दिप्ती.कथन (Dipti.Kathan)

सुमीतने 3BHK घर घेतलं, ते पाहून अमितला त्याचं 2BHK घर लगेच लहान वाटू लागलं. विजयाच्या मुलीला 91% टक्के मिळाले, ते कळताच स्नेहाला तिच्या मुलीला मिळालेले 89% कमी वाटू लागले. अशी एक ना दोन अनेक उदाहरणं देता येतील. आपण सदैव आपली इतरांशी तुलना करत राहतो. Social comparison नावाची एक सुंदर संकल्पना Social Psychology मध्ये आहे. त्यात दोन लघुसंकल्पना अंतर्भूत आहेत - Upward social comparison आणि Downward social comparison. Upward social comparison मध्ये माणूस त्याच्या मते त्याच्याहून जे अधिक श्रेष्ठ, कर्तृत्ववान, यशस्वी किंवा आनंदी आहेत, त्यांच्याशी तुलना करतो. पण अशी तुलना करणाऱ्यांमध्ये दोन गट येतात. एक गट जो अशी तुलना यशस्वी व्यक्तीकडून अधिकाधिक प्रेरणा मिळावी, यासाठी करतो आणि आपल्या आयुष्यातील ध्येय साध्य करण्यासाठी तत्पर होतो. आणि दुसरा गट मात्र अशी तुलना करून, इतरांचं सुख, आनंद, सुयश, श्रेष्ठता पाहून स्वतःला कमी लेखतो आणि स्वतःला दूषणं लावत बसतो, हताश होतो. Downward social comparison मध्ये माणूस त्याच्या मते जे कनिष्ठ, कमी कर्तृत्ववान, कमी यशस्वी किंवा अयशस्वी, दुःखी आहेत, त्य...

Today I had a beautiful discussion with one of my mentors which has deeply resonated with my thoughts about feminism, Women's day and related concepts. Recently I have started feeling that the world has a total imbalance of masculine and feminine energy. There is lot of masculine energy outside - dominance, lot of calculations, extreme anger, violence, will to conquer, etc. And we have less feminine energy - True love, nurturance, empathy, collaborative approach, etc. And this imbalance is creating lot of hurdles in human progress. This was my analysis of current situation. I just happened to share this with my mentor, when she asked me a specific question. In reply, she said me something which I already knew since long time but today I could connect with it so deeply that I want to share that here.  She politely asked me, don't you think that we women are responsible for this energy imbalance. There was a question on my face with a familiar smile. She turned her question into ...

Having a cool and still intellectual group as friends and colleagues is just a blessing. And I am happy to have such kinds of beautiful hearts in my life. I have recently joined my new office. But today I and my colleagues are friends. Two of them are elder to me. And yes, I should admit; I simply adore them. I talk to these two beautiful women daily. Our talks revolve around many topics; work related, politics, social, novels, poems, arts, life expiences and so on. Today I spoke with one of them for long time. She practices Meditation and related practices. I was trying to understand her notion of meditation and was very eager to hear her experiences. What a beautiful and insightful discussion! At the end of it, I gained so much of new information, I can't tell you. Eventually, I also got why do I feel so connected with these two women. I genuinely feel we have some connection, a connection beyond some tags.  I have such beautiful connection with few of my best friends also. Two a...

कृष्ण या 'शक्ती'बद्दल आणि भगवद्गीतेबद्दल माझ्या मनात विशेष आणि तीव्र कुतुहूल किंवा जिज्ञासा पाच-सहा वर्षांपूर्वी एका भाषणानिमित्ताने निर्माण झाली. लहानपणी 'श्रीकृष्...

