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The need to socialise

Last Updated 25 August 2014, 17:00 IST

I  happened to be at my school library seeing so many impressionable children silently reading their library books, with focused concentration. I told my colleague, “I really like these quiet, reserved and unassuming children who read voraciously.” However, her rejoinder came to me as a surprise.

She said, “Sometimes it’s good to be quiet, for that usually implies that one is serious, deep and introspective. However, if one is too withdrawn, and too much of an introvert, it is usually not a good sign and does not portend too well for that person. It may mean that that person shies away from human contact and does not socialise. Moreover, it could also imply that that person has deep-seated complexes.” That observation smacked of wisdom and it set me thinking.

Yes, being quiet and studious and the teacher’s obedient pet is only to an extent appreciable, but parents and teachers should be on the lookout for their wards being overly introverted. Of course, one need not be a “party animal” or hyperactive, but a certain amount of socialising is necessary and healthy.

Otherwise, it could signal that the child is in a shell with bottled-up emotions and feelings and needs to be tactfully drawn out. During adulthood, also, when one joins the employment workforce, it would do one well to socialise.

In call centres and BPOs, where the organisational set-up is via teams, it is essential for one to mix and fellowship with the others in the team in order to get the work done productively, responsibly and faster. It will not augur well if one is a team member who is either selfish, who wants to hog the limelight or garner recognition and fame for one’s self while negating the goals and unity of the team. In fact, so important is team spirit that one writer coined the acronym ‘TEAM’ to stand for `Together Everyone Achieves More.’


To show the importance of socialising, let me relate the following story. There was once a farmer with four sons. Although the four sons were all quiet, hardworking and sincere, they lacked unity. The father could see this and wanted them to open their eyes. So, he told each of them to get a stick and individually break it. Each one of them did this easily.

Then he told each of them to get another stick and give it to him. He told the four sticks together, and try as he might, he could not break them. He then told his sons that though it is important to be quiet and hardworking, these qualities will be ineffective if one does not also have a good sense of socialising and unity.


I will conclude with the following beautiful quotation on the need to socialise and dunk loneliness, “Alone I can ‘say’, but together we call ‘talk’, alone I can ‘enjoy’, but together we can ‘celebrate’, alone I can ‘smile’, but together we can ‘laugh’”. So, one should shun one’s lost and lonely attitude, mix, talk and laugh with others, and celebrate the beauty of life!

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(Published 25 August 2014, 17:00 IST)

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