There were a few visitors at work today. From an NGO.
Ours is a small office, less than ten of us in all. And we do work fit for at least 25 on a bad day. We have no receptionist.
These NGO girls walked in as if they owned the building. You could detect the smugness in their tone, in the way they asked 'who's in charge here?'
Of late, we are swamped with work. The clients are unyielding and stupid, making our job doubly difficult. We did not pay attention to those kids and carried on with our work.
Someone asked them who they were, and they told that they work for an NGO which helps underprivileged cancer patients.
They went on to add how irresponsible and stonehearted the world is, and why we should donate to their cause.
The way they said it made one of my colleagues lose it. He said, "whatever, madams, but you cant just walk in and ask us to something we don't even know."
The girls, still holding on to their smug attitude, said how patients were dying and they have no time to waste. Felt as if they implied that we were wasting ours.
Our guy: "Whatever it is, you can't just barge in like this! what if I come to your NGO and start talking about some dance party, and imply that you are wasting your time? We are working here, we are busy, and we want to help you - but no one likes being told what to do! Just because your work saves lives and ours doesn't, you can't just think that you are superior to us."
Girls went quiet.
We donated every last rupee we had in our pockets, but I started thinking about the attitude we were subjected to. We ignore it most of the times it happens, but some way or the other, most of us feel we are superior to others in some way and tend to belittle their efforts, lifestyle and choices, even if it is just to ourselves.
And this need to get everything done faster makes us neglect important factors, like concern about others in this case. As far as I know, this holier than thou attitude has brought many a kingdom down.
How can a human being expect to succeed with such an attitude?
2 comments:
I am reminded of Catherine in Fountainhead... Towards the end of the story she becomes "charity oriented"... :)
Ah, the Fountainhead. That book made me feel evil. I hated her philosophies, Was at loggerheads with my principles - yet couldn't put it down.
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