The partial solution

There are many problems in this world. Some of them do not really bother me, while some do, in varying degrees. If I am worried enough about something, I have tried to be part of voluntary groups that are specifically trying to solve these problems. For example, TidyCity is one such group which was formed about half a year back to spread awareness against littering, and to spread civic sense in general. We have been involved in activities like voluntarily cleaning up public spaces, conducting awareness sessions, conducting surveys, etc.

One question though that I often get from people, even very close friends and family, is how do you think this so and so group or activity will produce any positive change - I'm sure anyone involving in voluntary activities would have faced these questions from people around them. We for example get questions like, what effect do you think cleaning up the museum campus on one Sunday will have? What use is it talking to a handful of people about the ill effects of burning plastic?

Tough (not impossible) questions to answer, but I always felt there ought to be a very generic answer. What follows is the generic answer:

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Given a problem, social or otherwise, there are some fundamental questions you have to ask yourself.

1. Does this problem bother you enough so that you want to do something about it?
A)Yes
B)No

If your answer is (B), then you can live with the problem, you can ignore it. If you have answered (A), then it follows that you have to do something about it, there are two questions here -

2. Do I have a complete solution to offer?
A)Yes
B)No

3. Is there a partial solution which I can offer my support to
A)Yes
B)No

(The partial solution here is partial because it doesn't solve the problem completely. A solution that introduces another set of problems doesn't qualify as a partial solution for the purpose of this discussion)

If you look are most social problems, you may end up answering (B) for #2 and (A) for #3.
i.e. There may not always be a perfect solution, but there are almost always a few partial solutions.

Now, coming to the point. If you answered (A) to question #1, and (B) to question #2, and (A) for question #3, i.e. if there is a problem that really bothers you, and all you have are partial solutions, then the best option is to strive to find the perfect solution, while at the same time, committing yourself to the partial solutions that are available.

If you do not agree, then probably you have not been totally honest in answering question #1:).

Is your religion better than others?

Do you think your religion is better than all other religions?
Do you think the truest path to self realization, salvation, is your religion and no other religion?

If your answer to both the above are yes, a couple more simple questions -
(a) Were you born into your religion?
(b) Did you make a conscious choice of religion after considering all alternatives?

If the answer to the above is (a), then what really was the basis for the first contention that your religion is the best? Is it not as childish as a kindergarten kid claiming that his shoes are the best?

How to remember things

For a few months, I've had this chronic problem of lack of hunger. After waiting around and procrastinating for around three months, I finally visited our family physician two weeks back. He diagnosed me for "agnimandyam" (which roughly translates to a slow-down in appetite). He gave me a medicine, which I had to take twice a day, once before breakfast and once after dinner. It went without saying, any miss in the schedule, and the medicine would not have the desired effect.

Now, how is it that I take an instruction like that, and make sure I follow it? How does my brain know automatically from the next day, that I have to have the medicine as soon as I get out of bed? Of course I could write it somewhere where I'm sure to see it, or set a reminder on my mobile - but the point is, the brain is actually capable of remembering without these external aids.

I actually managed to follow the course, without any such device, even without anyone having to remind me. I tried a new technique. The basic idea is, it is possible to condition your brain and make it remember what it needs to remember. Here's what I did, I repeated to myself several times before I went to sleep that night, that I have to remember to take the medicine the next morning. While I did this, I imagined myself actually taking the medicine, tasting it, and feeling it go down my throat. The next morning, to my pleasant surprise, I automatically remembered to have the medicine. The repetitions that I did, and the mental image that i had carefully built the previous day had helped my brain form new neural pathways to remind me of the new thing that I had to remember from the next day. It was a lot easier the next day, I didn’t have to remind myself as hard as I did the first day and gradually, this conscious effort gave way to unconscious habit, and soon I started to remember to take the medicine almost like I remember to brush my teeth.

Well, finally last night, I finished the course of medicine, my appetite is now back, I am eating and sleeping as good as ever. And most importantly, I have finally cracked the mystery of memory - after countless lost umbrellas and locked cars.

Funny thing though, I just remembered, I forgot to have dinner yesterday..

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

If you are worried about the piles of waste that rot on our roads, about the corporation that you think doesn't know its job; about corrupt politicians who you think swindle public money, about the whole system that in your opinion, doesn't work, and if you think your job ends there, please skip the rest.

On the other hand, if you want to do something about it, here are a few shockingly simple things you can do, which can go a long way.

Reduce - Reduce the use of materials that can end up as difficult-to-manage waste

1. Avoid takeaway food as much as you can, if you do, do it from a place where as little plastic is used for packaging as possible.
   
2. Buy cotton clothes instead of synthetic/semi-synthetic clothes
3. While shopping, buy stuff with as less plastic packaging as possible.
4. Again, while going shopping, take your own shopping bag along.
   
5. Never, never waste food.
6. While arranging parties - go for paper/ceramic cups, plates. Never go for plastic or other synthetic stuff.
7. When going on a trip, carry your own water bottle (plastic or otherwise). Take a look near our railway tracks and you'll know why I say this.
   
8. When buying soft drinks, buy them in cans instead of plastic bottles.
   

Reuse - Reuse whatever is reusable. You'll be surprised how little we normally do this.

1. Re-use plastic bags, do not just throw them away after a single use. Wear them out by use.
   
2. Reuse one-sided paper for your rough scribblings
3. Use fountain pens instead of ball-pens. If you do use them, make sure you get them refilled - do not just throw away used pens.
4. Give away your old usable clothes to charity
5. Sell away unusable clothes, glass, paper to recycling shops

Recycle - when you can't re-use, make sure you recycle

1. Disposing plastic should be your last option, and when you do, make sure you dispose it properly, understand where it’s going, make sure it gets recycled if it is recyclable. The fundamental thing here is segregation of plastic.
   
2. Segregate the degradable from non-degradable waste at source. Do not just dump all your waste on the people who come to collect them - remember they are also people like us who would not really enjoy digging through someone else's garbage.
   
3. If you have the space, dispose organic waste in your own yard in a compost – rather than burdening the corporation/municipality services. Actually it doesn't take that much space;here's a good link on how you can go about composting.
   
4. If you live in a flat, talk to your association to get a compost unit built.
   

(I'll keep adding to this list as I think of more:))