Will putting hefty fines be effective as a strategy to control traffic mishaps?

In psychology there is a very popular theory of motivation. Theory X and Theory Y, one of the very famous theory of motivation by McGregor. Theory X explains the need for supervision, rewards and penalties whereas theory Y emphasises on internal motivation to do any task. There is no doubt that if any being is driven by internal motivating factors then there is none of any rewards or penalties or supervisions. But the real question is " Can imposing penalties actually lead to behavioural changes in breaking the rules?"

Lets sit back and think about the human nature when he sees threat in something. The first reaction can be a panic, a thwart, a glitch to take desired action, however as the feeling syncs in fear slowly subsides down. People in the meantime learn to take either the preventive actions or shortcuts to avoid the loop. Breaking any rule gives a kick to prove the courageous and outgoing nature. Internet is full of quotes which says" Break the rules and make your own". somewhere down the line people have associated breaking rules with their own liberation. this is where the prima context goes for a toss. 

Liberation or courageousness is not associated with the rule breakers. People need to understand that there is a ecosystem for everything to co-exist. If traffic rules will not be followed then the consequences can be disastrous. As per statistics, the number of vehicles have grown at an alarming rate on Indian roads. the average speed in Some cities is as low as 17 kmph. The most astonishing figures come from tier-2 cities of India. the five most dangerous cities which recorded the highest fatalities in road accidents are: Jamshedpur, Asansol, Amritsar, Agra and Dhanbad. Cities with the highest number of accidental deaths includes Delhi, Chennai, Jaipur, Kanpur and Lucknow. At this point I would like to raise a question worth a thought: It is the same Indians in other countries (developed) where they don't break the law. Is it the fear of the punishment or the ecosystem which makes them conscious while they are on road. I hope the latter one works more in this case as their breaking rules is not synonymous to liberation. Everyone is liberated enough for the enlightenment that traffic rules are meant for their own safety and they should not break it.

 One of the root cause of accidents includes more usage of personal vehicles as compared to public transport. in developed nations people use more of public transport rather than personal but in India the situation is the reverse. Just like every person holds more than one mobile similarly every household owns more than one vehicle. Poor infrastructure has led people to switch to their own convenience. There is no doubt that population density in our country is too high being the second most populous nation therefore the measures to confront personal vehicle cannot be just effective enough. 

Number of flyovers and highways do not ensure the minimal road casualties. Then where lies the solution to this grave problem? People should understand that rules are not some hindrance to their freedom but its a way to ensure their safety on roads. there should be more and more examples to reinforce the idea of safety by the government. This fine hike should not be seen as the shackles. Just like "Swatchch Bharat Abhiyaan", if cities gets awarded because of the cleaner roads similar concept can be applied to minimal road casualties, there should be an applaud for the residents of the state/district/state. The participation of people in small communities to work together and discuss the reason to eradicate the road mishap can be very effective. This will lead to minimal involvement of police to reinforce the rules. It is very well evident that if any problem is tackled by government and common people of the nation that problem just disappears in a matter of time. The consciousness to acknowledge the adversities of the current behaviour needs to rise. This problem can be solved by proper feed back mechanism and not just by imposing stricter rules. It is just a matter of perspective. If a person is breaking signal because he is in a hurry to reach to some place or someone is drunk and driving or not wearing seat belts or helmets, all these reasons can be taken care of if people work together. It is the nature of any living creature if boundaries are created they will definitely tend to break those boundaries but if boundaries are expanded to raise human consciousness these problems might prove to be timid. Positive reinforcement (rather than negative) always works better in case of theory X and if things can be brought line with theory Y then no problem will actually exist.

Book Review

Becoming by Michelle Obama: 10 reasons why it is a must read?

Some books are simply written in a flawless manner that inspires others and simply puts in the seed of "hope". Hope for better future, hope for liberating oneself from the shackles, hope to dare to dream big, hope to lead others. Such is the inspiring story of Michelle Obama. We all see or judge not just America but any developed nation as full of positivity and elevated standard of living, however its not always true. And who would be the best person to describe this situation other than Michelle Obama. She had her own journey of ups and downs, lows and highs, dilemmas which every other working women will once encounter in her life, struggles of an African American even at the highest level of authoritative position in the country. It was too easy for her to be overshadowed by her husband's position but what she chose to be was an overwhelming story of a brave and a determined lady who left her mark in the history of America by her own deeds.

Being the First Lady of the most powerful nation comes with its own privileges, its upto the person how the platform is utilised. Coming from the most humble background and fighting against all the adversaries nothing came on its own and everything was respectfully "EARNED".

While the whole book is amazing and worth reading line by line, some of the key highlights are summarised below.  

