Kaamyaab, a movie that I immensely liked for many reasons, once again brought up thoughts on how one defines success. Even when one has moved past societal notions and is only locking horns with self-image, the path is reasonably unclear. I thought I had moved ahead by a step, but came upon a bunch of challenges there too!
In life, and in work, there is a balance that can theoretically be achieved between popularity and prestige. But as time passes, one is more often than not, bound to follow one of these tracks. To the extent that it almost becomes output vs outcome. In a world of signals and perceptions, is one path better than the other, contexts aside?
An excellent comment from my previous post on self image, signals and the future, made me think deeper on the specifics of my plans. While a large part of this was about how and where one spends one’s time, I realised there is at least one more layer to this. That was a broader definition of freedom, and it comes with its own set of challenges.
The end of the year provides a good excuse to reflect on the way forward. In my search for knowing the reasons behind a change of heart on the place to retire in after work, I stumbled upon my own narrative shift. That led me to thinking about signalling at large, and the impact it has on the lives we lead.
Our reactions to the crimes committed by others is influenced by our (non) understanding of the brain. While we might have some levels of leniency built in for those who are certifiably ill, we are nowhere close to resolving the conflict in the case of those who are (probably) suffering from equally complex mental instability, but only at a point in time.