Let’s turn our choices into abilities this new year!
By: Dr. Satyawan Saurabh
The choice made by an individual is about the decision-making capacity that lies deep within him, while the capacity he possesses at any point in time describes the skills and expertise he has acquired through the process of his development. Have done It is one’s choice that can decide one’s abilities but one’s ability sometimes can decide one’s choice or not. Once the choice is made from one’s mind and heart it is ultimately reflected in one’s capabilities and one’s decision-making. The response to any situation is a perfect example of a choice and its consequence. No one is born into this world with exemplary abilities. But choosing a particular subject, working hard on it by choice, competing and defeating others in this subject and so it is all about choosing that one general subject or element and transferring it to your potential.
Ability is open Often described as the speed and method of accuracy to do or complete a task better and faster and more accurately than others. A person may or may not be born with any ability but can gradually acquire any ability if he/she wants to do so by putting in all the effort and time required to acquire that ability. From the advent of life on Earth, styles and species were given from birth with a variety of abilities. General ‘Leo’ could run fast and quickly crush the prey into pieces with sharp teeth, flexible spine, sharp eyes, and ears, and quick reflexes i.e. all the qualities indispensable to being the king of the jungle. Similarly, there were other genres as well.
But what made Homo sapiens the ruler of this earth despite lacking the above-mentioned physical attributes required to survive in the wild? It was a choice made by Homo sapiens from time to time during the process of their evolution from the sharpening of tools, making of fire, becoming the hunter of food to agriculturist or all together we can say that cognitive revolution (knowledge of mind and brain) use) the agricultural revolution and finally the industrial revolution the results of the choices and decisions made by all species called “sapiens” from time to time efforts made them ultimately the rulers of this world. Sapiens used their brains rather than their physical abilities a single option to develop the self.
The choices made by an individual explore, polish, and decide the applicability of abilities. It was Arjuna’s (Mahabharata) choice to focus only on the target i.e. the bird’s eye and ignore the rest of the scene, which made him the most accomplished in the field of archery from his other fellow competitors. The non-violent struggle adopted by Mahatma Gandhi against the racism being practiced by the European rulers in South Africa and against the atrocities on the Indians by the British, which later won overall based on these choices and such capabilities. At the social level, it is again the choice that shaped the world history of human beings. The French Revolution had its origins in choices such as liberty, equality, and fraternity (these are choices but not capabilities). The Russian Revolution arose out of the ideas of class struggle and exploitation inspired by Karl Marx. While the Indian Revolution had its roots in the rise of nationalism. The development of nationalism is a choice and not a merit.
All major events in world history such as imperialism and colonialism, the industrial revolution, the First and Second World Wars (choice to prove the superiority of one race over another), and the interdependence of economies as a result of globalization, a single global economy of the world economy Rapid changes are all the result of choices operating at different levels and at different times. Currently, the pandemic of coronavirus covid demonstrates how wrong choices (eg USA, Italy, Spain) once lead to inefficiencies and when choices are made in time (eg India), can turn into abilities.
Where abilities are to be developed, gained, or lost, the choice is there. Capabilities are only the product of choices made by one and therefore once capabilities ultimately reflect one’s choices whereas one’s choices may or may not reflect one’s abilities. Capability may keep you in a place but it is ultimately the choice of someone in the background that governs the decision-making for an individual, society, community, or nation-state while in that place. It is our choices that show who we are. Let’s turn our choices into abilities in the new year.
The writer is research scholar, poet, freelance journalist and columnist, All India Radio and TV panellist.
