Attitude (रवैया)

The Attitude and The Aptitude.

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Jetpack asked me:

Describe one positive change you have made in your life?

My answer was : The Attitude.

It is only The attitude that determines how one faces the so many various and different situations one has to go through moment to moment in life. Attitude could not be some fixed hard and fast rule to remember and follow when one has to deal with people and the situations. Yet one has to give a proper response without a prior preparation. If you are going to take an examination, there you have already the set subject, the course, the proper arrangement of questions to answer, alotted time to write the answer. Situations in life seldom follow this way. You may not have the prior information about how to deal with the new situation in the given new circumstances in the next moment. If you're young, maybe there are parents or the elders to take care of you, but if you are about 15 or above 15 years of age, say a teenager, then you may not be acquainted well with the people around you. There are always all kinds people at various places. At the home, on the street, in the market, in the school or college. And at the common places.  So it is important to know and learn, to be prudent  in advance, what prompts the response in these situations at different times and places. What response would be enough, sufficient  and appropriate to meet those challenges of life that one comes across every moment.

The answer in a single word word will be : The Attitude. Unfortunately, this single word doesn't tell much about what exactly is the sense and the meaning of Attitude that could be applied at the practical level.

The Gita Chapter 17 gives a hint to this :

त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा।।

सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां श्रुणु।।२।।

सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत।।

श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषः यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः।।३।।

(श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता अध्याय १७)

सत्त्व means the mind. According to the mind, every one is endowed with certain attributes that prompt him to behave in a certain way. And accordingly is the response that is given by one in the different conditions, situations and circumstances. 

That is  स्वभावजा  meaning by the very nature itself.

So this is spontaneous Attitude. The mental construct. While by and by the other factors help him in learning the manners, the ethics and the social norms, so as to fit well in the society. This is his social conditioning. This too again depends upon and keeps changing from person to person, place to place.

Therefore it is the Attitude what one should understand, learn about, and if required, try to change or improve the same.

Aptitude :

On the other hand, is about the interests and the inclinations and could be cultivated and developed too to a certain extent, whereas the Attitude determines the Aptitude and if it suits or not well with the Attitude.

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