Choosing the right people in your life

There is a saying in Kannada with profound inner meaning. Its crude English version goes like this: “If you want to cultivate a relationship with someone, then think of a sandalwood (artefacts) vendor instead of a fish vendor!”

If you look at just the surface meaning, a sandalwood vendor, (being amidst sandalwood products), keeps spreading sweet fragrance around, unlike the fish vendor who reeks of some sort of stench.

But the underlying message is that when you bond with good humans, you too start imbibing their scintillating qualities. Saying explicitly, a good human always tries radiating the joy/cheer around him. In fact, he would be ever scouting around for infinite ways of instilling happiness in people’s lives.

He accepts everyone as they are without any expectations, and warms the cockles of their hearts, by his unconditional good gestures.

And, a good human would never ever inflict any pain, physical or mental, on others. Even in case you have hurt him inadvertently, he would never take umbrage, nor vindictively retaliate. And the times you are in any financial/emotional crisis, he’d instantly step in to bail you out of that trying phase. Though he himself would be loaded with all sterling qualities, he is always modest enough to shower others with plaudits.

And he is so trustworthy you can speak your mind out, without fear of your words leaking out in distorted/doctored versions. In a nutshell, a good human is the one who is polite, empathic, munificent, and a loving and caring being.

So, naturally when you are hobnobbing with such humans, you find your mood always pepped up, with positive thoughts perpetually percolating in your mind. Indubitably these humans, who always proffer that plenitude of comfort/solace, are your mood elevators and stress busters.

On the other hand, there are the not-so-good ones. They notch up nefarious schemes to surpass others, so that no one outshines them. Howsoever good people are to him, he would manoeuvre with such pinpoint precision, just to pull people down, thus equating others’ failures with his success.

And he can never be trusted, as the things you utter would be magnified and mispresented. He gloats in joy when others drown in miseries. And with waspish remarks, he often criticises people, pointing out their flaws (in physical appearance or in their persona).

In short, a bad human is highly self-centered, cynical, conceited, callous, tight-fisted, imperious and sadistic. Naturally, being in the company of such people, you would always be swamped by negative thoughts, sinking in sad mood and sagging spirits. Now, with what kind of people do you wish to bond?