Seven sins

There are seven sins in the world:

Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Commerce without morality, Science without humanity, Worship without sacrifice and politics without principle.

Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)

30 pieces of silver

Today, we all live in a world that's growing less dignified, less honourable, less humane and... well, less caring about anyone else but ourselves.

Integrity and self-worth is sold freely for a little more than a song, where justifying evil has become the norm and even encouraged as a sign of growth. While the mouth shouts praises to God, the hands grab from whatever it can, however way it may.

What used to be 30 pieces of silver for the Christ, man now peddles his soul for a mere 3 piece-suit. Anything for a leg up the "ladder of success".

But here's a thought:

While money can be made, respect and honour has to be earned.

Generals

I remember the time when I visited a certain general in prison back in the mid 90's. Looking ever the bit like Douglas MacArthur, he calmly told me not to worry about him as he was accustomed to going in and out of jails... that they have become almost like his second home.

It wasn't hard to see why his soldiers respected him and why they would readily lay down their lives on his command.

Here was a general that wasn't all about honorific titles.

I have met many wannabe "generals" in my lifetime that have the qualifications, big titles on their namecards and bask in being addressed as such in public.

But I have since learned one FACT about generals... reals ones, that is.

How they manage and command under fire, at the lowest ebb in their lives is what separates the real generals from the wannabes.

For it isn't hard to prance around with one's chest lifted high in peacetime. Even monkeys do that!

But a real general commands his men and his own life when he is at the lowest point of despair.

One last thing.

A general rules with the respect of his men which cannot be garnered through fear or the thumping of fists for they display nothing more than contempt and a desperate attempt at showing "strength".

Respect from his men comes from them knowing that he is honourable and trustworthy, someone who is also a soldier at heart.

Ancestral roots

Today, we’re already moving into the first decade of the 21st century. Meaning, mankind has evolved over two millennium since 1 A.D. and more than at least close to 100 millenniums since the first human walked upright.

Ancestral root veneration, dating back thousands of years, nonetheless, survives to date. In plain untainted form, one sentence describes its essence when used today – “Let’s tell the world how great our ancestors were because we come from that stock and therefore is of that root. However, in history where they failed, let us forget that period”.

Unfamiliar?

Try recollecting the many sovereign nations that have “changed history” by the eradicating of historical fact from text books because they are deemed to be “harmful” to national security, integration and unity.

If we aren’t matured enough to face the FACT that:

1. Everyone’s ancestral roots come from tainted past. Our forefathers were not the most saintly of people.

2. 99.9% of what or who we are today is not connected to a “gene” of good stock of our forefathers.

Then, how on earth are we going to grow as a civilization? How long more are we going to “deny” our ancestors' tainted past (as though it forms our whole humanity today) and how long more are we going to tell the world that its “okay” because even the most developed nations took 300 years to get to their station today.

We forget that we’re in a world that’s increasingly global, that relies heavily upon the online real-time dissemination of information and ideas. They didn’t have that 300 years ago while we’re been “given” the technology as recent as 30 years back. Therefore, what kind of a comparison is that?

Having said that, the earlier we get past this stage of mediocrity, denial and excuse, the faster we’ll grow to become a developed civilization. So what if my forefathers were barbarians or useless sods (which they probably were anyway), I am measured by who I am today, not by someone else who lived tens of thousands of years ago.

Globalisation and mediocrity

Globalisation in today's context means a dramatic shift from protectionist policies to free trade and local competition to global competitiveness. It is an evolution that's unstoppable as our world grows smaller and interwovenly integrated.

So what's the problem?

On a micro level, the problem lies within ourselves and our unwillingness to accept change and challenge. As a country, we're refusing the realities of a new world that's constantly undergoing evolutionary change.

So what do we do?

We call others names. We lower the bar of excellence for ourselves and pat ourselves on the back for having done so. We become mediocre just to deal with not being able to "hack-it" on an international level. We compare ourselves to our home-made lowered standards instead of challenging ourselves against the world.

Not true?

Why do you think we have the "Malaysia Book of Records", "Brand Laurette", "Superbrands" and dozens of other locally-concocted or modified awards that we give ourselves? Why do you think we now have only Malaysian teams in the Malaysia Cup when it used to include other neighbouring countries?

Why? Because we've regressed, lowered our standards and in the course of its all, pat ourselves on the back for "a job well done".

Hmm... once again, "Malaysia boleh!"

Dissenting voice

Ever wondered why leaders fall easier and harder than most others? And I'm not just talking about public persona. I'm talking about making extraordinary business blunders, political suicide decisions and the likes. I'm talking about making highly stupid decisions that seem to defy simple logic.

The answer lies in the counsel or the people he/she has that are encircling about like bees to nectar. Day in and day out, they chant the mantra - "You are great, you are right and you sit on the throne at the centre of the world." Their role is nothing more than sucking-up, for it is their only way to climb the ladder of success, given their lack of ability to do so otherwise.

But a true leader will always look out for the dissenting voice, the one that whispers quietly, "I think you're making a mistake", all this, despite the tide. The leader will take time to listen and contemplate objectively.

For it is true that only a friend will tell you want you wouldn't want to hear, even if it means losing your favour.

Last but not least, never overestimate your own ability to think clearly "in the midst" because with so many encircling bees, even lies becomes "truths".

This then, is the real test of one's ability as a true leader - whether he/she can accept that dissenting voice? You know, the one that says you're not right after all!

Ruling humbly

Went for a performance called "Jewel of Tibet" last night, on the same night that the 12th Malaysian election results trickled in. While the former told the fictional story of a Tang dynasty princess who gave up her home to marry the King of Tubo (Tibet), the election results yielded the biggest loss in the ruling coalition's history.

Although the musical may have been fictional, the early history of China's dominance on the world arena isn't. What was most interesting was that while it was one of the world's most powerful nation at that time (circa. 14th century), it nonetheless ruled with a certain degree of humility, "giving away" its princesses for marriage in faraway lands that were considered much weaker. It conquered lands tens of thousands of miles away, only to have them pay token sums as tribute in exchange for at least 2 or 3 times the value of what was paid.

What am I driving at here?

China then (and hopefully now, too!) knew the value of humility. A totally awesome idealogy that blew my mind away! It was totally revolutionary then, it is still revolutionary by today's standards - to rule with humility.

Retrospectively, the results of the Malaysian election yielded endings to many of the ruling coalition's prominent figures who were just outright arrogant after having ruled unquestioned for umpteenth years (I have personally met many. And yes, they were arrogant).

The Biblical verse of Proverbs 29:23 still rings true then: "A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit".