Tensor Equations of Metamorphosis

Abhimanyu SoodLeave a comment

I recently attended a motivational seminar by someone who nobody knows about today—the seminar had less than forty people—but mark my words, he is soon going to take over the philosophy world by storm! His name is Abhimanyu. He calls himself the Thinker (pompous much?) The experience was irritating, frustrating, and left me completely embarrassed. And was it not for the fact that it completely and utterly changed my life, I would never be speaking of it again.

When the fat guy first appeared on the stage, I couldn’t help exclaim to myself, “Thinker? He looks more like a Software geek!”

He slowly walked to the center of the stage, adjusted the mic, and then started speaking in a voice that boomed over the crowd and cast an instant spell of silence.

“Before I begin, I would like to get to know my audience better. Who here thinks of themselves as a beginner in the field of self-improvement; or ‘metamorphosis’, as I like to call it,” he said, glancing towards the banner hanging behind him which read –

“THE ANATOMY OF METAMORPHOSIS”

Hands slowly started going up; first a couple here and there, but then, as courage level of the room started going up, so did the hands! Within a minute, a dozen hands were up.

“Very well! And who here considers themselves as an expert in the field of self-improvement?” he said.

Without even waiting for my permission, my left hand shot up!

I glanced around the room to check if anyone else had raised their hand too. None. I turned back to the speaker. He was intently peering at me from under his spectacles.

After a moment of slience, he spoke, “May I know your name young man?”

“Abhimanyu!” I shouted so that I could be heard over the crowd.

He smiled. “Mr. Abhimanyu, can you please come up on stage? I would like to have a chat with you,” he said.

I immediately got up from my chair and started making my way through the rows of people.

“Everyone, please give Mr. Abhimanyu a big round of applause!”

The entire crowd started clapping and cheering in encouragement (which I didn’t need)

I live for this stuff!

 

My Philosophy will have Skin

Abhimanyu SoodLeave a comment

This is the start of my days as a thinker. And I must decide what kind of thinker I want to become.

Countless thinkers have spent lifetimes philosophizing about abstract stuff that has no connection to the human life. They delve into abstract topics like the nature of life, death, and universe and write volumes upon volumes that have absolutely no tangibe impact on the life of readers. If I were a puny human reading their treatises, I would come away with no insight into how to make my life better; or worse; or different. These philosophers might leave me with a sense of awe at the complexity and grandeur of their thoughts, but their philosophy will have no impact on my mundane human existence.

Their philosophy has no skin!

It cannot reach out and touch me—touch my mucky, grimy, filthy human existence and make it… better

I reject any philosophy that has no skin.

Saying it out loud like this is scary. My fingers tremble even as I type this, for I am spitting in the face of a million philosophers who have come before me.

But if I cannot be intellectually honest today, and be true to my authentic thoughts regardless of the repercussions, what kind of a thinker can I ever hope to become? Certainly not one who I would respect.

So, this might either be an act of sheer bravery or grave stupidity, but here goes – 

“I, Abhimanyu Sood, hereby declare that my philosophy will have skin. It will reach out to touch human lives and make them better and alter their destiny. Because that is the kind of thinker I want to become. And I am not afraid to shout it out to the world.”