Upward Social Mobility
Tuesday October 5 2004 08:23 IST
By Karmayogi
An expert in
international security said fifteen years ago that there were 26 intra-state
and inter-state conflicts in the world. The demise of the Cold War was received
with a sigh of relief by the world. But there was disappointment about these
minor conflicts. It is a law of life that the abolition of a major problem will
be followed by minor problems unless the major relief is received with
gratitude.
The abolition of Cold War, the process by which it came about, was the first of
its kind. Revolutions rise from outside, never from inside. Cold War was
abolished by the USSR, by its chief, from inside, a thing the
world has never known. Had the world recognised the stupendous nature of the
event, and felt gratitude to its architect, the minor conflicts of Gulf War and Iraq war would not have
followed. The Nobel Prize to Gorbachev had more of propaganda in it than a
sincere recognition of his SINCERITY.
The one thing MAN is extremely sensitive about and ready to act on without
prompting is his readiness to acquire prestige, a semblance of upward social
mobility, an effort of seeking status. Money moves man, any man and all men. He
who is not moved by money will certainly be moved by prestige. Prestige is the
psychological centre of MAN. He is most sensitive at that point. On the lower
side, it sounds unidealistic.
On the other side, it is honour, one of high idealism. As all roads lead to Rome, all seeking of man
is God-seeking. In the social context all over the world, the seeking for an
honourable, respectable social standing is seen as universally present. Very
few really achieve it. In others, it remains as an aspiration. The method I
advocate here below will enable anyone without discrimination to achieve his
goal. I know it to be true in my daily contact with people and in the realism
of philosophy.
There is a law of life: what you do and how many things you are in does not
matter, but what matters is how PERFECT you are in even one of them. Perfection
in any one of the skills or capacities you possess will help you cross the
border, the border of your present social status. Take one thing, do it
perfectly, you will see yourself in the next zone. It enables you to see the
result, gives self-confidence, optimism is born and then you are a different
man. Till then, you worked hard without seeing the result you were working for.
Now you see it. What you have gained, you have to preserve and go on adding to
it.
Opportunities for upward social mobility are known to have diffused intra-state
as well as inter-state conflicts. For some reason, it has not gained the
attention of the world. A study of the phenomenon will give the world a
permanent solution to such conflicts and the consequent terrorism. A dynamic
man who is unable to move up is a menace to the society. His moving up ensures
social stability. The rule for nations as well as individuals is the same.