Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Cause and effect

After some painstaking research and by closely observing hundreds of married couples for fairly long spells, I have discovered that, after ten years or so into the marriage, the partners start developing an uncanny resemblance to each other . Yes, the pattern is unmistakable. The resemblance is not so much in terms of looks, but more in the mannerisms- as in the raising of the eyebrows, the fluttering of the eyelids, the craning of the neck, the movement of the hands, the frown, the curling of the nose, the laughter, etc. If you take me to a room where there is an assortment of husbands and wives whom I have never met before, I will be able to ‘pair’ them up with a high degree of accuracy.

Doubt. Which was the cause and which was the effect ?. Did the resemblance set in as the partners were in constant company of each other, to a point where they started to sub-consciously mimic the other’s mannerisms ? Or did the partners get together in the first place, attracted by the similarity of behaviour, as in positive assortative mating ?

On a related point, do you know any successful person who doesn’t have a streak of arrogance in him or her? Unlikely. A famous actor or cricketer may sound all pious and humble and may even appear to ooze milk and honey from every pore, but scratch the surface and you will detect the conceit or the haughtiness.

Doubt : Which is the cause and which is the effect ? Does‘success’ happen first and produce the arrogance in that person or does the ‘arrogance already resident in that individual drive him and spur him on towards success ? Is the bloated ego a result of the success or a pre-requisite?

Stay tuned to this channel for more such deep insights and profound thoughts.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting !

Anonymous said...

I think its a little of both.

Shruthi said...

Very interesting. :) In the first case, it is definitely being with each other and sub-conscious mimicking that makes them similar :)
Second one - have thought on these lines very often. Here, I think it is a little of both ;)

chitra said...

you have provided the amswer youself. it is the existing ego that gets bloated on the success!

Priya Sivan said...

1. Compromise with the partner at the end of each and every day becomes the way of life for many years and so they tend to resemble each other.
2.Success>>Arrogance>>nosedive! Remember the Japanese proverb "Even monkeys fall from trees!"

Raj said...

Anon, Shruthi,Sowmya, Chitra,Shpriya : Thanks for the comments