Every coin has two sides, except an odd one like the one Jai (Amitabh Bachchan) used to trick his friend Veeru (Dharmendra) in the movie Sholay. Well there are many other examples used in day-to-day life to express two sides of many things. The most common and oft-quoted ones are: the two banks of a river, two iron rails for the railway-line, and the two wheels of a bi-cycle.
It is a fact that the two, forming a pair, cannot be separated from each other and the two are equal in all respects be it the size, the importance or any other facet. Yet things in real life are different where, quite often, we assign more value to one than the other. One factor that contributes to this is the proximity. Now when you are on the river-bank, obviously the bank on which you are standing is nearer to you and it appears more important and wider than the other one. Similarly when you are standing next to a wheel, it would appear to be the bigger than the one that is away from you. This is a perception, and could appear to be a reality, but it is far from the truth and you must never allow it to impair your judgment.
It is an irony of life that, more often than not, different values and hence importance is attached to the two sides of the same thing. The best example is the marital front where ‘husband and wife’ are considered to be the two wheels of the smooth running bi-cycle of the family life. However, in reality and in most parts of the country, the husband is considered superior to the wife. Except of course in jokes, where the wife is mimicked to be the dominating partner like the placard reading: ‘I am the boss of the house and I have my wife’s permission to say so!’
To arrive at the right conclusion however, one must look at both sides of the proverbial coin. Unless you see the other side, you should not form any opinion. In fact it is not possible to do so many times; e.g. consider a coin in your hand showing ‘heads.’ You can never tell with certainty whether it is one rupee or two rupee coin, unless you look at the other side since both one and two rupee coins can and in our Indian context, do exist in the same size!
Now, are there any reasons that can withstand the scrutiny of logic of the two sides having different values? Well, personally I don’t think so, nor do a lot of people with whom I have often discussed this paradox! Yet there are cases when you just cannot deny the existence of such a thing.Let me take an example. Read the following paragraph carefully.
“This is an unusual paragraph. I am curious how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so plain you would think nothing is wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is unusual though. Study it, and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out! Try to do so without any coaching! You probably won’t, at first, find anything particularly odd or unusual or in any way dissimilar to any ordinary composition. That is not at all surprising, for it is no strain to accomplish in so short a paragraph; a stunt similar to that which an author did throughout his book, without spoiling a good writing job, and it was no small book at that. The book ‘Gadsby: Champion of Youth’ had 50,000 words. Well, what is it or… in fact what is missing?”
If you have not figured out as to what is ‘odd’but definitely not‘wrong’ in the above paragraph, well the answer is simple. The paragraph that you read did not use the vowel ‘e’ which is the most common letter in the English language. Yes ‘e’ does not appear even once in the text of the long paragraph.
This paragraph would make you believe, and that too without any reasonable doubt that ‘Yes’ if due care is taken and attention paid, things in life can be made to happen without ‘e.’ This presumption, however would be a pre-mature conclusion. It is not so in real life. Let me now take you to the other side and try to project another reality picture that shows that nothing whatsoever in this world can ever happen without using ‘e.’ To begin with, can you think of living in today’s word without e-mail, e-ticket, e-paper, e-transfer! Well, depending on your age,you may not need, but even E-shwar (God) cannot exist without ‘e!’
Let us move to another platform while on the same topic. Well, ‘e’appears to be the most eminent letter of Englishaffectingour living. In fact without ‘e’ the very existence would cease to exist. Consider the following:
• Men or women are not possible without‘e’
• House or home cannot be made without ‘e’
• Without ‘e’ bread or butter cannot be found
• ‘e’ constitutes the beginning of Existence and the end of Trouble.
• It is not there in War but occurs twice in Peace
• ‘e’ has singular presencein Hell but is two times there in Heaven
• Emotions start with ‘e’ hence all close relations like father, mother, brother, sister, wife, friends have it
• Effort and Energy, so essential for success start with ‘e’
• You may be good, but to be Better you have to use ‘e’ twice
• Without ‘e’ there is no Hope, Life or Love
• Your Senses would not be there without ‘e’, which is a must to see (eye), hear (ear), smell (nose) or taste(tongue).
• Without ‘e’you would be just an individual. You have to have an ‘e’ to become a person; one more to become an ‘adorable person’ and yet one more to become an ‘excellent person!’
• And finally, me and you (both without ‘e’) might not be able to do something difficult but we (having an ‘e’) together (with two ‘e’s) would definitely be able to do the difficult task.
The two sides of a coin theory apply to every aspect of our daily lives. We have good as well as bad times. We are appreciated as well as admonished. We have surplus money at times and are badly in need of it at other times. People do good to us as well as we are harmed. We have friends who appreciate us as well as friends who speak ill of us. We think positively at times while negativity grips us at other moments; so on and so forth.
Well, if your life isn’t going the way you want, think about both the aspects about the ‘two sides of a coin.’
• Firstly consider the two sides to be different. Thus while one side of the coin tells you it is time to stop hanging out with your past, the other side tells you to start moving out with your future.
• Secondly consider the two sides to be the same like a mirror. Frown at it and it frowns at you, but smile and it smiles back at you.
Author
Wg Cdr (retd) DP Sabharwal is an aeronautical engineer by profession, a teacher by training and a writer by passion. He has been delivering training sessions on ‘personality development’ related soft skills. He is a researcher and author: Aerospace, having published more than 20 books.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Newskarnataka.com and Newskarnataka.com does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same
