A DIFFERENCE

On August 15, 1995, I met Mr. Rajmohan Gandhi during a meeting in Delhi. He is the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and is now 60 years old. He shared that he once attended a conference in Japan. There, a Japanese delegate told him that for the past fifteen years, he had been participating in various conferences. He found that at any international conference where both Japanese and Indians were present, the chairperson always faced two difficulties:

1.         To encourage the shy Japanese to speak.

2.         To convince the Indian delegate to finish his speech.

A person with a serious demeanour, a desire to learn, and a passion for work will resemble the Japanese mentioned in the above statement. Such a person prefers listening over speaking because listening enhances their knowledge. Their focus is on their practical responsibilities, and someone who concentrates on these responsibilities tends to speak less. An active attitude naturally decreases the tendency to talk.

The other type of person is someone who lacks seriousness, has no desire to expand their knowledge, and avoids hard work. This individual resembles the Indian described in the aforementioned statement. Such a person is most interested in talking excessively because they are unaware that there are other things they need to learn. They will speak nonstop, feeling that by talking more, they can compensate for their lack of effort.

Talking a lot and doing little shows an unserious person, while talking less and doing more indicates a serious person.