Some people cause happiness wherever they go, others whenever they go
- Oscar Wilde
The pursuit of happiness is the ceaseless journey of mankind. Its pursuit, always in a state of motion rather than attainment, has propelled the progress and evolution of human race. It’s the metamorphosis of happiness itself which adds poignancy to Oscar Wilde’s quote today. Happiness is so not joie di vivre, about rejoicing in the moment, feeling the rush of being alive, realizing you are receiving a memento from life, that life hasn’t forgotten to make you, a part of ‘it’s life’; it has whittled down to display of happiness on multiple showcases on offer now. The social perception has long overtaken a state of mind, so innate and personal. You plan a visit to a location, and against all odds, the plan works out and you eagerly await the surge of happiness flowing in your veins only to be chastened by tomorrow’s reel stars performing uncontrollably there, stubbing the life out of joy, even before it is born.
Few days back, on a visit to a tourist hotspot in Bhubaneswar, I was witness to a fierce competition between primates on different steps of evolution hierarchy. The arboreal and terrestrial creatures were jostling for attention fearlessly (monkeys with scant regard for authorities and humans with the same disdain for their own life posing on the edges of rocks) and selflessly (must hand this to the monkeys though as the other kind was surely banking on likes and views).
The site stands witness to magnificent rock edifices and cave complexes built for Jain monks dating back to 2nd century. The sense of gratitude of connecting with ancient history was no match for the bewilderment of watching spontaneous and articulate chaos going on there. Dance performances, family fashion shows, songs were all being recorded for contemporary audience and posterity. The monkeys were lured with eatables; to be named and made into viral sensations unbeknownst to them. I swear, I saw an extremely puzzled look on one of them, wondering what exactly was happening there. Must’ve been the new kid on-the-block, the mature ones would have long wisened up for the regression of most evolved species. I could sense the déjà vu for monkeys, they were once again beaten by the ‘homonins’; they had lost the race of progress millions of years ago (humans are part of the sub family Hominini which distinguished itself from quadrupedal primates that long back) and they were now being pummeled into submission in their own core competency of spontaneous social entertainment. Clearly, they had not read C.K Prahalad to counter this onslaught.
However, to each his own. We are not going back to a world devoid of such inevitable nuisance. Generations with natural ability to live in the moment will wither out in another 4-5 decades. This endless pursuit is happiness’ biggest curse. When will mankind collectively ever feel that it has touched the brink of happiness? I relish the fact that so many wonderful memories of my childhood and youth are concretized in my mind and shall go away peacefully with me when the time comes, without having pitifully fished for public appreciation and validation. But again, am I whining like a grumpy old man about where the world is going to? Not at all. Life is a river and you go with the flow. Besides, lot of people monetize these events/acts profitably to give others hope. Who are we to criticize if people monetize information on topics like remedies on pet mood swings and bowel habits.
Monkeys (used here in broader terms for monkeys and apes together) are highly intelligent creatures, completely capable of complex deliberations and analyzing consequences of their actions besides other skills. They, however never have to worry about putting their capabilities on display for the other species to receive their appreciation. They go about doing their chores with nonchalance despite their superior skills and adaptability over other animals. That’s a joke, right? Obviously monkeys and humans are wired differently, the superiority of human beings by virtue of its distinction from monkeys itself has brought all the rewards and associated risks. Let’s talk about this ‘wired’ part.
Our earliest ancestors displayed bipedalism much before the human brain enlarged in size. The ability to walk on two limbs freed their two other limbs which would help them to create tools to be used in hunting for food. Their ability to develop complex social networks led to better response to external threats and reduced in-fighting for territorial dominance; a feature that exists in almost all the other mammals including monkeys even today. Later, the brain enlargement put paid to any doubts as to who the apex predator in the food chain was going to be. But what exactly changed in the brain?
{To be continued in Part – II}