A former student of mine called yesterday. Since I am an extremely poor conversationalist, silence began to dominate after a brief exchange and he requested me to hand over the phone to my wife who was his teacher for more years than me. Later my wife told me how much the young man, who is now a student of medicine in one of the top medical colleges in the country, admired and acquired some of my ways and attitudes. I was stunned. What admirable qualities do I possess? Solitude and absolute refusal to gossip and flatter are two of the lessons he learnt from me, among a few others, it seems. “But they are not qualities,” I protested when my wife reported it. No one who wants to be a success can afford to choose solitude and abstain from flattery. I lived among people who would often tell the Principal things like, “Sir, your shoes are shining so well today. Which brand of polish do you use, sir?” Those people are princip...
Cerebrate and Celebrate