Diplomacy

For a very long time, I hated being diplomatic. I equated diplomacy to two-facedness. I thought one should say what they deemed right. There shouldn't be any compromises when it comes to the truth. I was not quite right.

Let's say that you are driving an expensive car on a nice road. Suddenly, the road becomes rough. It has bumps and ditches. What would you do then? Would you keep driving fast? If you do, you would damage your car. You have to slow down. Over every bump and ditch, you slowly and carefully maneuver your car. You may even get off the road if you have to. You may actually come out of the bad patch of the road with your car unscathed. This is how delicate moments are in real life.

There are moments in our lives where being blunt would not help us. Knowing the right answer would not be enough. It would also depend on how it is communicated.

Entertainment

There is a very cliche moment in some Indian movies that I used to watch as a child. Bad guys would surround an innocent person, bully him or her, and then laugh on that person's misery. Was that a reason to laugh?

Mansour Hallaj was a sufi saint that lived during the times of Junaid Baghdadi. He uttered the words that took him to the altar. He created the biggest controversy of his time. He claimed to be God. Ana'l Haq: I am the truth. When people told him not to say that, he replied that he couldn't help it. The clergy decided to give him the death penalty. He was to be beheaded in front of the people of Baghdad. Before he was killed, his hands and feet were cut off. As his limbs were being severed, he smiled and started laughing. Was that a reason to laugh?

The things that make us happy or sad are indicative of who we are. Happiness is not an end in itself. One could be living in a fool's paradise, and still be smiling.