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One Sacrifices ;others Enjoy

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by jayasala42, Sep 22, 2017.

  1. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    every sacrifice leads to some one getting benefit and in larger scale benefit might go to a group of people. many had done sacrifices with a singular goal that Amma should come out of court proceedings unscathed, Amma to regain her health and come out of hospital, and amma should become always victorious. we had witnessed self immolations. many combined and do sacrificial rituals results in rain. parents are very incarnation of sacrifice. some sacrifice themselves for their leaders. the person doing sacrifice knowingly or unknowingly may help even his or her arch enemies.
    In closer examination one would arrive at this conclusion: the world has come this far because of sacrifices made by our ancestors. Steeve Jobs died of cancer, in his last note said he failed to spend time with family and ignored relatives and sacrificed all his time in lab to invent. but for sacrifices of scientists and leaders the civilisation and the world would not have progressed to the present level. Sacrifice seems an inalienable part of human being. Only Mothers of the world sacrifice without expecting any reward or compensation during her life time.
    thanks and regards.
     
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  2. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    regardless of meaningful or not, parents, a section of scientists sacrifice because they feel it is in their bloodstream! A very good thread thought provoking. Many things rush to mind but the hour I had chosen to respond is not conducive.
    Thanks and Regards.
     
  3. Nonya

    Nonya Platinum IL'ite

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    Trade, counter-trade, barter, Investment, Economic Opportunity Cost, are some of the words and phrases one can think about if the word "sacrifice" is to mean getting something for what was forfeit.

    When the dutchman Stuyvesant bought the Manhattan Island from the natives for the equivalent of $24, it was a trade.... although the indians later found out that they had sacrificed. That is, given up a lot more than what they had bargained for. This after-the-fact realization of the irrevocable bad bargain might end up devastating a psyche, unless it is held up as a noble thing that one had done. This word "sacrifice" has that sense of consolation built into it.

    A character in a famous novel goes "it is a far far better thing that I do.... ... etc...", as he goes to the gallows in place of his doppelganger
    . OTOH, even if he (Sydney Carton, The Tale of Two Cities) had thought better of his sacrifice, and wants to get off, there is no way out. The crowd is baying for a head, and he is done for. He can't yell out.."hey.. you in the black hood, you are making a big mistake", and hope to be heard above the din. At that point his options are pretty limited.

    Like Sydney Carton, sometimes when people are committed to a thing, there ain't any way out. They are done for, sunk, can't get out. This is what happens to parents. Sex is good, easy, and cheap. Especially when they don't have a large screen TV, and subscription to hundred channels. Children, and the sacrifices they have to make for them is the price they pay. Too late to realize that Cable Channel subscription would'a been cheaper. This late-realization of a bad bargain is what makes it seem like a sacrifice.
    When kids eventually learn why their mummy is foisting guilt on them, they too would have chosen the wrong-thing over some other form of entertainment that does not have such a life long consequence. This is the reason a grandmother is able to get together with the grandchild (at the right age for collusion) and laugh at the one in the middle.
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2017
  4. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    @Nonya That that is wonderful distinction between grandma & mother vis a vis children. Quintessential reasoning At that! Thank you. God Bless us all
     
  5. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Nonya,
    Thank you very much for the intrinsic response.In those days of'No family planning' having four or five children was a common affair.Bringing up also was not that much costly in a less competitive world.Now the parents and children have both woken up. Children no more want a two bed room flat as a
    hereditory property and in return take care of the parents.They know it is a bad bargain.having this in mind only SBI introduced a special scheme for senior citizens.
    Parents will be at great risk, if they don't plan for their future.

    The topic is interlinked with so many other social issues and it is very difficult to find a suitable solution.

    jayasala 42
     
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  6. Iravati

    Iravati Platinum IL'ite

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    Sacrifice has a romanticized glow to it. When you utter, "I have sacrificed to be" instead of "I have chosen to be", it strikes as claim to selflessness of having put the welfare of others before yours. Sacrifices are only noble in letter but not in spirit as there are hardly any silent sacrifices. By "silent" sacrifice, I mean a sacrifice where the sacrificing party does not capitalise on the noble act. A sibling working abroad to feed the rest of the family or parents enabling a lifestyle/education that is beyond their means to their kids never muffle their excitement on these cherished acts. They would probably blare to the whole neighbourhood and gloat on such "nobility". Is that a sacrifice? In return for such compassionate and derived fame, they are willing to withdraw from direct gains. Is that still a sacrifice?

    On a denser note, "chained sacrifice" or in scientific terms known as "reciprocal altruism" is a well-researched topic. Why do ants form a hierarchical society wherein some ants give up reproduction to take care of the baby ants of their siblings? How do ants even organise into such queen, worker and nanny roles? Who is sacrificing and are those sacrifices being compensated elsewhere as social rewards in that close-chained network. W.D Hamilton, E.O Wilson, Robert Trivers and others have thoroughly examined this field and came up with very interesting findings. Their theories are a staple in evolutionary biology and sociobiology.

    On a lighter note, people who claim that they have sacrificed with no self-interest should be thwarted that the very act of declaration has controverted their intention.
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2017
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  7. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    During those days there was no other entertainment could be one of the reasons for begetting so many children including some abortions.
    Regards.
     
  8. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Iravati,
    A fantastic response from altogether different angle.You are right.The act of declaring that a particular activity was done with no self interest itself shows some selfish motive.Even now we see many people that tom-tom having contributed so much to charitable institutions.If they are really contributing, their remarks can be well ignored.
    You have inter alia made a reference to a much debated topic on
    reciprocal altruism' of which I have read in some scientific journals.
    Even human psychology we are unable to analyse, not to talk of ants, birds and rats.On many occasions we are amazed at the tendency of ants and honey bees.Once upon a time crows were considered to be generous and as soon as they get some food they simply start making 'caw' sounds and share what they had.But crows today are very shrewd and they don't keep the food in their beaks but just hide them underneath and start eating once the companions leave the place.
    " the selflessness is the outlet of selfishness of the genes' scientists say.
    Almost all the activities of human beings cannot be categorized under'sacrifice' There is some element of compensation not necessarily financial, but in alternate forms of pride ,prestige, challenge and other sociological factors.Of course for trees, plants and rivers
    there are certain biological factors that contribute to the selfless acts.
    Thanks again for the introspective response.

    jayasala 42
     
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  9. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Shri Thyagarajan,
    As you have said all the activities in the world are due to pain taken by some persons with a view of themselves being rewarded or others being benefitted.,if the simple'efforts' or duties can be branded as 'sacrifice'.We see mothers talking more of their sacrifice after they are 60, when they are disregarded or ignored by their children.Many books have been written about unstinted love of mothers,Indirectly there seems to be some motive of financial or official status to their children and they want to be the proud mothers of so and so.Even craving for this fame seems to go against the real sense of sacrifice.
    We wonder whether there is anything in the world that is worthy of being termed as 'sacrifice'.

    Jayasala 42
     
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  10. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    Quite so. For that matter even sharing what we know, spending time while sharing can be termed as sacrifice. Thanks . Regards. God bless us all.
     

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