Insult as Motivation

Our college Annual Day for a batch of MBBS and BDS students was held day before yesterday. The outstanding achiever, winner of several awards including the gold medal, as the custom demands spoke to the audience. She narrated a story which went something like this: About 7 years back she never thought of medicine as a career option. She wanted to be a businesswoman to help her not so well-off family. But then she met someone who told her that she should not be thinking of medicine since she won’t be able to afford it. It would be out of her reach. She felt insulted and bad by it and that was the turning point for her. She decided that she would do it and with support from family and friends. Today she was there, right up there as the outstanding achiever of her batch.

Today morning I happened to read on twitter someone having written on a saying ‘Insult is just a rude way of inspiring’. The narrator went on to describe incidences in life where she has been able to do well in her corporate career because of putting up a brave face and earning the determination to do well in response to insults thrown at her by her superiors in office. 

What is our reaction, our thought when we hear such a thing? Let us largely divide reactions of people in three categories. The first set believes in the fact that whatever be the performance or lack of it of someone, insult is a total no-no. It affects the psychology of an individual in a negative way. Insult can drive people to depression, anger, hyper or hypo activity and is akin to a crime.

Another set of people would believe that the ill lies with the person causing the insult and has no bearing on the one getting insulted. Thus the person facing the insult should take it as a challenge, as a motivation and perform to give a fitting reply. Thereby, believing in the adage that insult is a rude way of inspiring and that without it sometimes, without that rude jerk, that vigorous shaking, performance is not enhanced.

The last category of people would believe that one cannot do away with insult largely. Be it any workplace, at home, there are certain people who inflict insult as a way of expressing their anger. Therefore though undesirable it cannot be avoided. 

Whatever the belief be, we gain inspiration and motivation from a myriad of ways. People have been inspired by a humble bee, by mountains, by books. Great men and women have achieved greatness in the path of proving someone wrong equally as proving themselves right.

Yes an insult hurts the ego and either it buckles up for the fight or gets down and out or a few other possibilities in between occurs. There is no ideal way of targeting the insult. A few days back this author had written on the role of teacher as portrayed in the movie Whiplash (http://sambitspeak.blogspot.in/2015/04/whiplashing-teacher.html), where insult has been an extreme weapon to motivate. While anecdotal evidence suggests, as narrated in the beginning, its success, the risks, more often than, not outweigh the pros.

And as for the student who we undoubtedly believe will excel as a doctor, who knows, what kind of a successful businesswoman she could have been. Not that she still cannot be.

The Teacher who Inspired me

 

‘The Teacher who Inspired me...’

With the ‘Midsummer Nights Dream’ in his hand he walked into the class. His composed demeanour settling, his prim attire apt, his conduct worthy of emulation and when words emanated, his thoughts expressed, the lucidity of subject conveyed, for someone in the throes of teenage, in high school, there could not have been a better role model than Father Joseph Amudan.

In explaining to us Shakespeare Fr Joseph exhibited his erudition.

Knowledge, that he did not thrust upon us, like any ‘guide book’ would do, but rather told us various interpretations of a single phrase, typical of a Shakespearean literature. He ensured it was not a one-way communication; he entertained interjections, accepted alternate theories and in cases of disagreements or doubts, did not deliver his verdict but sought time to further investigate. He would induce enough curiosity in any topic meanwhile ensuring there is room for us to go back and look up more readings. And that single factor inculcated in me a habit of reading diverse subjects.

In listening to everyone Fr Joseph exhibited equality and in cracking the whip, fairness.

In times and settings where the voice that would be entertained in a class would usually be of the top rung, Fr Joseph would give everyone an opportunity. He would listen to everyone’s interpretation, would nudge the ones not willing to respond and in well-crafted assignments see to everyone’s participation. He was also a stickler. Preventing the whole class to write a unit nest for showing unruliness during an exam was enough to teach us lessons of abiding by rules. In me thus arose a belief in equal opportunity and a penchant for observance of rules.

In being a friend, philosopher and guide Fr Joseph exhibited mentorship.

Perhaps acknowledging that a teenager has a mind of his own is not easy as it sounds. Whenever studying English would bring about issues of religion, even contentious issues like forced conversions, sexuality, governments, Fr Joseph would neither shy away nor impose his belief. He would provide a ground for the most interesting and enlightening of debates. He would show great camaraderie during school picnics and functions, get his hands dirty with us, be just as one of us. And that broke many an icebergs.

In acknowledging non-academic debates in which I had a forte, in identifying my strength in and giving organizational and oratorical responsibilities which imbued confidence in me, in simply listening and accepting alternate theories which brought about liberal thoughts, in creating conditions resulting in rapacious reading and widespread writing, and also importantly in quietly nudging to study harder which culminated in good grades, all of which are responsible partly for who I am today, my English teacher, the erstwhile Principal of my school, Father Joseph Amudan, made an indelible mark, left an imprint and inspired me to great ends.

(This essay was submitted to Manipal Centre for Professional and Personal Development as part of a competition for Teachers Day, 2014 and was selected among the top 5 outstanding essays)