Reflections

I grew up cherishing humbleness and modesty as one of the highest virtues of life. Those who have achieved higher goals in their lives need not put forth in their own words their achievements in front of others as the world would already know about their feats. This is what I used to think and for the most part of it, I still believe in it. But taking a look around, I feel modesty and humbleness have become a rare treasure found only in a few who shine without the embellishments of their own words about their greatness.

This reminds me of an incident which I think was quite amusing for me. (I do not know whether the person whom I found hilarious thought it to be so, well if she had put in so much of thoughts she would not have uttered the words) This was about an year ago. I would go to play tennis in my campus every evening. I never saw this woman playing herself but it seems she had noticed me playing. One day as I was on my way back, chance had made me come across her. We exchanged the regular hello and she complimented me on my game. Well she said , "Your technique is very good" I had a confused expression on my face to which she responded "Oh, don't worry, I won't come to play". My expressions were confused because I know my shortcomings while I play. Did she read my expressions as I were afraid to confront one of the greatest players. Well, I think now I sound a little condescending but a person who has never been seen on the court, how can she comment on the technique? If she were so much into the techniques, never ever did she want to show them on the court? Well, I am really amused about how people brag about their skills which they do not even possess. (Now that I have written about this incident, I have two more related to my tennis skills) Another person commented, "oh you have learnt now how to play!" I amuse myself by thinking within my head as if he had seen me start learning how to play and now I have reached a certain passable limit of the game. Well, generally I ignore and do not correct the perceptions people want to make about me. I feel even if I do mention that I had learnt playing tennis a long time ago so, would that really change his perception. Again, on some other occasion, he will make his own ideas about, not just me but about any other person.

Here I may be wrong, but I only care about the perceptions that my near and dear ones have about me.

Coming back to modesty and humbleness, they do not remain virtues for the majority and have become a sign of weakness and flaw. These days if you do not fall on the majority side, you certainly belong to the wrong side. 

Modesty and Humbleness also invokes in me the idea of speaking with respect to anyone. What I have witnessed in this one year is something not really surprising but the fact that it gets prominent with each passing day in my life with the people around has become a fact pretty indigestible. The trend is not only for those who are in the position of authority, who deem themselves as the only masters but at each level of the hierarchy, one faces such a behaviour. 

I do not say that I am the perfect person born in this world. No, I am not. No one is. What I try to do is to reflect upon my shortcomings. Some attributes I would love to inculcate in me, I put effort to imbibe. I just wonder whether reflections are being done on individual level. I am sure there are innumerable others who give hope, who have virtues, who inspire others to be a better person. I have met many in my life. Yet somehow where I am today, brings forth a grim picture.