I am no psychologist... but a few years of observing human behavior, albeit sporadically, lead me to believe that human nature is compulsively dominating and yearns to be all-powerful... and thereby fails miserably in existing. This nature has an ancient origin... from way back when the sacred texts were written. Maybe much before writing was invented... when people used word-of-mouth to pass on their mental and spiritual legacies. The Bible, in the chapter of Genesis, says God created man in his own form. Similar connotations exist in all the other religions. The Hindu faith advocates in some sense that the mother and father are god-like… no doubt due to the role they play in giving life. And it’s in this long forgotten, but oft heard about era when the concept of God was born, that the deep-down aspiration in every human being to be God-like found root.
There’s a school of thought, which advocates that man created the concept of God as a pillar from which to gain strength in times of need. If this thought were to be followed through and analyzed with a not-so-powerful microscope, it becomes evident that it was the creator’s inherent desire to be all-powerful that drove him to say that God created man in his own form. Whether it was a mere desire or a gripping need to do so, I will leave to speculation…. There’s not evidence available to study the man, as far as I am concerned.
Over the years, people have defined greatness and Godness as per the times they lived in. Alexander was great because he braved a broken home to go out into uncharted territories, conquering all. Julius Caesar was great because he gave the government to the people and took care of them to a large extent. Akbar was great because he was a just ruler, lording it over his subjects with equanimity and compassion. If you are of the Aryan belief, Hitler was great because he tried to make his race superior to others. The list is long. But one thing all these people had in common: power over others… whether through fear or adoration. They played at being akin to God… as each interpreted it.
They’re not alone. Every field has given birth to greatness. This greatness may not be self-imposed, but the power to create and control has held sway over human rationality for time immemorial. Anyone with the power to create gives way to an overriding pride in his achievements. The sculptor believes him to be the god of stone carvings, the artist knows he wields complete power over his canvas and his brushes… and so on. This is true of doctors who cure the sick, software engineers who speak dumbfounding languages only specialized skills can decipher… or electronic ones, for that matter. It’s true of every profession… the journalist who condemns with words, or the judge who hands down a sentence to those he deems guilty (in America, as in some other communities, they let not one, but 12 people play God). The mechanic who gets a motor whirring or the goldsmith who delicately wrests the metal into thingummys that set aesthetic senses tingling. The cook who makes mouths water and the cobbler who allows feet to be protected are no less guilty of giving in to – let’s call it the “God Complex”.
And in this quest for greatness and Godness, man defeats the entire purpose of his existence. It was best summed up in someone’s analysis of the great comic book heroes of our times… and here I paraphrase that idea:
Clark Kent (Kal-El) of Krypton, who we commonly call Superman, is not a super hero like the others. He’s not different because he wears briefs over his trousers. He is different because he is one of the few born with his powers. Superman’s emblem of the “S” is etched onto his chest at birth. He is really superman. His alter-ego is that of Clark Kent: an appearance he takes on to blend in with the crowd. Clark is how Kal-El sees a normal human being – dreamy, clumsy, shy weak and cowardly. The other superheroes have gained superhuman powers only after spending time as normal folk. They need to distinguish themselves, show they are different. Hence the mask/hood, cape, costume and varied paraphernalia.
It all boils down to this. Greatness is delusional. All those who strive for greatness have already failed. Popoye is the only great person around. Not because he refuses to hide his dependence on spinach for strength, not because he can throw the big bad Bruno a mile away with a flick of his wrist. Because his belief is perfect: “I am what I am and that’s all that I am.”
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
DOCTORED UNREST
It's all over the news.... every media house, irrespective of size, focus, medium, and reach has latched on to the story of how doctors in India's western state of Maharashtra are agitating. But what exactly are the fighting for? It all started at one hospital when one of the overworked resident doctors was roughed up by patients who had been kept waiting for a while. Other resident doctors closed ranks to protest this incident. Fair enough... the right to protest is one granted by democracy. The patients were at fault... true, they had been kept waiting and they were indignant. As is frequently noticed, when one is ailing, every small thing is a matter of irritation... and all it takes is a few similarly irritated people to turn into a mob. The doctors, at the time, decided to fight fire with fire. It's been 9 days since.
