18032019 A child without the pronouns - ALL - The Hindu
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A child without the pronouns
MARCH 17 2019 0000 ISTUPDATED MARCH 17 2019 0336 IST
Ravindra Kumar Anand
Is this the big piece of wisdom
She is all of two years old She started speaking pretty late but now that she does she isunstoppable We named her Taneesha but she prefers to call herself by the shortenedversion mdash Tanna ldquoTanna will go with Papardquo ldquoPapa pick up Tannardquo Itrsquos always Tanna thisand Tanna that Her constant babble enthrals us and energises us making us want moreand more
Suddenly I realise that a great part of the charm of her speech is that mdash she knows nopronouns ldquoTanna will go with Papardquo is a lot more appealing than ldquoI will gordquo It may soundnaiumlve to a learned psychologist but to me it is like the Buddharsquos awakening Putting innames instead of pronouns colours the sentences makes them more alive And maybetakes away a bit of the ego which is associated with ldquoIrdquo mdash a bit of separation associated withldquoYourdquo
So my mind turns to more serious thoughts Was the invention of pronouns the beginningof the human ego Speaking is they say acting verbally Action is just effecting what wespeak So could speaking of ldquoIrdquo and ldquoYourdquo have started the conflicts which resulted in realactions And could the notions of first second and third persons in grammar could havebeen the beginning of division of society
In the Bhagwad Gita Krishna says the wise man acts as if it is some other person who is
acting and he himself is just a witness ( drishta ) What better way to implement thissagacious principle than eliminating pronouns When I say ldquoRavi is hurtrdquo it does not hurt asmuch as ldquoI am hurtrdquo Detachment begins the moment you do away with pronouns
Is this why children are the closest to God Saptarishi had asked for the boon of alwaysstaying five years of age Were they afraid of pronouns Is it the great ldquoDa Vinci Coderdquo whichall philosophers are hiding behind all the verbose evasive answers
I explain my ldquotheoryrdquo to my wife and propose that we experiment with it ldquoAsham will goshopping with Ravi How does that soundrdquo I ask offering a subtle bribe
18032019 A child without the pronouns - ALL - The Hindu
httpswwwthehinducomtodays-papertp-featurestp-openpagea-child-without-the-pronounsarticle26557910ece 23
ldquoDonrsquot be childishrdquo she says mdash bringing the issue to a swift conclusion then and there
ravindraanandyahoocoin
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18032019 A child without the pronouns - ALL - The Hindu
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18032019 A child without the pronouns - ALL - The Hindu
httpswwwthehinducomtodays-papertp-featurestp-openpagea-child-without-the-pronounsarticle26557910ece 23
ldquoDonrsquot be childishrdquo she says mdash bringing the issue to a swift conclusion then and there
ravindraanandyahoocoin
INDIRA A LIFE OF COURAGEINDIRA GANDHI MEMORIAL TRUSTPAPERBACK
Rs 49600 (details + delivery)
The Hindu
The promise of a sunset mdash and a sunriseThere are ways to overcome the empty nest syndrome and offset the inevitable loneliness it brings
Easyvoyage | Sponsored
These 30 women are the most beautiful in the world
18032019 A child without the pronouns - ALL - The Hindu
httpswwwthehinducomtodays-papertp-featurestp-openpagea-child-without-the-pronounsarticle26557910ece 33
Hale N Hearty | Sponsored
Flight Attendants Reveal Secrets That Will Blow Your Mind
Harley-Davidson India | Sponsored
Flintobox | Sponsored
An Epic Ride on a Harley That You Wouldnt Want to Miss
If you have a 2-12 year old child you must know this
Amity University Online | Sponsored
PGD in Digital Marketing from Amity amp Certificate from Wharton Online EnrolNow
The Hindu
The Hindu
Daddies and those household chores and tasks
Over a cup of coffee
Amity University Online | Sponsored
11 Month PG Diploma in Business Analytics amp Intelligence
18032019 A child without the pronouns - ALL - The Hindu
httpswwwthehinducomtodays-papertp-featurestp-openpagea-child-without-the-pronounsarticle26557910ece 33
Hale N Hearty | Sponsored
Flight Attendants Reveal Secrets That Will Blow Your Mind
Harley-Davidson India | Sponsored
Flintobox | Sponsored
An Epic Ride on a Harley That You Wouldnt Want to Miss
If you have a 2-12 year old child you must know this
Amity University Online | Sponsored
PGD in Digital Marketing from Amity amp Certificate from Wharton Online EnrolNow
The Hindu
The Hindu
Daddies and those household chores and tasks
Over a cup of coffee
Amity University Online | Sponsored
11 Month PG Diploma in Business Analytics amp Intelligence