Monday, June 07, 2004

What is it that makes some people tick? Why do I wish that the ticking for some people could be attributed to a stopwatch wired to a stick of dynamite taped to their backside? It's funny how many people love being told what they are like, or being 'mind read'. Perhaps it's this mania for observation that drives reality TV and similar stuff. An old way, but still effective, of getting to know people-read up on topics like astrology, body language, handwriting recognition and use these skills during conversations.
One needn't be absolutely accurate in these predictions, even a general remark about someone being 'like a Virgo' elicits immediate interest.
Apart from the social angle, what I enjoy about these things is the sense of power it bestows. Mao Zedong once said that power is the ultimate aphrodisiac. Beats spanish fly anyway.
In India, we appear to have a cultural fascination with soothsayers and the future. All 'arranged' Indian marriages occur only after that great ritual of 'horrorscope matching' , which often results in more post nuptial horrors than anything else.
Some of our politicians , even famous generals of the past, have never proceeded on any important mission without checking the alignment of stars, or setting an 'auspicious time'.
Crystal ball gazing therefore, comes as a natural interest for us.
So where was I? Yes-making people tick. Yeah. Tell em what they want to hear and they'll listen for hours.
Actually, come to think of it, if you get to be good at it, it can also help hazard a guess about how people will react, or behave. So, by that token, not all Leos you meet would be haughty, nor all Geminis two faced, but it pays to keep that at the back of one's mind...
(Leos and Geminis reading this post, no offence)

Note to self: Late afternoon on a full stomach isn't a good time for blogging.