Personalities--2 : Haughty ? Singh

This post is about Happy's younger brother Haughty.He is at the peak of his career,a super duper high achiever under fifty.He is married to an heiress who too,is at the top rung of her career.They have two children and all the requirements of a blissful life.Success of this magnitude does ensure happiness doesn't it ?

But he did not look happy to me.He was pre-occupied,reserved and disconnected.He barely uttered a word-perhaps some syllables in greeting-that's all.Was he shy?Did he lack inter-personal skills?Not likely.Because without the requisite social graces it is difficult to reach the top.Physically too he was distinctly over weight,not at all fit or supple.

What could be the reason behind this gamut of characteristics?Disinterest,apathy,disease,angst or simple arrogance?I cannot pinpoint the cause because i do not know him well enough.I had attended a party hosted by him a few years ago,then also things were not much different.I am just stating what i observed.

But this set me thinking that going by the general belief that success and affluence breed happiness Haughty did not fit the bill.It struck me that there can be a down-side to success too (which is going to be the theme of a future post).Coming back to the matter at hand; he looked so off-key,that seeing the two brothers together and knowing that one of them had lost his job,all would have unhesitatingly ascribed this to Haughty.

We slog hard to achieve success but amid all this toil happiness  sometimes slips away by the road-side.It requires a lot of sagacity and determination to retrace steps and grasp it,but those who attempt,could find a new meaning to life.

Personalities--1: Happy Sing

Personalities --we come across so many every day.Of various hues and dimensions.This is such an ambiguous feature that despite the psychologists' categorizations like Introvert,Extrovert,Neurotic,Psychotic,Perfectionist etc. it is hard to fix someone in a definite slot.On the other hand it is interesting to mull over the various types that we comes across.So here goes my attempt to share one with you.

Yesterday we had gone to look up a family friend who had fractured her hip joint and was admitted in a nursing home, which was only ten minutes'walk from our house.As is the case with most couples our age,this one also lived alone.Their two sons were located in different cities.We were greeted by her elder son Happy outside her room and he introduced us to his younger brother Haughty.

We went in to see her and her sons also followed us in.After we had asked about her well-being, other chit-chat followed.A word about Happy-he was quite many years senior to our son in school.Every year on the Annual Day function he used to win many prizes because he was a good all rounder.Then he qualified and went to his job and we used to hear from his parents that he was doing very well, though we never had the chance to get to know him well.A few years back as recession started we guess that he was retrenched because he began taking up random jobs which were inferior to what he had till now been doing.

But his whole demeanor gave no hint that he had suffered this misfortune.He was smiling and courteous,participating in the conversation and asking about our welfare.Physically too,he had maintained himself well.We were both impressed by his behavior.

As we took our leave he told us that he will visit us when his mother is discharged from the nursing home.

Happy reinforced my conviction that one can choose to be happy even during lean periods.Circumstances do impact us favorably or unfavorably,but ultimately it is our response to them which makes us miserable or hopeful.It pays to cultivate a balanced outlook on life and keep other options open.Of course the presence of a viable support system makes it easy to tide over difficult times.

I wonder what you think about this.Is it easy to put a smiling face on testing circumstances?Does it come from one's innate personality--call it genes if you will--or can any one mobilize himself to overcome frustration smilingly?A lot of our happiness or misery is concealed in the answers to these questions.Your views on this are welcome.

Next I shall tell you about Haughty Singh.
The image is courtesy google.

Stark Reality

Dissolved in the waters,

Dispersed in air,

Your beloved presence,

Though everywhere,

Is now nowhere.