Tag Archive For "Philosophy"
in Office Tales
How I Respectfully Dealt with the Toughest Narcissistic Colleague in Office?
Tough people teach you the most. Here is a real example! That one fine day, I literally had my head lying down on the desk with tears inching out of my eyes. It all began like a slow burning fuse. At first, his behavior seemed harmless — a boast here, a self-centered anecdote there. However, as time passed, …
Can You Write an Article With 0 Views? — I did and it was the Best Lesson in Writing!!!
All those promising to teach you how to become a Medium Superstar writer, give them a break and follow my advice. Photo by Jeremy Perkins on Unsplash Alright, let’s get real for a moment. Ever poured your heart into what you believed was your masterpiece of an article, only to be hit with crickets in the view …
My Three Female Managers — and A Shocking Revelation in the Gender Equality Debate
100% Torture! That’s the Only Way I Can Describe Those 45 Minutes! A young female manager leading a board room meeting. Source — Image created by author using MidJourney She thrashed me, sending all the corporate values of respect, tolerance, etc. down the gutter I was presenting a change in the project plan and she was one of the …
A Trial in Heaven: Rich vs. Poor
A Moral Dilemma Should we establish different moral compasses for the advantaged and the disadvantaged? Heavenly Congress is in session The Heavenly Congress had convened once again, setting the stage for an intriguing debate. All the angels had gathered, and the assembly was presided over by the founders of the moral code for humanity. Today, the Heavenly …
My Lovely Loose Pyjama — and a Happy Life Story 😄!
Pants vs Pyjama — What’s your take? Photo by Євгенія Височина on Unsplash — Original Image cropped by the Author What was once a flat stomach is now metamorphosing into a protruding under belly.Like may of us, my unhealthy corporate lifestyle coupled with busy city living is having a toll on my health. After all, who has time to prioritize their …
What I learnt from a falling leaf? — and My tribute to Jane Marczewski a.k.a.‘Nightbirdie’
Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash My Daily Ritual I have a daily ritual that I follow without fail. To cleanse myself of all the unnecessary irrelevant information I keep on soaking throughout the day — I go for an evening walk. Sometimes it is long, often it is very long. I have a super power of walking for …
Planning to have a “Sugar Baby”? You Might Want to Read This!
Are we headed in a direction where every relationship is becoming more and more transactional? A relationship where we happily exchange ‘Love’ for everything materialistic? Maybe Yes! Table of Content A surprisingly genuine use case for “TikTok”How TikTok helped me identify a “Sugar Couple”What is Sugar Dating?4 Observations w.r.t. Sugar relationships — I. The rules are pretty simple — II. The …
I Laid Off My Entire Team of 40 People — This was my Final Message to Them!
Often life amazes me as to how quickly things can turnaround in completely opposite direction. Photo by James Healy on Unsplash Imagine enjoying a bright sunny morning, and a thunderstorm arrives in no time. This is exactly what happened with us. We were quite literally building something as magnanimous as a spaceship — with a a total workforce …
7 Key Learnings From Staying in a Beautiful Countryside for a Month
Photo by Federico Respini on Unsplash At some point in our life, we will inevitably reach a stage where we do not want anymore money, fame, power or even love. We may have a few desires left within ourselves, but our mind is so fatigued from all the life hustles that it has no strength left …
A Tale of Two Office Emails — and an Important Life Lesson!
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash To be honest, I did not have a great personal relationship with him, and he was just my senior colleague in office. He was 50, and I was 30 — safe to say there was nothing common between us. He was a native of South Asian community, and had been working in …
When I asked God, “Why my Medium articles don’t do well?” 😃
God Himself came to my dream and I asked him this stupid question! (#4 of 10) Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash God always fulfils his promise. And as He promised, He came to my dream for a fourth time for me to ask yet another question. Our conversations so far have been very enlightening and …
When a Small Kid Witnesses Death for the First Time!
The conversation is more reflective and strange then you would expect it to be! Photo by Johan Mouchet on Unsplash — Original image cropped by the author It was May 2007, and I received the information that my maternal grandfather had just died after a long-standing battle with lung cancer. For his death ceremony and last prayers, the entire …
The easiest way to find fault in others 😃
Two stories centuries apart — one in 13th century and the other in 2023 — but with the same moral. I guess, the world is not progressing the way we think it to be! Photo by Artur Voznenko on Unsplash And the rant was on! Sometimes I wonder if managers often have this superpower to just shout at someone and then don’t …
The Child in You Never Grows Up! Here’s the proof!
