YES, there’s much to be learnt from the election results yesterday. But I’m going to cover only two, and that is compassion and arrogance. What India saw for the last few years for a resurgent Rahul, not the old spoilt brat, but a ‘never say die’ lad, who decided to work hard against the greatest odds ever. Arrested, funds removed, ridiculed and laughed at, he fought back, using for his tools, love and compassion.
Even the exit polls didn’t give him a chance, but today, if ever there’s a new hero and a new Gandhian for our youth, it’s Rahul! The other quality in the elections that took a beating was ‘arrogance’! There’s no doubt that India had a determined and pushy prime minister, but when confidence turned to arrogance, then the people didn’t feel the same way about him, and his support waned, as we have seen.
Arrogance is a quality of being overly self-confident or having an exaggerated sense of one’s own abilities or importance. It is characterized by an attitude of superiority, haughtiness, or condescension towards others. Arrogant individuals often believe they are better than others and may dismiss or belittle the opinions, feelings, or abilities of those around them.
Arrogance can manifest in various ways, such as boasting about one’s achievements, looking down on others, refusing to listen to different perspectives, and displaying a lack of humility or empathy. It can be off-putting to others and can hinder effective communication and relationships.
It’s important to distinguish confidence from arrogance. Confidence is a positive trait that reflects a belief in oneself and one’s abilities without belittling others, whereas arrogance involves an inflated sense of self-importance that often comes at the expense of others.
Arrogance of any kind is simply when your view of yourself is not in keeping with your station in life. Simple as that.
So, you might esteem yourself a god, and carry yourself as such and even start telling people of your country that you are one, but as long as you are seen as a man, and do what all men do, and get angry and scream and shout and rant and rave as other men do, there’s little scope of being accepted as one. Whatever the results of this election, these two qualities have stood out. Love and compassion won, while arrogance lost. Yesterday is a lesson for all of us across party lines: If you want to succeed in whatever you do, either as a politician, company head, a good friend or a loved family member, then learn to love those around especially the less fortunate, show them compassion and learn never ever to allow arrogance to ruin your prospects…!
—Email: bobsbanter@gmail.com
