Open the eye and shut the I

Human beings are strange creatures. Strange because they are driven by a formless entity called ego. It was this ego that was the undoing of many a mighty kings in the past. The legend goes that when Lord Ram reached Ayodhya after killing Ravana, many residents asked in dismay how could Ram slay mighty Ravana. Ram’s cryptic reply was that he did not kill Ravana. It was the ‘I’ that killed Ravana. It is because of this ego that human beings have acquired a unique trait that can be expressed in many forms of behavior. From rationalisation to ideological excuses to justifications there are many ways in which these ego defense mechanisms unfold. It is the ego that gives the human beings the illusion of invulnerable status leading to primacy of self- aggrandisement. The author historian Barbara Tuchman has tried to bring out this basic aspect of human character in the classic literary work The March of Folly written over three decades ago. Human beings have hardly learnt a lesson from their follies all the way from Troy to Vietnam and perhaps even in the present Corona pandemic. This is the one weakness that leads to most problems of humanity. It explains why human beings jostle with one another to take out their cabin baggage from the overhead bin, even as the plane is about to crash. Where do they want to carry their cabin baggage is intriguing. Let go is the mantra that every one chants but letting go is the difficulty that most fail to overcome. Contexts keep on changing but human character remains fairly stable. Why humans acquire a myopic vision is a question of attitude hard to view but how this attitude influences behavior is a common sight. Unless human beings open their eyes and shut that capital l, no great learning is possible. Coming to the question of the Corona pandemic, several assertions and assumptions are doing the rounds these days suggesting that human character is going to change this time. Let us wait and see for one more time. Chances, however, seem bleak. Pandemics have been attacking humanity since ages. The Biblical mention of plague or the plague of Athens were early references. Many more have appeared periodically killing millions. The earlier schools of opinion attributed these catastrophic incidents to God’s curse for humanity going astray. A correction for moral pollution. Even today there may be a few similar views. But who cares. It is naive to believe that humans are going to buy the proposition and mend ways. If we closely observe how things have been shaping up from the initial phases of the pandemic to the present times we should have no pretensions. Many see the pandemic as an opportunity. Opportunity to flaunt their egos. To play the Messiah, the grand  saviour even as misery comes to the share of many. The poor, the meek and the vulnerable were reeling under the crisis but the affluent and the powerful found better things to do. Many thought it was time to change the world, failing to realise it already has. And not because of them. But that is human nature. Difficult to say if it is a curse for sinning or an opportunity for winning. Nevertheless, commerce continues to drive and thrive. Human nature doesn’t change that easily. Even God knows this. But He continues trying. After all, it is His creation.