Monday, 28 July 2014

Knowing is difficult



“How are you?” I am sure you would have asked this question today to at least one person. I also do ask this question with no intent. It’s just another way to greet him. But at least there is a feeble attempt to know him!

But, do I ever ask myself, how am I or how am I doing? to know myself.  I am not talking about asking this loudly in presence of people. If I start doing that way, they will take me to a psychiatrist to know me better. “The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself”- Thales. That might be the reason.

Uber’s car service wants to know your experience, so they ask you to rate your drivers. Also, like many other right things in that “left-hand” drive world, their system does allow one more thing. In turn they let the drivers to rate you as well. So that, when they are out on the roads, they would know what they might be in for. For example one typical feedback to the driver will read like this  – “ if the customer is a short, pot-bellied, bald, 50+ year old man, then in all probability, he might ask you  to slowdown if you try to cross 40 mph even once and give you a rating of 1 out of 10, irrespective of at what speed you drive, choice is not yours "

There are agencies that let you know a few good things about a product, by showing ads. It seems the packaged coconut water business is a multi-billion one world-wide. It was promoted that coconut water is good for health, good for kidney, and good for many other organs. Then there are these nutrition researchers, their job is to constantly puncture holes in these theories so that common man does not fall prey to these (f)ads. They have recently concluded that, coconut water contains 19% Potassium, 4% Calcium, 4% Sodium, 4% Magnesium. And more sugar than that in fruit juice, among others the only thing which you know the taste - though it’s not good for health. They came to the conclusion that as far as nutrition values go, a pack of coconut water is equivalent to one banana + one glass of water,  which you can buy for 1/5th the cost of coconut water pack. So if you are cash strapped, and if at all you are concerned not much as how many types of chemicals, in what measures go into your body, then you may go for a banana, and a glass of tap water. If you are cash rich, then obviously you will look for a different taste and will anyway opt for coconut water.

One Thomas came to my house when I decided to purchase a vehicle, taking loan from the dealer itself. While signing the papers, they had hinted me that somebody will come to know more about me! But, actually Thomas did not ask many questions. He was 6+ ft tall, weighing 100+ Kgs with a thick mush. He appeared to be in constant look out of his next prey, after killing many people on a warfront-like environment. Should he have asked more? For that matter, should I have asked for more ! His visit was just to let me indirectly know that a few “Thomas-like” people will see me and do the needful, if I default their monthly installment.

Most of us have credit cards, the one we extensively use to swipe to reach the credit limit quickly, without knowing how much to spend, which will wipe out the money from our accounts later! KYC – know your customer norms are mandated for them. But primary interest for some of them lies only in confirming my residential address. So that, if I am unable to pay, instead of lifting a useless fellow like me, they can lift my useful, movable assets.

Know that you don’t know you well. That will help you in not getting into too many unknown problems.

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