A tale of two heartbreaks — one from a 6 year old child and the other from an early 20s adult . Both have one thing in common! Photo by Elisabeth Arnold on Unsplash — Original photo cropped by the author Someone once asked me, “What is the one thing that you regret most losing in your life?”.I thought for some time …
Does Your Article also have 0 Views ?— This is the Reason
When The Silent Monk asks for feedback from 6 Medium Top writers 😃 Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash The Silent Monk has always been stupid but has never been stupider. When he got tired of building engineering products for a prestigious ‘Fortune 5’ company, he thought he could use his artistic skills and try his hand at …
“Monk! Those who don’t get married, lose out on this!”
Photo by Євгенія Височина on Unsplash There is a very sweet lady in my office — half American half Chinese, close to 55 years of age, happily married, has a son and daughter — both grown up, staying far from home, and building their respective lives. She works as an administrative support staff and sits just next to me. Lets …
What Makes You Believe That Age Is the Only Parameter That Indicates You Are Growing Up?
Sharing with you 6 moments that indicate you are growing up 😃 Photo by Rod Long on Unsplash 👉 I. The moment when you begin to own your mistakes and have learned to say sorry for them. 👉II. The moment when you decided to stay silent in the moment of anger. We have learned that a moment …
God Himself came to my dream and I asked him this stupid question! (#2 of 10)
“Am I going to Hell?” Photo of a ship sailing along through the air by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash God always fulfils his promise. And as He promised, He came to my dream for me to ask yet another stupid question. I bowed before him, and asked this question — “Dear God, am I going to hell?” I …
My brief conversation with “Grief” — and it offered me so much in return
Photo by Külli Kittus on Unsplash A serene beach, a beautiful sunset and a silent monk — these three are meeting pretty often these days. It was one of those tough moments and I was harboring a lot of pain within myself. All the pain that was itching to come out but to no effect. My mind was …
Take a moment and count your blessings!
Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash The irony of our life is we often don’t get to realize the value of what we have, until we lose it. Sharing below some of the most valuable things in our life — which we never realize: 👉 I. Were you able to get up today and see the beautiful …
God Himself came to my dream and I asked him this stupid question! (#1 of 10)
“Why do you give me so much grief?” Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash God himself came to my dream! I bowed before him, and asked this very stupid question— “Why do you give me so much grief?”. God, with his ever glowing face and an ever radiant smile, replied in the most soothing words: My dearest Monk, …
Asking the right question is the answer! Wait what!
We are all seeking answers, but are we seeking answers to the right questions? Maybe not! Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash — Cropped by Author I remember during my secondary school we used to have comprehension based questions where a big essay would be given and we would have to find answers based upon the essay. When I …
A strange old man, myself and an important life lesson
Photo by Madison Oren on Unsplash February 2022 and the world was still recovering from Covid. International travel was gradually re-opening and I was on a work visit to New Delhi. For those who have not visited India — I would only say that if you do not get intimidated by lots and lots of people everywhere, this …
An ode to office toilet breaks 😄— 4 reasons why I love them & you should too
What I do during my toilet breaks is one of the two reasons I love going to office. The hefty paycheck is the second! Photo by Katie Moum on Unsplash The toilet breaks and myself — we have been together since eternity. Safe to say that our relationship has stood the test of time! Primary school, college, internships, corporates — we …
Are introverts born or forced into solitude by the society?
There are two types of introverts — the first ones are the born introverts, and the second ones are the forced introverts. We need to identify people who are subjecting themselves to forced introversion and help them. Photo by Amelia Wahyuningtias on Unsplash I am an introvert of the highest order, and I totally love it. I can …
3 types of love seekers—Which one are you?
Aren’t we always seeking something? Photo by Oziel Gómez on Unsplash We are constantly in a search — be it the search for love, the search for money, the search of spiritual enlightenment, or the search for solution to a problem we are facing. Everyone is seeking something, but what they seek varies from one human being to …
O dear ladies! How do you even think of body waxing 😧?
My excruciating “hell” like personal experience of body waxing Photo by James Lee on Unsplash Do you know that the devil himself appears before all the men when they go for body waxing? I have always been intrigued by the idea of body waxing, and wondered how a perfectly smooth hair-free skin would feel like. Yet, there were …
We are nothing but the stories we choose to ignore!
Photo by Maegan Martin on Unsplash We open the New York Times and there are two stories — one about children suffering from malnutrition in Sierra Leone and the other about latest gossip from The Kardashians! Which is the story that you choose to ignore? One of my very dear friends Janet Goh mentioned in her comments that …
The Monk goes to a beer party 😃 and …
Based upon a real incident with good old Silent Monk analogies!!! Photo by Jade Masri on Unsplash All that I have ever seen in life — I had seen in that beer party itself! I could not help but wonder “If life itself is a big beer party” or “a beer party a miniature version of life itself”. …
The biggest problem of our life is ….
