Line

128)     A major problem created by disregarding the Line can be readily solved once it is located.

As life develops, intensity varies. Man often is unaware of such changes. Even when he is aware of it, he acts as before. Life is sensitive in producing results. It does not honour ethical, moral, cultural niceties even when they are true. When such beliefs are illusory, disastrous results issue.

• Problems are created when these life realities - I call them LINE -- are disregarded.
• Concerned parties take undue advantages.
• Artificial problems arise.
• He who must pay gets paid and takes it as right.

A wife was harassing her husband for several years threatening to kill herself. He was in constant tension. It was an insoluble problem. He happened to confide in an elder once who laughed and said it was an empty threat. The husband was intrigued. Over some time he suspected the elderly man might be right. Now the elder made bold and advised the husband to tell her, ‘Well, do it and it will be good riddance'. The husband acted on the advice and that was the last time she ever threatened. The truth is the husband's position was true and strong. He believed he was weak and had been acting as a weak person.

Today America is compelling all nations not to produce the bomb. She is acting under the impression that the pre Cold War situation obtains. She is mistaken and the world honours her error. Today America is not strong politically and she is not in a position to put economic pressure on other nations. Maybe all the other nations joining together would find America weak. The members of UN can abolish the veto and make the UN democratic which they do not yet realize.

The problem of Kashmir was created by strong India acting as a weak partner in 1947. Should the Government of India recognize that Kashmir problem can now be dejure position is the client is the boss. A bank was playing truant for three years telling lies in the court. As soon as the client realised his position and asserted it, the three year old problem was solved in one day.

About 60 years ago retailers in America caught sight of this truth and created a vast opportunity of an ever expanding market by offering to please the customer.

Teachers have a right to feel the students are the beneficiaries.

In truth, students are unable to perform their best because of this mistaken attitude.

Whenever the truth is caught sight of, a vast opportunity opens up for the student to widen his horizon.

These errors occur,

- During transition periods in society.

- By a mistaken religious belief.

- By vested interests creating an illusion.

- Clever beneficiaries believe they are benefactors conferring blessings on one and all.

- Darcy honestly believed he was conferring a blessing on Elizabeth. So did Collins and got violently rebuffed.

Life offers sometimes simple solutions to major problems. This is one such area.

129)     Similar right positioning can be used to create opportunities.

Crossing the LINE inopportunely creates a problem or crisis.

Crossing the LINE with the right sense as it moves creates unheard of opportunities.

Pride and Prejudice, two hundred years after its writing, is very popular in England because Jane Austen shows in her characters the sensibility to avail of the opportunity given by life.

After Elizabeth's vituperation in response to Darcy's proposal, she could not conceive his still loving her and wanting her. Any girl knows, even if he longs for her, a MAN could not bring himself to propose a second time in those circumstances.

• Incidentally, ONLY because she gave him up, did he come back to her.

Jane Austen gives Elizabeth the sense of the situation which I describe as the LINE. At Pemberly she sees her attitude changes. Subconsciously she feels he would respond if she changes and therefore she changes.

• As a Life Response, Darcy appears on the scene violating his earlier plan.

Elizabeth has subconsciously created a very big opportunity because she was "aware" of the fact that crossing the LINE then would create that opportunity.

• One can consciously do it. George Marshall, at the end of the war, created that opportunity through the Plan named after him which has made USA a world power. It is interesting and important to know while he was thus consciously creating so big an opportunity for America, for the next several decades he was equally conscious of the other rule that giving without asking will not work.
• Talking on the radio Marshall spoke of his willingness to help all the war damaged nations. BUT, he said, the request should come from the beneficiaries. It did come in the next half an hour.
• Every successful man has this ability to create such opportunities at least in his own field of activity.
• A country enters into a boom of prosperity when circumstances themselves create such opportunities.

- Britain was given an empire not so much by her seeking as by the imposition of the circumstances of trade.

- In the seventies when China was trying to position herself in world politics, it was Nixon who knocked on her doors and opened up the trade opportunity which she is enjoying.

- Colonel Perry opened Japan to the world market by threatening her. She was insular and cherished her insularity. He made his way breaking her refusal.

- In turn Japan returned that service by Pearl Harbour which created the opportunity for America to become the world leader.

- So also Indian Freedom was occasioned by World War II.

130)     Society composes of innumerable layers of men.

A line exists between any two of them. One who can successfully handle all the lines becomes a leader.

Leadership is that which can successfully handle all types of men.

Today leadership comes on top by a democratic process.

In previous times one who can physically dominate alone can be a leader.

We see in a democratic process of choosing a leader, there is a substantial substratum of physical power.

It is true of the local as well as national leadership.

On the same analogy the leader who gets elected by fear also has to answer a certain question of fairness in the population.

In popular parlance this phenomenon is phrased as, "there is a limit for anything".

We see the society is shot through and through with innumerable elements such as 1) physically violent power; 2) vitally intimidating force; 3) mentally appealing ideas; 5) sacred values for living; 6) basic necessities of life; 7) security of existence.

The list is endless.

I posit a line in each of these aspects. In a very violent society where only a ruffian can become a leader, we know when he violates certain fairness to the population, the whole people rise in revolt to the point where his violence is set at naught. There is a play of forces between a minimum and a maximum. That is his zone. Beyond he will be thrown away. That limit exists in a hundred ways.

• It is a subtle intuition that knows it.
• It can be discerned from any section or sector or aspect.

Stalin's ruthless violence was conceded by the population. Suppose the same violence was resorted to with no policy of socialism at the helm, the country would have turned against Stalin. The success of any outstanding leader who was guilty of excess in some regard but was able to carry on can be seen within the limits of this LINE.

• At different periods these LINES that comprise of all the sectors meant for leadership vary.
• With every aspect: period, culture, country, danger, security, opportunity, risk, etc. varying, this composite LINE varies.
• Chengis Khan was successful from Mongolia to Europe.
• FDR could persuade the depositors to redeposit their funds.
• Hitler could exhort his population to tolerate his diabolical regime.
• Mussolini could inspire confidence in Winston Churchill.
• H.G. Wells could describe Napoleon as vermin.
• T.S. Eliot and Stalin could believe in Hitler.
• Caesar was assassinated by all, including Brutus.
• The US population reelected Truman after his dropping of the bomb on Japan.
• Today there is a substantial support to Stalin in Russia.
• Indira could come back to power after she promulgated the Emergency.
• Even after the second bomb was dropped, the Japanese Emperor was unwilling to surrender.

These are instances where being on the right side of the line or the wrong side have their own consequences.