The Need to Find a Reason

As the election results started rolling in on Friday, it was amusing to see the news channels provide “reasons” for the wins and losses, close margins and landslides. Why did Jayalalithaa win? 2G scam and corruption. Really? Since when did Jayalalithaa become the poster girl for the opposite of corruption? Or why did Mamata win? General misrule by the Left. Really? It took 20 years and multiple elections after liberalization to figure out that the Leftist approach was taking Bengal nowhere?

Of course, this kind of insane reason providing doesn’t stop at the elections. We hear similar rubbish about why the Sensex fell or rose (the Euro crisis; the signs of an American recovery; RBI’s interest rate hikes). Isn’t it more likely that the market fluctuates because investors aren’t rational? With rational investors, we’d never have stock market bubbles and crashes, would we?

Even religions/philosophies insist on providing a reason: why do some people suffer? Why did so many die during the tsunami? Karma. There are even “answers” like “Those whom the Gods love, die young.”

And yet, the same people who provide these reasons will happily ignore the facts that don’t “fit”. The day Narender Modi loses, I’m sure they’ll say that the “people” (whoever that is) voted against communalism (whatever that means). But tell me, didn’t the same people vote him back repeatedly earlier?

It’s like the emperor’s new clothes: everyone can see the reasons are invalid; but nobody wants to say anything! So maybe, it’s an evolutionary thing: the ability to find a reason or a pattern gives the species an advantage when it comes to survival. (Isn’t it amusing that one can trace everything back to Darwin?) And unless you keep finding/attributing reasons, how would you ever stumble upon the “right” one? And so, I guess we’re programmed to keep indulging in this insanity that we see in news, business and religious channels…

Comments

  1. KumarMay 19, 2011 at 11:02 AM

    While many believed 'reasons'(attributing effects to causes)won't actually stand to reason at all, we have to view this aspect from another angle. Human beings seem to be programmed to look for reasons. Since this is present, many among us will be satisfied with something thrown at them as 'the cause'. So, media keeps people engaged by dumping garbage at them very often. We can complain about it but we have to put up with it, since people are only what they are.

    In India, indeed nearly astrologers make their money telling people that the cause of their difficulty is not their 'karma' but their 'astrological position'in the mystical chart. "Do this antidote procedure and you will be alright. You can now give me your fees!" No suffering is alleviated but people happily part with their money to the astrologer and the priest. Surely this is silly!

    Karma ideas may look like superstitions to many people. While whether Karma ideas are scientific or not may forever be debatable, at least it tries to fix the responsibility of one's fate on one's own actions. Forget what it implies with our past - it certainly suggests we can shape our future. Even if we wish to reject any future life, is it not better to do our work well so as to reap the benefit of it right here? Is it a silly idea in this domain? Or, should we all keep hoping for some legacy from an aged relative for living our life?

    While within one life it doesn't sound truly nonsensical, the moment the question of before-life and after-life occurs, one who believes in Karma will be labeled superstitious by the rationalist. Yes, karma ideas get rejection by the scientific minded people; but even they may have to grudgingly admit that Karma ideas are a lot less stupid than unquestioning faith in the planets of astrology before which we are worse than pawns.

    At any rate, this is also true. No rationalist has proved beyond all doubt that there can be no after-life (or before-life). Their smartness is limited to challenging the believer,"You prove beyond all doubt there is after-life (or before-life)". About any unknown, more or less that is the situation always.

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