The Cockroach Theory for Self-development : Response Vs Reaction

Sundar Pichai continues to make global news after becoming Google’s CEO. Stories about his past, schooling and college days are viral. Well at least in India they are. Here’s another story, or rather a speech by Sundar Pichai, that is being massively shared for the past few days. It’s a speech about the ‘cockroach theory’ for self development. Here’s how the theory goes:

“At a restaurant, a cockroach suddenly flew from somewhere and sat on a lady.
She started screaming out of fear.

With a panic stricken face and trembling voice, she started jumping, with both her hands desperately trying to get rid of the cockroach.

Her reaction was contagious, as everyone in her group also got panicky.

The lady finally managed to push the cockroach away but ...it landed on another lady in the group.

Now, it was the turn of the other lady in the group to continue the drama.

The waiter rushed forward to their rescue.

In the relay of throwing, the cockroach next fell upon the waiter.

The waiter stood firm, composed himself and observed the behavior of the cockroach on his shirt.

When he was confident enough, he grabbed it with his fingers and threw it out of the restaurant.

Sipping my coffee and watching the amusement, the antenna of my mind picked up a few thoughts and started wondering, was the cockroach responsible for their histrionic behavior?

If so, then why was the waiter not disturbed?

He handled it near to perfection, without any chaos.

It is not the cockroach, but the inability of the ladies to handle the disturbance caused by the cockroach that disturbed the ladies.

I realized that, it is not the shouting of my father or my boss or my wife that disturbs me, but it's my inability to handle the disturbances caused by their shouting that disturbs me.

It's not the traffic jams on the road that disturbs me, but my inability to handle the disturbance caused by the traffic jam that disturbs me.

More than the problem, it's my reaction to the problem that creates chaos in my life.

Lessons learnt from the story:

I understood, I should not react in life.

I should always respond.

The women reacted, whereas the waiter responded.

Reactions are always instinctive, whereas responses are always well thought of, just and right to save a situation from going out of hands, to avoid cracks in relationship, to avoid taking decisions in anger, anxiety, stress or hurry.

A beautiful way to understand............LIFE.”

- Sundar Pichai

Well that’s quite a bit of an insight into the mind of the person who runs Google or better said, the internet.

Bila Kancil bergaduh

Kejadian yang berlaku awal minggu lepas di Bukit Mertajam. Kisah terjadi apabila kereta kancil1 (belakang) memotong barisan di traffic light ke Jalan Rozhan, Alma (Kadang-kadang ada polis tunggu di depan. Saman RM300 je). Bila lampu hijau, dia cilok masuk ke kanan. Tindakan tersebut mendatangkan rasa tidak puas hati kepada kereta kancil2 (depan) dan dia kasi hon panjang. 

Kereta kancil1 yang mencilok masuk bawak dengan perlahan. Kancil2 memotong dan bawak lagi perlahan. Kancil1 memotong kembali. Kancil2 cuba memprovoke kancil1 dengan memandu rapat-rapat. Kancil1 brek mengejut dan kancil2 mengelepar tekan brek. Kancil2 potong balik dan suruh kancil1 berhenti. Kancil1 tak layan dan terus jalan. Kancil2 potong semula dan terus berhenti mengejut. Kancil1 terlanggar bontot kancil2.

Kancil2 keluar dari kereta dan marah2 kancil1. Bila kancil2 menendang2 kancil1, gua merapatkan motor ke sebelah diorang dan menengok apa yang perlu. So kancil2 berhenti menendang. 

Kancil2 balik ke kereta, ingatkan dah settle tapi dia keluarkan sebatang besi. Time ni gua ke belakang semula supaya motor gua tak kena ketuk dan ada jarak untuk gua rakam. So berlaku acara belasah menggunakan besi. Gua tak tolong leraikan sebab tengah sibuk merakam (Video tak perlu gua viralkan).

Kemudian datang pak cik helmet biru untuk leraikan. Masa tu gua sudah kat sebelah diorang. Kancil2 masih tak puas hati dan nak membelasah. Gua perasan dalam kancil1 ada kanak-kanak menangis buat gua rasa panas. Satu ayat gua kat kancil2 buat dia berundur. Nasib baik dia mendengar kata (kalau tak dengar kata, nak lawan memang tak terlawan lah dengan saiz badan dia camtu). Gua cuma mampu tunjuk kad kuasa gua atau tiup kasi dia tumbang kat situ. 

Masing-masing dinasihatkan buat report kat Balai Polis. 

Begitulah kisah perganduhan antara kancil. Sebagai peringatan dan langkah keselamata, cuba bertolak ansur, tahan sabar (Sebab tak tahu orang di sebelah pihak bagaimana.. Ada senjata, agak bahaya). Kalau gua, lebih suka berdiam dan mengalah.. Kemudian, execute plan B... ;)

Selamat Tahun Baru 2015

Selamat tahun baru 2015... Semoga lebih gemilang daripada tahun terdahulu..