One gets to repeatedly hear the grand narrative regarding how important it is to be co-operative. Yes, indeed, it is important to be co-operative and pliant. Yet, where does sincere co-operation end, and where does tacit giving in begin? Of the two, which is far more important for the good of everyone, and your own self respect?
Let us look at a few concrete examples. Imagine a household wherein the parents are not real well-off, and yet go out of their way to fulfil the teenager son's every demand. The son's friends, all of them, have swanky smart mobikes. The son wants one, too. The parents promise one when he gets twenty-one as they plan to save enough till then. The son thinks they are insensitive, and do not co-operate with his demands that are common enough in contemporary contexts!
Or a son who wants his un-co-operative father to sell off the apartment so that they can move in to 'posh' locality, while the aging father feels that the current market for second hand flats is way too down for any positive outcome?
Or the demanding wife who insists that she needs an expensive new saree per month as it looks very down-market to repeat clothes as she has to attend different family functions! Is she herself co-operative?
Let us now look at this interesting example. There is this post graduate student who wants academic assistance on a personal basis. The lecturer, very busy and real well versed in academics, has accepted all the terms and conditions of/by the student, timing, payment, adjustments in lecture timings as the student works as well.
The student is yet to register for the course. So she has not even gotten any study material. Yet, almost half the portion in all the papers is thoroughly completed, literally line by line, word by word.
Now the teacher wants her to discontinue the lectures on a daily basis, and in the spared time, read the seminal texts yet to be taught so that she fully understands them. The plan is to resume teaching after three months so that the student gets enough time for reading while the distance mode learning materials would also be available, the question paper pattern would be clear, too.
The course examination would be sometime late May/early June next year. The teacher feels that the lectures could resume circa November as by that time the entire reading would be completed and festival time, too, would be happily spent. The entire portion would thus be ideally completed latest March end.
The student imposes tremendous pressure on the teacher to continue teaching without any break. If the teacher does not give in, she is non-co-operative! Or is she?
It is indeed necessary to stick to certain principles, a way of thinking and being that is pliant without compromising on honour, self respect and values. Hardly matters then what self centred people choose to think of you or call you, right? Why be a puppet dancing to someone else's convenience and vanity? Okay it is to be ill thought of by such people beyond any reasonable or rational paradigms!
Pratima@Never be afraid of subtle blame games and image shaming. Follow the right(eous) path. In the final analysis, it leads to the welfare of the whole world. Vacant co-operation is subtle . manipulation!
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