Have been planning this one for long now.
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For whatever reasons and because of whatever circumstances, at IITK, I have often found myself interacting equally well with people who hold exactly opposite views on some idea. What I have learnt through it is not something new, as such, but the practical realization of the same is an enlightenment, even if you theoretically know it is true. And it is as simple as this - most of the problems in the world do not get solved or do not even proceed towards a partial solution because the world-view held by both the parties is incomplete and whatever (mutually conflicting) stand each of them takes with their incomplete world-view is correct. What we almost invariably lack is presence of a person/agent who has a more complete view of the world and hence can make both the parties realize where they must give up, not as a compromise, but because of a genuine realization of the conditions. This complete world view can not be formed by simply putting together the partial world-views all the different parties hold - and hence something like "having representation of various stake-holders" does not work. Instead of turning into an agent of solution, such representative bodies become a place where everyone will fight for the superiority of their partial world-view - it does not work towards achieving a complete world-view for itself.

So, where will these agents with complete world-view or at least broader world-view than either of the parties come? Don't know. That is where the task lies - locating such people. May be the world needs more empathy to solve its problems!

Categories: Thoughts