Tuesday, 4 February 2014

Urge to Emerge : Blog #163

Urge to Emerge


                        I have always wondered as to how to break out of the prisons of our urges. By urges, I mean the most innate of things like wanting to stay in one’s home town to an addiction of some sort. At times, these preferences that we form for ourselves quite early in life limit us from growing in to our destiny. Many a time, they turn out to be the unwanted pit stops which slows down the lap of Life.

              Some urges change with time and others with circumstances. For instance, as we grow up we become less fuzzy about our preferences. As regards to circumstances, our preferences become less rigid the moment we start staying away from the comfort of our homes. One who used to think beginning a day without tea would be next to impossible begins to think the tea can wait till one reaches the office food court and at times, not to have it at all.

            If I remember right it was Buddha who implored people to embrace their urges to their highest levels so as to break free of the enslavement towards those urges. I think it’s a great way to get over a preference. Satiate your urge so much that there is no further liking for that urge. This is an easier way out. It allows you to go in to the depths of the urges so much that you see the pinnacle of it or the nadir of it, depending on how you look at it.

            Recently, I got to listen to a very different take on this matter from a friend. His take was to enforce an abrupt disenchantment. In one breath, decide to give it up and not turn back. He said that he used to have huge cravings for fish when he first stayed away from home. This went on for a while and one fine day, he just stopped having them. It was difficult initially but as time passed, it became more and more easy. And now, he no more has the urge to have fish. I must say, this approach is not for the faint hearted. It can turn out to be quite a test of one’s resolve. But if one is able to do it once, it can be replicated. Imagine a state where you have a reasonable control over your urges, if not complete!

            So the question is whether to walk along with one’s urges so long till one feel like walking alone or to abandon them and start sprinting back to a place where the urge to rein in one self is greater than the urge itself!

Arun Babu

4 comments:

  1. With no disrespect to your friend, the second one sounds like quitting smoking for the "n"th time.But if someone is able to do that, then respect is the word.

    The first one is the nature's way of doing it.I personally feel most things in the world follow a pattern of a sine wave.There is a peak, followed by a fall. At the end of the fall, there is new beginning. I think that applies to urges as well.Sometimes its the same urge, sometimes a new one :-)

    Aren't there urges that you don't want to break free of ?

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    1. u always lend a new perspective to things :)...the sine wave aspect is so true...and yes, there are some urges one doesn't want to break free of :)

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  2. Stopped having fish- fried prawns, pomfrets, crab curry? Oh my god... There has to be some more into it for his resolve and not just sudden dischantment. Dig your friend more and get the truth for his dischantment.

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