Atomic theory for judging human
behaviour by Dr Ernst Ijmar
Political philosopher Jeremy Bentham is the founding father
of Utilitarianism. Key principle of utilitarianism was that all actions, laws
and institutions must be judged by their utility in maximizing the greatest
happiness of the greatest number. The utilitarian principle which was
propounded in 1780 is still used for judging whether the actions, laws and
institutions are right or not. However, there are no methods to judge a human
being. Why we call some personalities great and some as bad? What tests can be
applied to judge greatness or otherwise. This is important because we meet lots
of people day in and day out. Knowing the method to judge a human being will
help in handling ourselves, our interpersonal relations and time better. Atomic
theory for judging human behavior helps in this endeavour.
All of us
know atomic structure. Atom has a nucleus in the center which has positive
ions, the protons. The nucleus is surrounded by the negative ions, the
electrons. Thus the center is positive and periphery is negative.
Applying the atomic theory to human
personality, the core personality can be considered as the nucleus and non-core
aspects as periphery. For great persons the core personality is strongly
positive. As the greatness increases the periphery gets thinner and thinner.
For bad or weak persons the periphery is thicker compared to the center. The
same is demonstrated below:
Next question is what is core
personality? It is the core beliefs and values of a person. What is positive
core personality? For understanding this it would be worthwhile to refer to the
concepts enunciated by Thomas Jefferson who authored the United States
Declaration of Independence in 1776. The second sentence of the declaration is considered one of
the most potent statements on human rights. The same is as under “We hold these
truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
These are very important principles which
define a person. Therefore, core personality can be considered positive if
someone believes and acts in conformity with the principles of equality,
liberty, humanity etc. Similarly, competence in one’s profession is also part
of core personality. If a doctor is good at his job, his core can be considered
as positive. Dressing, looks, colour of
the skin etc are non-core aspects of personality. Greed, selfishness, lack of
respect for human dignity etc make the core weak. Self preservation is a
natural instinct. Therefore, if someone takes care of his interest it is
absolutely normal. However, selfishness at the cost of harming fellow human
beings is abnormal and definitely a negative trait. At the same time, if
someone sacrifices his interest for the benefit of others he is great.
Dr B.R.Ambedkar and Nelson Mandela are great
because they sacrificed their lives for others. Besides, they are extremely
competent and believed in the core principles discussed above. Roger Federer is
great because of his professional excellence and so is Albert Einstein. Pullela Gopichand, Badminton coach is great because of his character (he turned down valuable offer of Coke to endorse their brand as he believed that coke is not good for health which speaks volumes about his character) and also for his professional excellence. Can we say the same thing about Sachin Tendulkar? As far as professional excellence is concerned, yes. Apropos his core behavioral principles, may be not. He got a gift of Ferrari abroad. He sought waiver of import duty of Rs.1.13 Crore though he was stinking rich at that time. When court intervened he sold the car to Surat businessman.
Adolf Hitler, though talented, is not considered great because of his weak core especially his lack of respect for humanity. One may be rich and powerful but may have a weak core. One may be poor but may have a strong core. Persons with strong core are more reliable and useful to the society. They are helpful to others.
Adolf Hitler, though talented, is not considered great because of his weak core especially his lack of respect for humanity. One may be rich and powerful but may have a weak core. One may be poor but may have a strong core. Persons with strong core are more reliable and useful to the society. They are helpful to others.
It may be noted that spouses normally interact
with the peripheral aspects of the personality. Therefore, wife of Einstein may
not recognise him as great. For her, he may look useless if he does not take
bath or fold the blanket. Similarly, husband may find a talented wife useless on as trivial an issue as not dressing up well for a party.
Though it is said that one should not be too
judgmental, this theory helps us in navigating life smoothly. It has multitude
of applications. Best is, we can avoid negative people. Besides, it helps in
assessing our subordinates, knowing your boss, knowing if one is your friend or
not, tolerance, better time management, understanding your spouse etc.,