What started involving a single hospital has mushroomed. It now involves physician bodies spanning the length and breadth of the state of Maharashtra. Resident doctors are on strike at various levels. And with the furore spreading, so has the point of the agitation. It now involves inhuman working hours, poor pay, and sad living conditions. I'm pretty sure the chap who was manhandled has been forgotten. The original incident still does the rounds; but in Mumbai's hospitals, that's nothing new. Reports of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals facing physical abuse at the hands of depressed, frustrated or grief-stricken friends and relatives of patients have been doing the rounds for quite a while now.
The bottom line is that it's become an issue on gargantuan proportions, forcing the nation to sit up and taken notice. Doctors have been fired, medical students expelled, and orders flit back-and-forth among government and professional bodies on how the madness can be sorted out. In the midst of all this, heroes emerge. Stories of physicians and surgeons who took up the tools of their trade to save lives despite the visible disintegration of Maharashtra's healthcare system.
And somehow, I believe the media has had a large role to play. Agreed that reporting is subjective. But the media has hidden behind this subjectivism, ignoring its most important function - that of gate keeping. Reporters, cameramen, photographers, and editors - all are responsible for this fiasco. As responsible, if not more, than the fellow who decided the doctor who stood before him deserved a slap and a shove. As responsible as the other doctors who refused to ignore the attack and opened the floodgates to a national crisis by walking out of the institution to sit in protest outside its gates.
Let's concede at this point that the matter might have fizzled out with a little more than an apology from both sides. But that's not the case. The media got involved. First came reports of the assault and retaliation. Then came stories on how this is not the first time such an incident has happened. This was followed by stories of how the doctor's parents and family feel and how angry and indignant they are. Close on their heels came reports on how the institutions issued an ultimatum to the striking doctors to resume work. Then came claims from doctors that they were underpaid, overworked and forced to live in filthy conditions. Then came reports of more doctors joining the protests and downing stethoscopes and scalpels. And reports of more altercations by frustrated patients and their well-wishers who found hospitals doctorless when they walked in for treatment. Then the state government issued an ultimatum, which made it to the front page of the newspapers and found airtime somewhere in the first segment of a news bulletin. By now, people are clamoring to know more. So the newspapers and TV channels decide to ask a few doctors outside Mumbai how they feel. Strong words result and medical practitioners from those areas also join in. This is faithfully reported. Soon statewide reports start coming in.... and the issue takes on national interest.
In the midst of all this ruckus and confusion, some smart reported digs up the story of one doctor who, despite the protests and the acute manpower crunch, remembers his hypocritical oath and decides to operate on a newborn baby, saving his life. Soon, more such instances will emerge. Then, one of two things will happen: these "humanitarians" will become the focus of wrath from their fraternity who have decided to make the street their office and domicile. They will face ostracisation and ridicule. Their life will become a living hell. Alternatively, some doctors will decide to take a closer look and join the new horde of heroes campaigning for a greater cause. (It could just be guilt, of course, but that's less likely, given present circumstances.) Good sense will prevail and they will decide that no pay is better than less pay. They will forgive those who cast stones at them and in true biblical fashion, care for and cure the very same people, pushing personal discomfort to the back burner. The matter will come to a close.
But the ever-alert media will not let the matter rest. Either way, it will have the last laugh. The ostracized doctors will make the headlines. The faces of these new breed of heroes will be splashed across pages. Comments from their friends and relatives will find mention. But the voices of dissent will also be carried alongside these sagas. Praise and condemnation, side by side... the perfect balancing act. The stories that can be generated are limitless. All the juicy tit-bits will be remembered, archived for future reference and kept updated. Whether the issue is resolved or not, it's meat for the news-mongers.
