Demonetisation
Let’s pay the price of certainty: Big mouth Narcissists are the new Heroes
The guesswork can be killing. Uncertainty over the results in exams, selection of the candidature for the job, the dish being cooked to taste as desired. There is always uncertainty. But this uncertainty may result in disappointment but won’t alter lives at least not of an entire country, race or humanity.
However, the moment this uncertainty desperately seeks certainty and crawls into things that need thinking. There is a price to pay.
A price of kneejerk reactions, price of trusting a big mouth, price of trusting impossible messages of certainty, anger management with the ballot, that vote of rage, going online on social media and being a troll, attack anyone who seeks logic and wants to take a minute and think before reaching that dangerous quick certainty
I watched the Trump election carefully and especially the warning signals by people like Michael Moore. I knew that this Bigot, Big mouth Narcissist was soon to be the US president. I knew it as I witnessed something similar in 2014 in India. The lack of opposition was key here in India as the US, but even within the winning political party in India, this one man rose to power. He is all that Trump represents, the angry who want to shake things up and are ready to support anyone who promises to do so. Even a Fascist. I always wondered in democracies like US and India what will Fascists look like? I have a picture now and what is troubling is that the people this time are ready to hand over their lives to these individuals.
I came across this short film posted by The New York Times ‘The Price of Certainty’ by Daniele Anastasion. Do watch and then I would want you to draw up a 2X2 table and map every uncertainty that has clouded you and the message of certainty that addressed it altered your thinking –
The Price of Certainty from The New York Times – Video on Vimeo.
This is how a simple Table can look like –
| THOUGHTS OF UNCERTAINITY | MESSAGE OF CERTAINTY |
| There is so much corruption – Coal, 2G scam, etc. what do we do. | I will lock everyone up, vote for me! I was the head of the state when it burned, and thousands of people died. Ignore it & vote for me I will lock them. |
| There is a bomb blast in the market, and the Islamic Radical Groups are taking credit. What do we do? | I will build a wall and throw all immigrants out. Vote for me. Ignore that I am a racist and bigot. Ignore that terrorism has no religion. |
| We are Marathas, but all the jobs go to people from Bihar & UP. What do we do? | I will throw all non-Marathas out and beat them up. Vote for me. Ignore that I am a goon. |
| There is so much black money in the country. Mehtaji has 5 cars, and I have only one scooter. This is not fair. | Don’t worry I will snatch Mehtaji’s 5 cars vote for me. I am not sure if you will ever graduate from a scooter, but vote for me as Mehtaji is a crook. |
| There is so much black money in the country. All these rich people are getting richer. | Vote for me in the first 100 days I will have 15Lacs in your bank account from the black money overseas. It will never come. |
| There is so much pain with the ban of the 500, 1000 Rs. Notes. What do I do? | You voted for me I will clean black money, go through hell for 50days. We will clean India. Ignore that people knew about Rs. 2000 note change before I announced. Forget the foreign stashed black money, Forget the 15Lacs you were to get, forget gold, forget property. Don’t eat for 50days we will clean black money. And next election is also fast approaching. |
| The other political parties are questioning if it was a right move banning 500 and 1000 rupee notes. | These political parties and all of the opposition will have a problem as their parties are funded by black money. Don’t ask how my party is funded. I am your hero I will save you. |
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the publication