Photo by Paola Chaaya on Unsplash It was a horrible day at office — one of those days when accusations and finger pointing was in session. I had an immensely draining conversation with my senior colleague, and apparently everything seemed to be my fault. Whatever you say is held against you. You try to reason but just end …
My conversation with “Time” — and 4 “critical” life lessons I learnt from him
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash There I was happily traversing the path of life — celebrating the ups and somehow negotiating the downs. Life has been kind, but tiring! I never knew that, at times, living a life itself is so much work. Suddenly, I realized someone has been walking alongside me — since the very first day, and …
All the Good Men! Why don’t you comment on my articles 😲!
Am I a Women’s only writer? Photo by Matheus Ferrero on Unsplash I had a very strange observation, which quite surprised me, but eventually made me laugh a lot! And it all started when my dear friend Denis Gorbunov left a response on my article. Denis wondered if I was a lady 😃!! Refer below snapshot from …
The fox & the grapes — and the New Year Resolutioners
Retelling of the famous Aesop’s fable Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash The fox wanted the grapes. He tried for it but could not reach there. Eventually, he said, “The grapes are sour. I never wanted them anyway!” A fox came across the profile of Veronica Llorca-Smith 💎and was immediately super impressed by her persona. For those …
2 simple ways to navigate the high tides and low tides of life
Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash I was sitting on the beach — watching the waves rush to the surface and eventually sail back. It was the low tide period and the waves were quiet. They would silently come to the shore, not going too far, retrace — only to strike back again. It had been hours and the waves …
How I am imbibing gratitude in my life — with one very simple act!
Photo by Jackson David on Unsplash It was a small road without any zebra crossing or traffic lights. The big and small cars were rushing by, and it had been almost a minute since I was trying to cross the road. Suddenly, a car came and stopped right before me — the driver hinted at me to cross …
Newton’s three laws of life
An analogy between Newton’s three laws of motion and life 😃 Photo by Andrew George on Unsplash I was refreshing my memory with Newton’s three laws of motion, but suddenly my mind began to wander. It started to ponder upon whether I was reading the three laws of motion or the three laws of life. I. Newton’s …
The amazing power of foolish thinking 😃
Photo by Dayne Topkin on Unsplash I paint three scenarios for you, and am sure that at least one will strike a cord with you. Scenario I “You have been writing on Medium and you eventually cross a million followers! You are absolutely elated about it. Tony Stubblebine personally calls you and congratulates you on the …
F.R.I.E.N.D.S — 6 life lessons from our 6 favorite characters
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108778/mediaviewer/rm3080745728/ Most sitcoms end with our dinner table conversations while others end with our breakfast the next day. But a very few become integral to our life long conversations, and these are the ones that have actually touched our hearts. It is not because of the laughter or the drama or the plot, but because …
I asked 30 people “How are you?” everyday for 6 months—and this is what I learnt about life!
Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash Every single day, before starting a conversation, I would ask the other person “How are you?”, and I did this repeatedly for 6 months with a group of more than 30 people!!! Trust me, it has been a fun exercise!!! I did this very mundane tweak in my day-to-day conversation …
6 types of smiles — 5 to follow one to avoid😇
Photo by Larm Rmah on Unsplash Someone once told me that a smiling face is a beautiful face. Now when I think about it, I could not agree more. Whatever you might be wearing, if you have a smile on your face, it is beautiful. Still don’t agree, go in front of a mirror and smile — you …
‘996’ and ‘Karoshi’: If you don’t know these two words—you are living a better life
Photo by Luis Villasmil on Unsplash A devil and an imp are in a discussion. They are pondering about all the good things God has created, and how they can make life difficult for mankind on Earth. After much deliberation, the devil said, “Overburden them with work such that they fail to appreciate the beauty of …
This happens when birds fly away from their parents nest
Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash It was the most beautiful aisle set up amidst the most beautiful skies. And why should it not be this way — the most beautiful daughter of a beautiful family was getting married that day. As Destiny had planned, the princess had found a perfect match, and things could not be better. …
Why you should design your own prayers? 5 simple ways to do this!
