INTROSPECTION: WHO NEEDS IT?

Being a top sportsman or a top actor for more than 2 decades requires consistent self-discipline.
Both professions are physically demanding. One requires constant fitness regime for different muscles and joints.
The latter, regular tuning of looks and shape to fit diverse roles.
Coupled with their regular schedules, commitments and responsibilities; one can imagine that there is very little scope to go beyond.

Yet, when Sachin and Aamir emphasize on monitoring of mind playing a key role in decision making;
one ought to stop and ask - Am I giving my mind its due?

Please note the usage of term "monitoring of mind"(and not just mind) playing a key role in decision making.
Aamir analyzes his available mental capacity(calling it mindspace), before agreeing for an interview.[1]
Sachin, in order know whether his body movement is co-ordinated while playing, analyzes the states of his mind across overs and sessions as he is batting.[2]

This brings me to the subject in question...
"Introspection is the process of examining the thoughts and feelings of one's own mind.(Oxford)"
Cardinal questions being, What do I feel? Why do I feel it?[3]
Etymological meaning - See inward.

Having endeavored the same myself, it does require hard work... But is definitely not impossible.

So lets start studying causality of emotions. Comparing the same to other, more easily observed phenomena.
When we feel hungry, we know its because I haven't had food. Therefore this sensation of hunger occurs.
When I get hurt, I know that the pain comes from wound - and need to Bandage, even if this leads to more instantaneous pain.

Emotions too have causes, but due to their more subtle nature, these are more likely to get misinterpreted.
Therefore, its imperative that one is ruthlessly honest in analyzing them.

Often, the trigger for an emotion is the perception of an external object and its lightening like automatic association, causing a psychological sensation(of pleasure or pain).
I enter the classroom, and see assignments being collected. Realize that I forgot to complete mine, and the mental response is scare of the strict teacher. The activity itself is too fast paced. And one cannot know the causal factors involved immediately. They have to be consciously sought via retrospection.

So lets look back and try tracing the root cause.
Is it the assignments and the fact that they are being collected?
If it was ONLY that, then even the sweeper cleaning the classroom will feel scared.
Is it that the teacher is strict?
If it were so, even the students who have completed the assignment should feel afraid.
Is it because I have not completed the assignment that I am scared?
If so, then I would have been scared even while I was in bus. Because then too my assignment was not completed.

Therefore, its not any one factor; but the combination of factors - an existential cause of assignments being collected, my evaluation of teacher as strict and my corresponding recollection that I haven't completed the assignment that cause this emotion...!

Similarly, I feel elated on winning a gold medal.
Is it just the medal? Then even the 5 year old in the audience should be as happy.
Its the medal, plus the fact that I practiced so hard, and me strongly valuing that effort.
Thus here too, its the combination of a percept, and psychological evaluation(done earlier) that causes elation.

Emotions are a frequent occurrence. Most times causes are subtle-numerous, and only the person experiencing it can identify, recollect and interpret it correctly.
(Psychiatrist may interpret extreme behaviors. But still, recollection has to be first-hand. Plus here I am focusing on "more regular" pleasure/pain phenomena).
In sharp contrast, physical phenomena like rain can be explained easily owing to complete psychological detachment (and relative advancement) of the subject in question.

Introspection, by its very nature of looking inside and in past, can detach one from immediate surroundings and moment.
Therefore its important that major portion of analysis happens in the environment of solitude.
However, like first aid, some aspects need to be immediate.
Whenever significant intensity emotions occurs...
From the standpoint of introspection, I can lock in the immediate circumstance(assignment collection in the morning class), and prima facie nature of emotion(Shock).
Plus give my conscience standing order to come back to other phases of introspection in solitude.

So whats the use, one might ask.
Well, we may not become Sachin or Aamir in our profession, yet one is far better off in such case.
Let me explain why...

