Monday, August 29, 2016

A little more sensible talking and a little less sensitive listening

I have always been a big fan of animation movies. It does take us into the world of kids and definitely its more peaceful than the world of adults.

I remember watching the Disney movie Bambi as a kid. I also recall feeling terribly sorry and sad when the hunters attack the forest and kill Bambi's mother. Another scene that comes to my mind simultaneously is one from a dubbed Asian movie that I watched as a kid again. This one I dont remember the name, what original language it was in, the actors , the story;Nothing!- All blank. The only thing I remember is the guy telling his girlfriend that his favorite movie is Bambi and that he has watched it 14 times. Why has this stuck on to my memory like it accidentally stepped on some chewing gum? No idea! Maybe the idea of an adult watching an animated move 14 times fascinated me?

I had quite forgotten the detailed scenes from Bambi till I watched it again with my son last year. There is one character who has become my favorite now. Its a little rabbit called Thumper. There is one important lesson Thumper's mom teaches him.



Quite simple and straightforward. But its one advice that can mend a lot of things in the world and in our lives.

We tend to get insensitive about what we say about others which has its roots in lack of empathy.
We tend to get oversensitive about what others say of us which has its roots in ego and maybe stress.

The great Tamil work Tirukkural , a literary wonder capturing almost every facet of life in beautifully coined couplets has a line

தீயினால் சுட்ட புண் உள்ளாறும் ஆறாதே நாவினால் சுட்ட வடு 
Theeyinaal sutta pun ullaarum aarathey naavinaal sutta vadu

A wound caused by fire may heal but never will a wound burnt by a tongue.

A lot of arguments and fights happen, especially in families and social circles, about what someone said during a conflict, rather than the conflict itself.  I think the solution is to just swap the intensity of our sensitivity. We need to be more sensitive about what we say of others and less sensitive towards what others say about us. I don't mean to say to project deaf ears when someone gives us good advise or tries to correct something. If something is said purely with the intent of causing hurt, it could be best ignored.




22 comments:

  1. Loved this post,Jaishree! I am a fan of animated movies no cartoons even now which provide best lessons in such an adorable manner.

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    1. Very true Rahul and they are simple yet effective in conveying the message

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  2. I think we should always remember these two lines--
    We tend to get insensitive about what we say about others which has its roots in lack of empathy.
    We tend to get oversensitive about what others say of us which has its roots in ego and maybe stress.

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    1. You are right Indu...But when people get blinded with emotion, sense is the last thing to dawn upon them!

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  3. Well said Jaish. Our interactions have become very abusive and insensitive. And our kids are watching us, imbibing the same.

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    1. Very true Alka. At least for the future generations sake we better mend our ways

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  4. Uh! You would totally shut down Facebook and Twitter. Nobody would have a thing to say this way :P

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  5. Aww....that's so sweet....I often find simple but important messages conveyed in children's books and movies....That's why I love to read and watch them....

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  6. But if all we say is nice things, how honest are we?

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  7. We can still put forth honest opinions in a nice way I think hi hi..
    Well u do have a point there... But sometimes we get carried away with the right to say things and go a tad too far...i think it depends on the circumstances.
    .

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  8. We can still put forth honest opinions in a nice way I think hi hi..
    Well u do have a point there... But sometimes we get carried away with the right to say things and go a tad too far...i think it depends on the circumstances.
    .

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  9. Thoughtful post Kaushal. Liked it.

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  10. Very good though Jaishree. Animation movies do teach us a lot. Have you watched Zootopia. I loved that one.

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    1. No, my husband and son did and they loved it. I am yet to watch it though I had seen a trailer.

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  11. Very nice post....We all have at some point in time been fans of animations.....
    Though,children today also,watch animations,but,they seem to prefer CID

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  12. oh Bambi is my eternal favorite. What a movie!

    I guess it takes time and patience to develop the skill to "ignore" some people :)

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  13. very true... lessons to learn from small things..
    I thinkg "Yagavarayinum Na-kaka ..." can also be added here :)

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  14. I love animated movies too. In recent times, I absolutely loved INSIDE OUT and ZOOTOPIA. Bambi of course is heart-breaking but it remains an all-time favourite.

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  15. Jaish... you have put across a very important thought in a beautiful way by using a cartoon and Thirukkaral as our teachers. Beautifully written. :)

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