I happened to read one article on Soulmate, some days back. I found it very interesting and insightful. Trying to summarise the same here, in my own words (with my reflection)...  The article says, meeting the soulmate is one of the best things that happen to you. But staying with your soulmate can not be so happy-happy, rather can be a sad part of the life. The writer justifies this thought by explaining that the soulmate enters your life because s/he wants/needs to teach you something. S/he knocks your door because s/he is all set to peel off all those layers of your personality which you have been scared of. S/he makes you aware of your all the flaws and weaknesses. S/he shows you your true picture. S/he prepares you for the best. S/he teaches you endurance, sometimes by allowing you to get angry, by hurting you (intentionally or unintentionally, directly or indirectly), by challenging your self-respect, by threatening your ego, by testing your patience. S/he is planned just to...

Sometimes people wonder, what is the purpose of their life, why have they come on this earth, what their life is made for... I won't be surprised at all, if you say that you are also one of them. No worries. This question walks through everyone's mind at least once in their life. Some people happen to ask this question early in their life, some ask later in their life. It doesn't make any difference until and unless you get the correct, to be precise, the satisfactory answer.  You have whole right to be confused for some time or even longer time. But you have no right to be there forever. Remember, the purpose of your life and your chosen career may not go hand in hand, seemingly. But believe me, everything is connected at the end. Currently in your life (education, career, personal or social relationships etc.), perhaps you are  doing something by looking at which others might be feeling - what is s/he doing? But trust me, if you are clear with your goal, if you are capa...

तुम्ही कसेही वागा. तुमच्या प्रत्येक वागण्याचं मूल्यमापन, परीक्षण हे होतच. तुमच्या एखाद्या वागण्याला काही लोक बरोबर म्हणतील आणि त्याच वागण्याला काही लोक चुकीचंही म्हण...

आनंदी गोपाळ - एक संस्कारमय अनुभव मी 'आनंदी गोपाळ' पहावा, असं मला खूप जणांनी सुचवलं होतं. आणि आज मी 'आनंदी गोपाळ' पाहिला. आणि अजूनही मी भारावलेल्या अवस्थेत आहे. चित्रपट पाहताना ...

'भाषा' फक्त व्यवहाराचे माध्यम नसतात. त्या संस्कृतीच्या वाहकही असतात, असं मला मनोमन वाटतं. आपली संस्कृती जेवढी समृद्ध तेवढी आपली भाषा समृद्ध आणि जेवढी आपली भाषा समृद्ध ते...

She said that that is 6 but he denied and claimed that that is 9. Both of them they kept on fighting with each other till hours,over this. But they didn't realise that they were standing in front of each other and hence what was 6 for her was 9 for him and which was very natural and obvious. This is not a story from any other planet. This is our 'common' story. We are so stuck to perceive things from our perspectives and to believe them as true that sometimes (actually very often) we deny others' reality. We are so 'sure' about our perspectives, opinions, thoughts that we often overlook and sometimes disrespect others' point of views. We see 6 and others see 9. Who is at fault here? I think both the parties. Being stuck at own perspectives and opinions and thus disrespecting and denying that of others is one of the root causes (or rather the only one) of most of  fights on this planet. There is beautiful theory in Social Psychology, 'Contact hypothes...

I have seen one advertisement where a water tap is fixed in village and it gets opened one morning. That's a dessert area where one man was walking and he sees water flowing on the white marbles of isolated bathroom. He comes and quenches his thirst. Another woman see him drinking water and she also comes to drink water. And like this entire village arrives there, quenches its thirst, fills the vessels and still the water is not stopping. And then voice over comes conveying a message that - the entire village quenches its thirst in the same amount of water used by urban person to take a bath... And it was one more 'aha' moment for me. I had read in one philosophical book, we should never overdo. I have heard my parents and grandparents saying that we should never overdo. Now what do I mean by 'overdoing'? In the above mentioned example, it's clear what is 'overdoing'. Consuming more than what is required is overdoing. Demanding more than what you actua...

आज प्रजासत्ताक दिन. या निमित्ताने माझ्या परिसरात झेंडावंदन झालं. यावेळी काही ज्येष्ठ नागरिकांनी आपापले विचार मांडले, लहान लहान गोष्टींतून आपण देशसेवा कशी करू शकतो, ह्य...