TODAY, political rallies are all about candidates insulting each other. The days of dignified talk seem to be over, and just when I was beginning to feel sad about the bygone days, I suddenly started realizing that even insults could be turned around and made to work for us:
This incident happened during the latter part of 1800s, in Bengal when Sri Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar and his few friends were busy collecting donations to start Calcutta University. One day Vidyasagar stopped at the door of the palace of Nawab of Ayodhya. The Nawab was not exactly known to be a generous person and many people tried to dissuade Vidyasagar from taking his mission to the nawab.
Vidyasagar met the Nawab and presented his cause. On hearing Vidyasagar’s plea, Nawab got up, pulled one of his shoes off and dropped it in Vidyasagar’s bag as a donation. Vidyasagar did not say a word. He simply got up, thanked Nawab and left.
Next day Vidyasagar organised an auction of the Nawab’s shoe in front of his palace. Lots of Nawab’s knights, Jahagirdars, court members, who wanted to impress the Nawab started bidding. By the mid afternoon the shoe was sold for Rs 1000. The Nawab, happy to hear that his shoe fetched Rs 1000, and matched the auction money. He added his own Rs. 1000 as donation.
When destiny dropped a shoe in his basket, Vidyasagar could have walked out furious. He could have thrown the shoe at the Nawab as an insult. He could have got depressed and gone home and cried that nobody is willing to give him a donation and given up his efforts to raise donation for the university. But he did nothing of that sort. He remained focused on the main goal.
He rose above his personal feelings, ego, and insecurities and exploited the situation creatively. He rose above his insecurities and exploited that of others around him. He took that shoe and converted it into the biggest donation to the University of Calcutta. Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar converted his on-face insult and resulting disappointment into a Rs. 2000 donation plus a pleased Nawab who could be of some assistance at some point later.
Yes, when someone has insulted you, you need to look at the bigger picture. When you look at how that same insult can be turned around, creative ideas come abounding. But first you have to control the urge to hit back. Stop feeling insulted, rise above your personal feelings, ego and insecurity and you will find enough ways to change the situation into a positive one.
I wonder which political leader will realise he can do what Vidyasagar did? The results could be quite positive and rewarding and like Gandhi the same strategy to win our freedom, maybe some politician could win an election! Seems a better and cheaper idea than every political party wooing Prashant Kishor the poll strategist..!
