Six Lessons To be Unlearned

I should not express apathy but sometimes I disapprove certain things that we learned in the school textbooks. I do agree that like history, textbooks were written by victors. Here is a list of six lessons that I think should be revised.

Honesty is the best policy: If you feel honesty will not get your job done, why being honest ? After being dishonest, if you feel bad and repentant, ask for forgiveness. It is better to ask for forgiveness than permission and empirical observation says that it works most of the time. In that sense Chanakya Niti is more relevant, "People who are honest and trees which are tall are chopped down first". Will you call diplomatic people honest or dishonest ? It should be revised as Honesty is the second best policy.

Truth shall prevail: If truth prevails, why do we have judicial courts ? If judicial court is enough, why do people still feel that O.J. Simpson must have been convicted ? If the rest of the world is protesting against US forces in Iraq, why is US dominance evergrowing ? Rather, Power and Strength shall prevail.

Beauty is skin deep: Even an unqualified, illiterate, short, bald and dark guy wants a bride who is beautiful. If beauty is skin deep, why don't we have Miss IQ, Miss Patient, Miss Educated, Miss Talented pageants ? So, Physical beauty matters most.

Love is immortal: If love is immortal, why do most love marriages end up in divorces ? Love is conditional and love is a business seem to be more appropriate. So, don't pretend to fall in love unless a business proposal is convincing enough.

Knowledge is Power: Bill Gates signs cheques for hundreds of PhDs or more. Does that mean, Bill Gates is more knowledgeable than those researchers ? Is George Bush the most knowlegeable person on the planet today ? People claim pen is mightier than sword. How many of you know the names of the Noble Prize winners of 2005 or more recently the Pulitzer prize winners of 2006 ? Money and Authority is Power.

Charity Begins at Home: Why are Brahmins reluctant to marry non-Brahmins ? What phylogenetic traits are they trying to preserve ? Charity only begins at my neighborhood.