1. NEVER DOUBT YOURSELF.

2. DO NOT LOOK FOR JOBS BUT FOR CAREERS.

3. TAKE LIFE EASY. LIFE IS A SEE SAW AND IT WILL PUSH YOU UP AND DOWN.

4. NEVER TYPECAST YOURSELF BY OVERHEARING WHAT OTHERS THINK ABOUT YOU. 

5. KEEP YOUR EXPECTATIONS LOW. LIFE IS NOT A MATHEMATICAL EQUATION X IS NOT ALWAYS EQUAL TO Y.

6. PRIORITISE YOURSELF OCCASIONALLY.

7. TO BRING ABOUT A CHANGE PATIENCE IS THE GREATEST VIRTUE.

8. YOU ARE SPECIAL AND MUST KEEP DOING THE GOOD WORK.

9. ACCEPT THINGS THE WAY THEY ARE BUT PUT IN YOUR EFFORTS TO WORK TOWARDS THE BETTERMENT.

10. POWER WITH HUMILITY IS ADMIRED AND BLESSED BUT WITH ARROGANCE THE VIRTUE IS LOST.

 Each one of the above statements are mentioned in the book in some context. In order to understand little more following paragraphs are adopted from the book. They echo the different stages of life which came across the life of Michelle Obama but they are equivocally applicable to the lives of any person who dreams big, works hard and aspire to do some good work in life. 

1. "All of us have doubters. Some continue to have roaring, stadium sized collections of critics and naysayers who will shout I told you so at every little misstep or mistake. The noise don't go away, but the most successful people I know have figured out how to live with it, to lean on the people who believe in them, and to push onward with their goals".

This is so very true and is relevant for each and every individual during the different time horizons. There is a very thin line where we expand our boundaries and motivates ourselves to again give a start to the journey to achieve our goals.

2. "Finding a career as opposed to a job wouldn't just come from pursuing the contact pages of an alumni directory; it required deeper thought and effort".

Career vs job two very different approach for a person to decide while taking a call for action. The perspective for life differs in both the cases. It needs introspection for life. Not many reaches this state of actualisation!

3. "Most of us lived in the state of constant calibration, tweaking one area of life in hopes of bringing more steadiness to another."

This is what most of the people in simplified terms say work life balance. All strive to reach that state of equilibrium but everyone just dwindles on the see saw of personal and professional life. It is always upto us what we are ready to sacrifice or pay the price in order to achieve what we want in our life.

4. "Its remarkable how a stereotype functions as an actual trap."

There is always a trap in which a person can be under false illusions if not paid enough attention to minute details in our life. Once someone else stereotypes you in some particular fashion and the same thought gets resonated by others around you (may be because of some fickle reason),  you are very likely to fell into this trap of actually behaving like the puppet of others. This happens with people so many times around us. In order to get out of this what is of utmost importance is "PAUSE" and "PONDER". Be careful to watch your actions to send right message at the right time.

5. "You have got to be twice as good to get half as far : an old maxim in the black community."

Each and every society is built upon some hierarchies and some societal orders. No where in this world the society are free from vices be it black vs white, women vs men, rich vs poor and so on. In order to overcome beyond those shackles of stereotypes one needs great efforts to rise and define the new rules. After all not everyone is born with privileges and have their own boundaries to work.

6. "I had learned through my years of trying to find balance in my life that it was okay to flip those priorities and care only for ourselves once in a while."

This is a lesson which very few people dare to think upon. their priorities never grows beyond their circle of life. They wake up, live up and work up for their beloved ones, now a days we can put men too in this club. they don't realise that there is life beyond that too and for once in a while these priorities can take a backseat. Difficult to persuade as people build a cocoon of guilt around them.

7. "Life was teaching me that progress and change happens slowly. Not in two years, four years, or even a lifetime. We were planting seeds of change, the fruit of which we might never see. We had to be patient."

These lines goes well with everyone. People work hard to get desired results. They become desperate to see the effects, sometimes even feel frustrated with their surroundings and gets themselves in the trap of de motivation. However one should realise that attempts are never forgone. it takes time to nurture a sapling. Only time, perseverant efforts and sustainability of the action will bring fruits in the due course of time. 

8. "You Belong, You Matter. I think highly of you." 

This is a self talk which one should indulge in case of doubts. These are the thoughts which can uplift a person even from the toughest of the circumstances. It definitely gives power to sustain whatever negative is happening around. These magical words can inspire a person to go beyond the limits and surprise everyone around.

9. "You may live in the world as it is, but you can still work to create the world as it should be."

Its easy to complain and create a fuss about it rather than accepting the situation as it is and makes your hands dirty 

10. "Dominance, even the threat of it, is a form of dehumanisation. It's the ugliest kind of power." 

Power has its own highs but if that high turns into dominance it is the most toxic instrument in the hands of authoritarians. 

Perspective in a poetry!

Mountains and the valley

Deep inside the earth there is force,

The outburst of which led to genesis of so many things

This force is very wise,

Brought the beauty and the beast in tandem

Knit together, existing together

A mountain and a valley stood side by side

Looking at each other pondering who has more pride

Mountain laughed and said " I am too tall, I give challenge to people"

Valley replied " Your stature can make you banal, be a point of zenith than to dare"

Antagonized from valley, mountain said " I stand still in every season, watching the pain and cheers"

" I invigorate everyone and make their miseries disappear"

They roam undauntingly in my cocoon, without any fear

Mountain asked the valley I wonder why people are then making you polluted

I am happy with my flora and fauna; this sparked talks that became disputed

Both were in the deluge of their smugness

Suddenly, a crinkling sound was heard

Something was hitting the mountain hard, uprooting the trees and pieces of rocks rolling into pebbles

Valley felt the pain, in a spur of moment it realized valley cannot be valley without the mountain

Mountain was coming on heels and realized his pride was in vain too

Existence of both was just like two sides of the coin,

 Presence of equal and opposite force , no one can purloin!