Here comes.……Here and Now – The Blog!
I am very happy to announce the launch of ISABS Blog “Here and Now” today, 15 August 2024 on the momentous occasion of the 78th Independence Day of India. This new platform will create a dynamic space for exploring and deepening the understanding of human experiences and processes at many levels and currently unfolding in society.
My hearty and warm congratulations and heartfelt appreciation to Somali Gupta (Dean-Research & Publications) and her Blog team – Mukta Kamplikar, Lakshmi Raman (ISABS Professional Members) and Abhishek Chatterjee (Intern) – who dreamt up and developed this Blog space.
Indian Society for Applied Behaviour Science (ISABS) has been working to facilitate, foster and expand knowledge about human development, personal growth, relationship dynamics and organisational effectiveness pan-India, quietly and consistently, for more than fifty years. This has been made possible through the volunteering energies of its Professional Members, various programmes, consultancies, publications and seminars. ISABS is now stepping actively into the digital and social media world to make its work and expertise better known and accessible to society at large. We hope to serve the quest of all people who are keen to discover their inner world as well as the intricacies of human relationships and organisational dynamics.
I was reflecting on today, India’s Independence Day – what it symbolizes and the choice of this day for our Blog launch. What does Freedom really mean and how do we live it personally and in society? Our world is fast-evolving, becoming more complex, innovative, diverse and exploding with immediate information and services. A significant part of what is happening is the mind-boggling choices, increased diversity and stratification of society, jumping on the bandwagon of trends, brands and influencers seeking instant popularity. Regretfully, we are also seeing the unravelling of relationships, new ways of relating and working, frictions, intolerance and escalating of conflicts. This flux and pace also create a state of distress, being overwhelmed or trapped, pressured within. There is a sense of having limited or no freedom.
But the other underlying truth is what the Indian philosophers, spiritual leaders, existentialists and human behaviour experts the world over, have always maintained – that the human being and/or the soul is innately free – free to create one’s own meaning in life, free to choose how to be. But most people do not recognise this truth of human existence; or they get frightened and overwhelmed by the responsibility for one’s life that accompanies freedom. At the same time, the environment, social norms and events around us shackle us and our responses to the world outside. So, how do we free ourselves from these inner and outer constraints, confusions? How do we recognise and celebrate the freedom that human existence inherently can make possible? How do we come to terms with the outer world around us? The striving and long struggle for recognizing, claiming, experiencing one’s personal freedom, is an inner striving and reminds us of the external struggle for freedom that those before us experienced.
Understanding the complexities of societal and human processes and living more fully, but mindfully are even more crucial than ever. Through this blog, we aim to share our perspectives, informative content, reflections on human experience, creative offerings and stimulating dialogues. I hope this blog will infuse fresh hope and positive energies in you, dear readers and the wider society so as to enable your meaningful connections with ISABS. Let us together work to enhance personal and professional growth amongst human beings.
Jasmeet Kaur
President – ISABS
The message is powerful and stirring.
I especially liked Paras 4 and 5.
People that seek instant popularity which in fact is the quest for instant gratification are a reality around us in today’s fast-changing world.
Such people do not allow the process to run its course in building stable relationships with mutual trust as its bedrock.
They brand stability as stuckness. Hence the breakdown of many relationships and friendships.
The other reality, as aptly brought out by you, is that while everyone cherishes personal freedom, most shy away from the responsibility that goes with making choices, and when failure stares them in the face, often blame others/outside factors for their plight.
Of course, while we know there are no easy answers to these dilemmas, the blog with its creativity and visual appeal is bound to endear itself to all the readers, at the same time triggering serious and deep introspection.
I am extremely happy at this initiative and am very hopeful that it will disseminate awareness about human processes beyond specialists.
I wish that word about this blog spreads far and wide.
Best wishes to the team.
Kudos
..this is indeed a milestone. Cheers to all!