Stuck in struck

We, three kids, were not good in solving mathematical problems in school textbooks. There were no outside help, and  we were happily "stuck" with our inability and hereditary weakness in solving the problems. After a while, we never bothered to revisit why we were "stuck".

But we never "struck" anyone. We were simply "stuck." And in the last few weeks I heard "struck" again, as the developer was finding it difficult to fix a "small" issue. So, developers will also get "stuck" somewhere. Candid admission anyway.

"Struck" is the past tense and past participle of the verb Strike. As a noun, stuck meant "something causing delay or difficulty."

Next time, when your tongue inserts an unnecessary "u" in before "r", just strike it off. Otherwise, you will be"stuck" like a door that got closed when the dog was half out of the door. And nobody held the door ajar for the dog to waddle out.

The beauty of cynicism

"...The cynic, after all, is inclined to question people's motives and assume that they are acting self-servingly unless proven otherwise...".writes Julian Baggini in The Guardian.

Certain cynics act dumb, or appear dumb. They do not appear polished, but disheveled. They do not follow anything or anyone, but observes and dissects everything. No other choice.

And it does matter because of this; "...cynicism proves its worth as one of our best defences against spin and manipulation..."

Spin and manipulation. Thomas Carlyle wrote that Imperfection clings to a person, and if they wait till they are brushed off entirely, they would spin for ever on their axis, advancing nowhere.

The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words. Philip K. Dick

The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.
George Bernard Shaw

Overconfidence (or hubris?) and Cognitive Bias

Wanted to write about overconfidence today, but got confused about whether it is about "overconfidence" or "hubris" that I wanted to write about.

People use overconfidence in many erroneous ways. Whatever it may be, overconfidence is a "cognitive bias" type that manifests itself in various ways.

So, Wikipedia says, "...A cognitive bias is a pattern of deviation in judgment, whereby inferences of other people and situations may be drawn in an illogical fashion..."

For more information, see Cognitive Bias.

When everybody will be sick

From Garden City to Hospital City, said a headline. In an year, Bangalore will get around new 3000 hospital beds, claims the news story.

Yes, Bangalore indeed requires lots of hospitals and hospital beds. May be, in a science fiction like scenario, people will even be living in hospitals or medicated glasshouses or skyscrapers in Bangalore. Servants will be replaced by nurses who take care of the permanently ill or disabled citizens in the city.

Such a bleak or black scenario is possible because of the following reasons:

1. The city has crossed its carrying capacity and is reaching its breaking capacity.
2. Alarming rise in air pollution because of the arrival of 200-300 (unofficial) vehicles per day on the city's roads and no effort to control the situation.
3. Reckless lifestyle celebrated by people of all ages. Drinking, smoking, doing drugs, and unsafe sex are all fashionable, trendy, and even "normal" in this hyper-America of India. Those who cannot practice and follow this lifestyle get so stressed that they end up in hospitals.
4. Ability of the corporate world and jobs to convert normal healthy citizens into abnormal, diseased souls with all kinds of lifestyle and metabolic diseases. In 20 years, there will be no one with a healthy heart in Bangalore. Those with a healthy heart can become millionaires in Bangalore.
5. Chronic and toxic levels of water pollution that damages the skin, the scalp, and the head.
6. Absolutely no answers to the colossal amounts of waste created in the city by the law-abiding citizens who never fail to join candlelight protests against government atrocities.
7. Bizarre levels of noise pollution caused by automobiles even in residential areas.
8. Stress and hypertension caused by not just junk food, but traffic, debt, loans, and others.

When you combine all these, the 3000 beds will not be enough. What Bangalore needs is hospital complexes dotting the city's real estate, filled with people who are released into the roads only when they are partially cured. Great going!