Sadly, this is true of any issue.
Who said the media has a short memory?
What started involving a single hospital has mushroomed. It now involves physician bodies spanning the length and breadth of the state of Maharashtra. Resident doctors are on strike at various levels. And with the furore spreading, so has the point of the agitation. It now involves inhuman working hours, poor pay, and sad living conditions. I'm pretty sure the chap who was manhandled has been forgotten. The original incident still does the rounds; but in Mumbai's hospitals, that's nothing new. Reports of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals facing physical abuse at the hands of depressed, frustrated or grief-stricken friends and relatives of patients have been doing the rounds for quite a while now.
The bottom line is that it's become an issue on gargantuan proportions, forcing the nation to sit up and taken notice. Doctors have been fired, medical students expelled, and orders flit back-and-forth among government and professional bodies on how the madness can be sorted out. In the midst of all this, heroes emerge. Stories of physicians and surgeons who took up the tools of their trade to save lives despite the visible disintegration of Maharashtra's healthcare system.
And somehow, I believe the media has had a large role to play. Agreed that reporting is subjective. But the media has hidden behind this subjectivism, ignoring its most important function - that of gate keeping. Reporters, cameramen, photographers, and editors - all are responsible for this fiasco. As responsible, if not more, than the fellow who decided the doctor who stood before him deserved a slap and a shove. As responsible as the other doctors who refused to ignore the attack and opened the floodgates to a national crisis by walking out of the institution to sit in protest outside its gates.
Let's concede at this point that the matter might have fizzled out with a little more than an apology from both sides. But that's not the case. The media got involved. First came reports of the assault and retaliation. Then came stories on how this is not the first time such an incident has happened. This was followed by stories of how the doctor's parents and family feel and how angry and indignant they are. Close on their heels came reports on how the institutions issued an ultimatum to the striking doctors to resume work. Then came claims from doctors that they were underpaid, overworked and forced to live in filthy conditions. Then came reports of more doctors joining the protests and downing stethoscopes and scalpels. And reports of more altercations by frustrated patients and their well-wishers who found hospitals doctorless when they walked in for treatment. Then the state government issued an ultimatum, which made it to the front page of the newspapers and found airtime somewhere in the first segment of a news bulletin. By now, people are clamoring to know more. So the newspapers and TV channels decide to ask a few doctors outside Mumbai how they feel. Strong words result and medical practitioners from those areas also join in. This is faithfully reported. Soon statewide reports start coming in.... and the issue takes on national interest.
In the midst of all this ruckus and confusion, some smart reported digs up the story of one doctor who, despite the protests and the acute manpower crunch, remembers his hypocritical oath and decides to operate on a newborn baby, saving his life. Soon, more such instances will emerge. Then, one of two things will happen: these "humanitarians" will become the focus of wrath from their fraternity who have decided to make the street their office and domicile. They will face ostracisation and ridicule. Their life will become a living hell. Alternatively, some doctors will decide to take a closer look and join the new horde of heroes campaigning for a greater cause. (It could just be guilt, of course, but that's less likely, given present circumstances.) Good sense will prevail and they will decide that no pay is better than less pay. They will forgive those who cast stones at them and in true biblical fashion, care for and cure the very same people, pushing personal discomfort to the back burner. The matter will come to a close.
But the ever-alert media will not let the matter rest. Either way, it will have the last laugh. The ostracized doctors will make the headlines. The faces of these new breed of heroes will be splashed across pages. Comments from their friends and relatives will find mention. But the voices of dissent will also be carried alongside these sagas. Praise and condemnation, side by side... the perfect balancing act. The stories that can be generated are limitless. All the juicy tit-bits will be remembered, archived for future reference and kept updated. Whether the issue is resolved or not, it's meat for the news-mongers.
Sadly, this is true of any issue.
Who said the media has a short memory?
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