.
At the same time worldly wisdom demands that we be ethical in our treatment of others. It is the best policy in the long run as well as saving us from Divine retribution and the effects of bad Karma (I really believe in that).
Your knowledge of human nature should ideally be used for defensive purposes only. To safeguard your legitimate interests. Not to do mischief.
I am looking for paid consultancy work. If you are interested in hiring me please email me at nikhil dot gangoli at gmail dot com. Do not use the Comments or Contact Me forms.
I hope you liked my article. Please share it on WhatsApp, X and FB and let me have your comments. Feedback from my readers keeps me going.