Chair Fever

Aspiration for a chair, both literally and symbolically, has been a human trait from time infinitum. And everyone is entitled to harbour such an aspiration and take steps to achieve it. The chair is surely a seat of supremacy. It separates one from the rest. It provides one with a platform where one can be on his own. The chair provides security and great power. And with great power comes great responsibilities.

George Bernard Shaw said,

Power doesn't corrupt man. Man corrupts power.

The chair, a seat of power, also tends to be corrupted by individuals who take the success straight to their cranium. When a man cannot cope with his new found success, he starts feeling all others around him to be inferiors and treats them as his slaves. This absolute abuse of power not only degrades him in the eyes of his subordinates but also in his own eyes, if he choses to introspect even once.

The succession of a colleague to the post of one's superior is not always met with exhiliration and jubilation. There is always a tinge of sadness and jealousy when that happens. But there is always a satisfaction and belief that as one amongst them has been raised he will try to solve the hardships, which he had suffered when he was a junior himself.

But more often that not it has been seen that the new "chairholder" forgets all about his past and tends to abuse his power. This trait of human nature is really beyond any comprehension!

It must be remembered that a given chair provides one with a certain set of powers in a certain organisational setup. Outside the setup everyone is a nobody. There one has equal opportunities as the other bystander. The dynamics are completely different there. There would be a chair supreme in that setup which may or may not approve of the supremacy of the other chair!

Remember life is a vicious circle and at the end of a day one is surely going to be paid back in the same coin that one has spent.

A chair provides one with a certain set of powers but its the "respect" which one craves for dearly. But this craving cannot be satisfied with vicious actions. It's not something which  can be begged or asked for. It can neither be snatched nor be looted. A person gets only that much respect as much he spends on others. The one and only way to get respect is to give respect. In any other case one is surely going to be doomed.

So, one must use the set powers attached to his/her chair wisely and respectfully because,

हम ही हम हैं तो क्या हम हैं

तुम ही तुम हो तो क्या तुम हो !