Success or failure of a person ultimately depends on his or her method of thinking; and actions one undertakes after the thought process.
(Degree of action and result of course, can vary from single day to a lifetime).
And therefore, the better one understands the workings of his mind, more competent he or she becomes in planning and prioritizing their activities.
More specifically, analysis of emotions can help one know the external objects that he holds
significant enough for consideration.(assignment or gold medal).
Clarify ones own evaluations of external entities.(Strict teacher, non-completion leading to bad grades;
medal as the result of effort, and opportunity to get into higher league).
And how one responds in crisis.(Do I acknowledge my mistake or put a wrongful blame. OR conversely, taking undeserved guilt or hedonistic elation out of proportion with the action).

Based on these facts, required corrective actions can then be taken by an act of will.

True, its possible that I can misinterpret emotions even after isolating the causes honestly. But like any other activity, here too practice and persistence(along with right ethical code) can minimize error and improve efficiency - and one is always better off in consciously analyzing such complex process, than let it be further misinterpreted by what others say and the subsequent, more lethal emotions.

Finally therefore, choices we make, leads us to the destinies we take.
And content of our own mind is what enables us to make such choices.
Discovering the nature of that content, therefore becomes an important task.
The better that content is understood, more meaningful and implementable ideas become.
.......But for that, there is one pre-conditional choice - Choosing to Introspect.

[1] http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood...iew-230507.html
[2]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAPEsPdwubY...feature=related [9:20]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWZLuuabGs4...feature=related
[3] http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/introspection.html

Parallels between Kashmir Protests and Iran Revolution

I see clear parallels between mode of operations of Kashmiri protesters, and Iranian revolution that ultimately pushed Iran from pro-western regime to Theocracy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Revolution

Here too, the protests start at some apparent cause(like death of Khomeni's son), turn violent, lead to more deaths. And then there are spiraling protests to protest deaths in these protests.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Revolution#Outbreak

Real reason, and the one never openly acknowledged, is clergy's discomfort with increasing Westernization....!

INTROVERT BY CHOICE

In the backdrop of Sachin's 1-Day international double hundred...

Sachin had just scored first one day international double hundred. It was superlative achievement no doubt. However, above and beyond obvious facts, there was this groping for fundamental fact. The primary cause that makes possible the kind of innings he played, and career of Sachin in general? Answers still eluded me. And thus begins my Quest.

Youtube was ransacked, and from Sachin at 14 to Sachin at 37, videos were browsed. I came across an interview with Harsha Boghale.
Question was,"How does Sachin Tendulkar handle bad form?"
To me, the question was similar to, "What do you do when you score less marks?"
Well, I work harder, devote more time to subject, etc.etc.
And so I expected from Sachin,I practice more, work on kind of balls that got me out etc. etc.

Here is what Sachin answered....
I try to recollect what was going on in my mind when I got out, or just before I got out...
...And goes on to explain how he dissociates such feelings through continuous acts of will power.

And this is how Eureka dawned upon my Quest...!
Here is a man, who doesn't just passively accept any random feeling entering his mind, that has potential to wreck his career. He actively recollects the circumstances in which it occurred. Then analyzes its cause, and therefore
refines his thought process.... So that similar situation does not happen again.

This brings me to the definition of subject in question.
"Introvert is the person who seeks to analyze the activities of his own mind."
Etymologically meaning of course being, look inward.

Here is the kind of imagery one generally associates with an introvert however. A boy sitting in the corner, aloof while other kids play. Nervous adolescent, groping for words in an interview - in stark contrast to smooth talker like Farooq Sheikh in classic movie Katha.
Let me argue why such imageries get associated.

As I said, for an introvert, his own mind is a very important - perhaps the central component of study.
So the boy engages in the process of introspection, rather than playing with other kids.(or instead of focusing on objects of communication in an interview).
These traditional introverts, more often than not tend to become so intuitively rather than by conscious choice.
Therefore, its probable that they misjudge the timings. Engaging in the activity, when it may be detrimental to their prospects.

