Skip to main content

Easily Fueled Egos

I have never been much of a violence fan. But I must admit I like watching people fight. Somehow fights are irresistible and surprisingly I find myself enjoying. I like watching people’s raw egos clash head-on, creating high intensity sounds. It is always exciting to watch the scenes. And most people may try to stop the fights and get between, but I have promised myself that I will not be involved in fights whatsoever, not even to mediate. The fact is I am not much of a mediator in the first place. That way, I fear fueling people’s egos and ultimately two parties’ egos combine and striking me.

One time, I remember I was trying to calm down my two friends who were holding each other’s necks. If it was possible, they were in a position to even suck out blood from their enemies’ neck. Friends can sometimes become deadlier than foes. So, I tried stopping the fight, but they won’t listen. Instead they continued quarreling even when so many of us were holding them tight . Holding them away was tougher than trying to hold two angry bulls.

Trying to convince them did not bring in much success. As we were holding them away from holding each other, they tried to move closer than ever. They would stretch far more than the stretched bows. And I found out that they were doing this because we were stopping them. Human egos are like that – the more you try to put down, the more it burns. So many students were gathered. I thought they enjoyed being noticed. For their egos!

And suddenly, one of them lifted a plank and flung at his opponent. But it landed with a loud thud on my right shoulder. A terrible pain ran down my hands. I let go off the fighting bulls and now charge them instead. I asked to mend my hand now. Immediately, they stopped fighting and came to console me. Now it was my turn to get the attention. My friends, who were even ready to devour each other just a moment ago, were now reconciled. I faked pain so much more than I actually had.

Two weeks ago, I happened to see two drivers fighting in one of the busy streets of Phuentsholing. Hundreds of curious spectators were gathered. The drivers were about to punch each other, but resisting the temptations fearing the recursions. We were all watching. I wanted them to move and shake, but as always, many other drivers rushed to the scene, all trying to mediate. The two angry men continued calling names and cursed. Indian shopkeepers and laborers must have enjoyed those swear words, I thought.

Now they were separated. The taxi driver was about to leave when his enemy punched his cab. The angry man got out and pounced on the other man. They pushed and pulled, but again in the end they were stopped by the crowd. The other man drove away swearing. The taxi driver would not stop before his cab was mended. The impact of a heavy blow can be seen clearly. He called the police.

I walked away. The situation is no more pleasant once the constables are on the scene.

Egos are like fire once fueled difficult to put out.

Comments

Post a Comment

So what do you think?

Popular Posts

When they are ready

The Ministry of Education discovered 890 'underage' children admitted in schools across the country in 2019. Thus, the ministry in May 2019 issued a notification revoking the admission for these children.  Majority were in urban centres.  Desperate, parents and the affected schools requested the government to intervene. They also requested the government to consider lowering the enrolment age to five years.  Currently, in Bhutan a child can legally go to school only when s(he) is six years old.  And that policy was strictly followed a few years ago to the extent that some schools refused to admit children even if they were short of a few weeks. So, parents, mostly in urban areas, resorted to faking their children's ages. Many parents were guilty of adding years onto their children's actual ages. However, most parents, we are told, managed to correct their 'mistakes' later.  Faking a child's age was rampant...
2 comments
Read more...

The Vanishing Currency of a Bhutanese Village

Growing up in rural Bhutan, the richest people in the village often had very little cash. They were known as chukpo , 'the ones with cattle'. And no one asked how much money a person had in the bank. No one or only a countable few had bank accounts, anyway. Wealth was measured in fields, cattle, grains, and the ability to carry a family through the seasons. Cash existed, but it played only a small role. Most exchanges happened through barter. Rice for chillies, soya beans for Sichuan peppers, cheese for eggs. I still remember that a ball of homemade cheese was worth two fresh eggs. Nobody needed a calculator because people simply knew. The most remarkable part of the system was the exchange of labour. During sowing and planting seasons, families needed extra hands, yet labour was rarely paid in cash. If I spent three days helping on your farm, you spent three days helping on mine in return. No contract was needed to be signed. No money changed hands. Wealthier households so...
2 comments
Read more...

Community of Bhutanese Bloggers Conceived

And finally it happened. I must say that it was by far the most attended Bloggers Meet. In the past we had bloggers agree to attend and cancel at the very last minute. But on June 24, 2015 – almost 100% of bloggers, who confirmed came. I would like to thank everyone for keeping his/her words, especially those who had to come all the way from Wangdue or Paro. Thank you! 35 Bhutanese bloggers met in Thimphu. We were honored to have the presence of senior bloggers like Aue Yeshi Dorji and Dasho Sangay Khandu. The meeting assumed more significance because of their presence. Equally, we were happy to have many young bloggers in whom we see so much enthusiasm and potential. On top of many things that transpired during the Meet, one of the most significant outcomes was the unanimous decision reached to form a formal group of bloggers, a platform aimed at encouraging and inspiring more bloggers around the country. The members decided that we will call it Community of Bhutanese Blogger...
16 comments
Read more...