“Peccavi”

When Sir Charles Napier conquered Sindh in 1843, his victory message to the Governor General, Lord Dalhousie, bore the single word, Peccavi.

A strange message indeed, considering that there had been no prior understanding between the military officer and the Governor General as to what this word was supposed to imply. But the Governor General was not at a loss even for a moment. He recognized the word as a Latin expression meaning “I have sinned”, and immediately gathered that Napier had conquered Sindh.

Although this message may have been so worded more in order to be facetious than to keep the information secret, it illustrates how necessary it is for there to be capable and quick-thinking people in charge of affairs whenever a situation calls for delicacy and finesse. It is not always that a communication can be explicit to the point of being blunt, and it is very often essential to be able to read between the lines. This calls for great alertness, a sharpening of the intelligence and, above all, the widest possible education.

One of the realities of life is that everything cannot be immediately made explicit. There are many things which have to be surmised without their being explained. Those who have the capability to learn such a lesson are the ones, who engage in worthwhile tasks. Those who are lacking in this capability will only indulge in irrelevant activities and then when they see that there is no result of their activities, they will blame others for it, bear grudges and make complaints against others.

The most fortunate person in this world is one who has such colleagues or friends who know the language of silence, who will hear unspoken words and who will sense the meaning of unspoken words. Only those who read between the lines and learn from this can be successful in this world.