Express Philosophy

I spoke on this topic recently and excerpts from it are :  Human seek addiction in a way to derive pleasure! Rock n roll, alcohol, hallucinogens, psychedelics, are some of the addictive means. Many of these are made out of bounds as social and culture wrongs. They may be called evils. Restrictions are placed and control are implemented making human seek something else.  Social media is another way to continue the euphoric mood, derive pleasure and remained hooked. It is permitted, available to everyone and not policed. I often wonder: What would be the state of most of humanity without social media? It has triggered chatting, sharing, travel frenzy and countless copycat actions as pastime. The social media bustle has evolved as perhaps the greatest peacetime activity in recent times. It has surpassed meditation in the sincerity and intensity and drugs in its addictiveness. It seems to have helped calm the masses and keep them pre-occupied and content.  A comp...

The following excerpt I presented at the recent Gurgaon Literature Festival - Partho Dhang In the wild we see animals in uniform shapes and sizes.   A zebra and a giraffe, or a tiger, or for that matter any animal carry a typical body ratio between all its body parts. In fact, over millions of years their shape and size had undergone a process of natural selection to arrive at a “finality” or the “optimum”. This uniformity is must for the survival of the species. Differences does occur but is removed from nature very quickly by a process of natural selection, leaving only the fittest and the right ones to survive. In contrary, humans come in all shapes and sizes. Through the benevolence of the state and a constitution, every shape and size are given equal opportunity and is protected from discrimination. The result of this is in front of us. We are diverse in shape, size and looks. Even though this is accepted in society as natural, there is however a hidden hun...

Living and working in Asia I have often encountered a unique culture of mixing business with religion. I have walked into offices where I see photo frames of God on a wall, or idols of God placed in offices, or an alter and sometime religious scriptures on photo frame. I have experienced offices where staffs took a break for prayers while on work. I have heard businessmen utter the name of God while discussing business. Some even take vouches in the name of God to conduct business. In one instance I even met up with a man who had made his patron God as the president of the company and he worked as the vice president. Does business and religion mix, I had asked myself? It makes sense to know this amalgamation more, because I have known people who were put-off by this very mixture and walked away to do business elsewhere. The reason was not with the particular culture, but simply a culture which make one feel uncomfortable dealing with. It works as a cultural turn-off.  ...