Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Petty People Look for Petty Sources of Happiness


We all are looking for pleasure. We want it. Somehow.

But it’s the kind of source we use to get pleasure that defines us. The quality of source becomes our identification.

I remember a small story. A newspaper editor got a letter from somebody who had pointed out five mistakes in the newspaper. Since the mistakes were from different and obscure parts of the newspaper, so it looked like the reader had really worked hard to search them. Then he had worked hard to put “witty” remarks in the letter to feel intelligent and confident. The editor replied like this, “Thanks for your letter and the time you’ve put in writing it down. Since we have to take care of everybody, so we always leave some mistakes for people like you.”

Well, I don’t know how the reader felt after he read the letter, but I can perhaps guess the kind of pleasure he might have derived from pointing out the mistakes.

But why would somebody get such pleasure in trying to make others feel bad unnecessarily?

Pettiness, perhaps! People look for the source of pleasure which suits their mentality, character and attitude.

If you bump into somebody like that reader, just bless your luck. You got a wonderful chance to learn patience, and you may also feel that you’re better than somebody as a human being (and your thinking may not be that wrong).

1 comment:

Dhruv said...

"

There have been many times when I got golden opportunity to satiate this hunger. And again, there have been times when I utilized the opportunity. I hurt the person back with as much vitriol I could possibly spew. And then I took pleasure in my triumph.

Unfortunately, that feeling of triumph was as short-lived as we find the emotion of gratitude in some people. It just vanished before I could ever enjoy it to my heart’s content. Then came emotions like regret, repentance and self-disgust.

"

Good luck.