Photo by Carlos Magno on Unsplash My mother starts her day with a prayer, ends it with a prayer, prays for endless hours in between — and keeps enforcing her prayers on all the members of the family. I guess most mothers are like this. On the other hand, I occasionally see my father in prayer. I guess …
These ants know what we human beings do not — 4 life lessons from ants to humans
Photo by Greg Rosenke on Unsplash Just yesterday, I saw a very long trail of ants —one behind the other, marching like a well trained army, transporting small pieces of grains to their anthill. Hundreds and hundreds of them, yet there was a rhythm in their approach and a discipline to their activity. I could not …
One donkey’s superpower which I would love to have — The subtle art of listening
“Master Donkey, how do I learn the art of listening?” Photo by saeed karimi on Unsplash I bowed before the donkey, and said: “Master Donkey! I desperately seek your help. I look around and I only hear noise. I have come to realize that everyone in this world is always shouting or whining about their problems. Why …
What a dying lover wished on her death bed — the cutest little love story
“Sooner or later, I shall depart, and I shall do that with a smile. But before that, I have a last desire. I want to taste the Golden Cheese.” Photo by Everton Vila on Unsplash Mixie, the little doe (female mouse) was on her death bed with her husband Maxie by her side. Both had spent …
Would you marry for a pail of water? Maybe once, and twice, and then again for a third time!
How far will you go to fetch water? A tale of two women from across the globe Photo by Gyan Shahane on Unsplash Tale # 1 — Aysha from Ethiopia It is 6 AM in the morning, and the sun is not out yet. But 13 year old Aysha has already woken up. She picks up three jerry cans, ties …
A new fashion trend is rocking the town, and it is highly contagious! #StrictlyNotForWomen
Original Photo by Irgi Nur Fadil on Unsplash. Edited and cropped by Author. Just have a look at that! The gorgeous, trendy, latest clothing accessory — that sits perfectly under the nose, and covers your chin and neck. Exactly the clothing piece men needed so desperately to up their fashion game. Not properly shaved — not a problem.Have got pimples …
The shit just hit the fan — 3 fullproof ways to deal with raining shit
(#1 is supremely important) Photo by Osman Rana on Unsplash Imagine you are sitting in your living room with your family, watching a light hearted Netflix comedy series, and ruminating on all things positive in your life. Positive vibes only. A good day cannot get any better. But wait, suddenly you see a huge cloud of …
I was walking naked and I want to talk about it!!!
Photo by Velizar Ivanov on Unsplash A few nights ago, I had a very weird dream, in which I found myself in a prison. Surprisingly, I was not a prisoner, but one of the prison wardens. What was more shocking to me that my manager was also the Chief warden there! And, I was more scared …
How I am learning to tame jealousy with 3 very simple ways?
My conversation with a Buddhist Monk Photo by Nicolas Häns on Unsplash Often a lot of questions arise within our minds, and we continue to seek answers for them. Sometime I feel that is the sole purpose of our existence i.e. to find answers for all the questions arising within our mind and soul. Some seek guidance …
A shockingly true story — When a cat became the ruler of a birds kingdom 😲
Note to readers — Read it once and then read it again😃. Pun intended Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash There was once a very beautiful birds kingdom, blue in color, with more than a billion birds residing in the same. The kingdom was a happy place —free speech was promoted, and everyone was allowed to speak their minds. …
When a passing glance at a stranger’s WhatsApp left me emotionally disturbed!
A letter to Death Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash Dear Death, Yesterday, I was travelling in a public transport bus, and there was an elderly person sitting next to me. He must be more than 70 years old, a walking stick in his hand, wrinkled skin and his body showing all the signs of ageing. …
How a donkey won an argument 😃 — one very simple way to prove your worth
Photo by Florian GIORGIO on Unsplash Once upon a time in a farm, there lived only two animal species — donkeys and horses. The donkeys would do all the donkey work in the farm — sowing the seeds, watering the crop, cutting the hay, hence carrying all the baggage of farm (both literally and metaphorically). Yet they received the least …
One very simple way to deal with unnecessary criticism — a dog and an elephant story
Photo by Dwinanda Nurhanif Mujito on Unsplash Once upon a time, in a kingdom far far away, there was a king who decided to honor all the elephants in his kingdom. The king said, “Elephants are the strongest and yet do not hurt anyone. They always try to help other animals and save the jungle. They …
What a $40-daily wage worker taught a $200,000 salaried corporate employee?