However, if the choice is explicit, the individual will calculate full consequences of such a choice. And would plan every stage process of introspection requires.
So once Sachin gets out, on his way back to the pavilion, he can lock the thoughts(or feelings) of past few minutes; before they are lost as he acknowledges the crowd. And these then can be unlocked and analyzed in the moments of solitude.

Having endeavored the same myself, it does require hard work... But is definitely not impossible.

So let me now integrate studying causality of emotions to other observed phenomena.
When we feel hungry, we know its because I haven't had food. Therefore this sensation of hunger occurs.
When I get hurt, I know that the pain comes from wound - and need to Bandage, even if this leads to more instantaneous pain.

Emotions too have causes, but due to their more subtle nature, these are more likely to get misinterpreted.
Therefore, its imperative that one is ruthlessly honest in analyzing them.

Often, the trigger for an emotion is the perception of an external object and its lightening like automatic association, causing a psychological sensation(of pleasure or pain).
I enter the class, and see assignments being collected. Realize that I forgot to complete mine, and the mental response is fear of the strict teacher. The activity itself is too fast paced. And one cannot know the causal factors involved immediately. They have to be consciously sought via retrospection.

So lets look back and try tracing the root cause. Is it the assignments and the fact that they are being collected?
If it was ONLY that, then even the sweeper cleaning the class will feel fear.
Is it that the teacher is strict?
If it were so, even the students who have completed the assignment should feel afraid.
Is it because I have not completed the assignment that I am scared?
If so, then I would have been scared even while I was in bus. Because then too my assignment was not completed.

Therefore, its not any one factor; but the combination of factors - an existential cause of assignments being collected, my evaluation of teacher as strict and my corresponding recollection that I haven't completed the assignment that cause this emotion...!

Similarly, I feel elated on winning a gold medal.
Is it just the medal? Then even the 5 year old in the audience should be as happy.
Its the medal, plus the fact that I practiced so hard, and me strongly valuing that effort.
Thus here too, its the combination of a percept, and psychological evaluation(done earlier) that causes elation.

The scenarios I mentioned are quite extreme, emotions of course are much more frequent occurrence. And most times causes are subtle-numerous, and only the person experiencing it can identify, recollect and interpret it correctly.
(Psychiatrist may interpret extreme behaviors. But still, recollection has to be first-hand. Plus here I am focusing on "more regular" pleasure/pain phenomena).
In sharp contrast, physical phenomena like rain can be explained easily owing to complete psychological detachment(and relative advancement) of the subject in question.

True, its possible that I can misinterpret emotions even after isolating the causes honestly. But like any other activity, here too practice and persistence can minimize error - and one is always better off in consciously analyzing such complex process than let it be further misinterpreted by what others say and the subsequent, more lethal emotions.(Emotional Atyachaar!!).

So whats the use one might ask.
Well, we may not become Sachin in our profession, yet one is far better off in such case.
Let me explain why...

Success or failure of a person ultimately depends on his or her method of thinking; and actions one undertakes after the thought process.
(Degree of action and result of course can vary from single day to a lifetime).
And therefore, the better one understands the workings of his mind, more competent he or she becomes in planning and prioritizing their activities.
More specifically, analysis of thoughts and emotions can help one know the external objects that he holds significant enough for consideration.(assignment or gold medal).
Clarify ones own evaluations of external entities.(Strict teacher and bad grades as a result of not doing assignment; medal as the result of effort and opportunity to get into higher league).
And how one responds in crisis.(Do I acknowledge my mistake or put a wrongful blame. OR conversely, taking undeserved guilt or hedonistic elation out of proportion with the action).

Based on these facts, required corrective actions can then be taken by an act of will.

Finally therefore, choices we make, leads us to the destinies we take.
And content of our own mind is what enables us to make such choices.
Organizing that content therefore becomes an important task.
.....But there is one precondition - one ought to become "Introvert by Choice".