Qualitative Aspect

Years back I spoke in a brief presentation on Financial Modeling “As is the limitation with accounting, so it is with financial models that the qualitative aspect cannot stated in it. It is only that quantitative aspect that can be incorporated in them through numbers. But you can add footnotes to say what the numbers don’t.”

Being in finance and financial modeling, I juggle with numbers a lot. My life is so filled of them and thus the quantitative aspect. Of late, a void in me, I felt existed for some time, only grew larger. I wondered what it was all about. Something that wasn’t easy to figure out. I believe I’m missing the qualitative aspect. I’ve quite a bit of the quantitative stuff. I earn, though not much, but I do -- again, a number. Everyday it is all about how much profit, margin, how many customers, how much goods -- numbers again.

There was a time, now seems long ago, when my life was quite bereft of numbers – student life. I guess life wasn’t that bad at that time, though I had more in my brains than in my pocket. Well, that’s a fact now too. But the ratio is quite smaller – quantity of stuff in the pocket increased and in the brains decreased. Those days, I had nothing like numbers to worry about. The lessons in school had to be understood well. The folk song had to be absorbed in. I traded not in numbers but delved deep in things that pleased me. Not that numbers upset me, but I’m forced to deal with them like it is a chore. I had no reason that time to indulge in petty politics or listen to any of the foolish things any fool had to say. Understanding things wasn’t a chore. So was talking to people. What quality!!

The question that I now face is that how to I bring in the qualitative aspect now? The world, my friend, is obsessed with the quantitative one. And weekdays are all about them. I listen to songs and watch around. My respect for liberal arts has grown manifold over the past few years. Earlier, I saw them making very little contribution to the world. Of course, the thought came out of my own limited vision and comprehension. A good novel, a good song, a good write up, etc can infuse a lot of warmth, bliss and satiation which I feel that numbers lack. Frankly, they are quite dry. They just say yes or no, unlike a philosopher. They have an inherent limitation of view and there is very little debatable about them. They point in one direction, which is good but they can point to a goal which is very near, that is, they lack the ability to look far too ahead across the horizon. Liberal arts I feel is limitless. It can extend to whatever you can think of and is capable of presenting things that can be pondered over and debated.

Numbers will tell you “how many friends”. “How important” is the real thing, which is beyond the scope of numbers. I’m still trying to figure out the ways to get more of the qualitative aspect in my life. They don’t cost much. But I’m trying to buy the time I need to get to them.

Gyan

Almost all our activities are directed towards fattening our own kitty. It is not bad to desire good things, but at what cost? The earth is already reeling due to its continuous exploitation. We are supposed to be highly civilized and evolved. Here is a thing that we may learn from animals – staying away from greed. No animal will long for more food than is required to fill its belly. It won’t desire to hoard goods endlessly and knowing when it will end.

“There is enough for everyone’s need but there isn’t enough for one man’s greed – Mahatma Gandhi. There can be no end to greed. The fire of greed is never doused by the oil of worldly goods. It never is enough. The more you get, the more you need every time. The peace never comes through this but only an intense fire within that keeps you burning day and night.

Peace comes through purity of thoughts, heart and mind; through good deeds; through good intentions. Who are you trying to beat in the game of life? You want to be considered superior? Those who are really so deny being so and some of those who aren’t spend their worthless time pretending to be so.

Why have the air of pretentions around you all the time? Why burn yourself with the fire of jealousy? Rejoice for the time you are here for you are not here for too long. In the end it will not matter much how much you hoarded but how much you gave away. Why is it so difficult for all of us to see through the illusions? Why is it so difficult to look inside?

Sometimes it is wiser not to do the things everyone is doing. Sometimes it is wiser to ignore advices. Sometimes it is wiser to part and move leaving no trace behind.
It is important to realise the power of forgiveness and tolerance. As is known, they are the virtues of the strongest. The wiser knows to forgive and ignore. An eye for an eye makes the world blind. But sometimes it is necessary to retaliate, for forgiveness and tolerance should never be mistaken for weakness. Be kind to those who are less fortunate than you. You never know when you may run out of luck. Do not always be in awe of those who are more fortunate than you. You never know when they too may run out their luck. Never hold things just too tightly, you never know when you may have not part with them. You yourself are going to go away and be part of the matter which you are made of. From my experience, not many know things written above and even if they do, not may really follow them. More importantly, do not expect people to know them and follow them. This has not happened in centuries and probably will never happen in future.

I’ve always wondered what causes us to be permanently absorbed in the darkness of ignorance. Why do we refuse to be enlightened or fail to get enlightened? Why do we rejoice in ignorance and petty deals and transactions? What causes us to cause harm to others intentionally and enjoy watching others in pain? How can someone’s pain be our pleasure? What causes us to stoop so low? Sometimes there isn’t a direct advantage we have when others are disadvantaged. But still it is a source of satisfaction to most of us.

Relieving someone of pain and misery is a source of heavenly peace. Some are unfortunate enough not to experience it. They never make an attempt because they rejoice in someone’s pain. They trade divine nectar for illusionary, momentary pleasure. Perhaps it is not in their fate. Coming again to holding things lightly, when you start doing so, tangibles will appeal lesser and intangibles more. You will cease to hold people and things tightly but you will hold on tightly to their qualities and benefits things can bring. You will tend not hoard things but instead think of the values – honesty, truth, righteousness. A fair deal will appeal more instead of the kickbacks, etc. Rise above the illusionary, there are no real boundaries of district, state, country, caste, religion. Illusions shall prevail if you rise not higher enough. The illusions created or present are only circumstantial, manmade but quite established and deep rooted. The higher power above shall bless you in the same way if you remove the pain of anyone from any district, state, country, caste, religion.

If your thoughts ever take you in these directions, indeed, it is a step towards enlightenment!

Song

What power does a song has, I wonder
If meaningful and accompanied by soulful music,
it can move any soul
A good song or poem is born
when a soul is stirred
and the mind is fixed
and something that is troubling within
gets vent through a pen

But what causes a good song
to have the power that it has
It perhaps retains the restlessness
and deliberations that it caused
It perhaps has the power to
reproduce the same again

It comes from the depth
and knows no boundaries
Perhaps it gives
the much needed escape
from the endless limitations
and futile chores

As I listen to the songs
written centuries ago
not in vogue anymore and
long forgotten
I imagine the restlessness
and the deliberations
it must have caused to the writer
for it ain't an easy task
to bring out the truth
in the age of falsehood and folly

Many are devoted to stars and moon
Many to futility of life
Many to treason and betrayal
Many to the Lord
Many to women and wine
But they all seem divine
And produce a charm

A lot can be deciphered
from the kind of songs you like
a crow would always choose filth
even when pearls were a choice!