Note for readers — Based upon an actual conversation Photo by Arron Choi on Unsplash My job often requires me to travel, and this gives me an opportunity to interact with people from all walks of life. During one of my assignments, I happened to visit an engineering plant in South East Asia. After my discussion with the …
A tortoise and a hare decide to race (write) on Medium 😄
A modern day retelling of the famous Aesop’s fable Photo by Glen Rushton on Unsplash One fine afternoon, when the hare and the tortoise were resting under a tree, the hare made a claim that he is a better writer than the tortoise. The tortoise, always very calm and composed, was not agitated — but very politely refused to …
What if I was born as a Bill Gate’s heir, and not a common man 😑
Photo by Janne Simoes on Unsplash I. Scenario A:A thought often crosses my mind when I read about children of the richest people in the world — the Gates, the Musks, the Bezos, the Adanis and the Ambanis. What if I was a heir to a Billion dollar empire? How different would then life be? How they wake …
My amazing reflections👼 from compiling an “Ingratitude Log” for my friends
Compilation of a gratitude and ingratitude log of my office colleagues and close friends Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash Pick up any self help book, it will ask you to compile a gratitude log, and rightly so. A gratitude log allows us to reflect on what the life has offered to us. I personally …
My 6 life thoughts while pooping 😃
Note to readers — No uncomfortable content. Just good old Silent Monk philosophy. Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash It is that time of the day again — which brings a smile on our face. The beautiful sound of 3 Plops — “Plop!, Plop!, Plop!” — makes rest of the day all the more beautiful. Some do it in the mornings in the comfort …
How condom was invented — and 3 important lessons it teaches us about mankind
Note for readers — No obscene content. Just good old Silent Monk Philosophy! A thinking monkey — Photo by Juan Rumimpunu on Unsplash A. Folklore explaining the first usage of condom There is a very strange folklore associated with the first ever usage of condom. It is said that there was a Greek king, King Minos who would ejaculate “serpents and …
3 characteristics of “Hope” to always remain hopeful
I met someone called “Hope”, and life has been beautiful ever since!!! Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash I had a dream where I found myself sitting in the middle of a long tunnel — there was darkness everywhere. I did not know where I was, and which way I had to go — heartbroken, lost and directionless. I did not …
How I joined my broken self, and came out beautifully — the Japanese art of Kintsugi
Photo by Riho Kitagawa on Unsplash Have you ever spent a day in the bed not wanting to get up and face the world? Or a feeling of remorse that everything in the universe is conspiring against us and that nothing is ever going to get better in our lives? We all have been broken sometimes, …
The subtle art of giving constructive feedback — My learnings from a humiliating experience in…
Photo by Redd on Unsplash I was once very badly lashed by my senior in the office, in front of my subordinates and many other colleagues. I immediately realized that he is making an ill-informed decision, and the actual reality is quite different. I tried to reason with him, but as is often the case — anger had …
A world where the people of color are the privileged race and the whites are the oppressed ones!!!
Photo by Tasha Jolley on Unsplash The United States of America — the land of the rich, the beautiful and the whites. The first ship of slaves arrived in the United States of America in 1619 and put on auction for slaves 20 healthiest and hard working men of color — the minority population that was considered somewhere between animals and …
Who created God and why it is such a good thing?
Photo by Pedro Lima on Unsplash During my childhood, I once met an old lady, and she explained to me how God came into existence. She very vividly explained that during olden times, philosophers used to think that who created this world, and each and everything within this world. Who is the creator of Sun, moon …
Economics of Happiness
Photo by MI PHAM on Unsplash What if I could tell you that you can go and buy happiness, trade it for any other thing that you desire, or keep it in a fixed deposit in a bank? The economics of happiness is not very well understood. But, how do you quantify something that is as …
A game of life viz-a-viz a game of chess
Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Unsplash “Life is a kind of Chess, in which we have often points to gain, and competitors or adversaries to contend with.” — Benjamin Franklin I just moved my pawn to the next block, and am waiting for my opponent to make a move. My mind is busy anticipating my opponents next move …
Letter to my future 60 year older self
Photo by Mykyta Martynenko on Unsplash Hello Silent Monk, I hope you are doing well, and your mind is at peace. This is yourself, but when you were 30 years old. As you are now embarking on your golden retirement age, I am glad that you are able to find some time for yourself (I hope …
What I learned from a cup of tea?
Photo by Rumman Amin on Unsplash My mornings have always been indebted to a good cup of tea. It wakes me up, energizes me, and strengthens me for all the hard battles I am about to embark upon during my day. As I sit down on a quiet Monday morning with a cup in my hand, …
- How I Respectfully Dealt with the Toughest Narcissistic Colleague in Office?
- Can You Write an Article With 0 Views? — I did and it was the Best Lesson in Writing!!!
- When I asked God, “How Can I Carry My Money with me after death😢?”
- My Three Female Managers — and A Shocking Revelation in the Gender Equality Debate
- Silent No More: How an Introvert Engineered the Art of Corporate Small Talk!