Chains n Shackles !!

How is the year end ? for many most month-ends are similar – feeling of running out of bank balance and trying to push the purchases to next month .. .. inflation is going up and Experts advise you that a corpus of few crores only would save you after you retire !!  - what is your take on this ?  (and how much of bank balance you have if you are closer to retirement) 

This is scenario for middle-class Madhavans !  - yet you find TNagar jewellery shops crowded and people buying one ornament after the another.  Perhaps nothing pleases some women more than traditional bangles and necklaces !  If only the mirror in those shops speak – they would reveal volumes of the glee of the women trying them and the thoughts of the man standing next !

 

Then there are the luring enticing Advts of Jewellers and Fashion designers.  Saw an issue of Vogue India – which read :  For the bride rooted in tradition yet free from its shackles—bridal jewellery and accessories that promise not to weigh you down  !!

Whether choosing a gift for someone special or surrounding yourself with extra brilliance this season, these shining crystals are sure to illuminate the festive season with shimmering beauty and Celebrate Wonder together. 

Q is are chains mere ornaments or often Shackles !! -  and do we unknowingly display shackles as ornaments !!

 

We typically feel “shackled” when we have a bad boss /colleagues or a toxic workplace culture we can’t escape from, but a shackle can insidiously disguise itself as something you want or as something you think you should want.  Often they are in the mind, yet there exists ‘ world of professional shackles’,  a metaphorical iron-like grip on your mind making you doubt what’s best for you. 

The brain and society are a powerful duo that, when joined together, can imprison you and keep you from either embarking on a new path of opportunity or urging you towards a situation you think you should want. Loss aversion is our tendency to avoid loss over potential gains, because we feel the pain of loss greater than we feel the pleasure of gain. For instance, the pain of losing few thousand Rupees  is greater than the feeling of pleasure we’d get if we found few thousand Rupees . So, our innate psychology tries to avoid loss and keep us safely cocooned within the status quo. 

Any change in your normal routine - and particularly big ones - are going to be somewhat mentally exhausting. New and unfamiliar routines and choices challenge the comfort zone of our ingrained habits. 

Tuesday morning thoughts ! – crystal clad woman in Vogue fashion and a cute Elephant carrying its own iron chain.

 

Any thoughts !! – may be some are busy opening gifts on Boxing day !!
 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
26.12.2023