Who's the best?

Comparison is inevitable in this world. Whatever people do, accomplish, fail to do, etc, it is always compared to things of the past, or similar things that others have done.
Comparisons are done, ratings are given and finally everybody wants an answer to the question "Who's the best". And the things that are compared range from infinity to infinity. Anything can be compared. Starting from which kid in the school has more toffees to who makes the fastest century in a 20-20 match, comparisons are a never ending phenomenon.

What do these comparisons serve? Probably, it is because of comparing and contrasting that we are able to improve our capabilities. So it might not be that bad either.

Again, within these comparisons, there seems to be an inherent trend, at least one that I feel, to put people earlier in time in a more positive light than they would deserve otherwise. And this is in every field.. Sports, music, arts take anything.. The earlier guy is always better/greater than the contemporary. Shakespeare, Picasso, Newton, Bradman, they are all great people and considered better than their current counterparts and probably anybody in the future too. As if great people are born only once and that too in the past!  Ghantasala is a better singer than SP Balu, Ilayaraja is better than A R Rahman, Nobody can think of a better actor than NTR in Telugu.. the list goes on.

Why so? One reason I can think of is that resources were limited in the past and anybody who achieved so much back then would have done even more now. True, but not always. Another reason then, probably, is that it is the modesty of the younger generations to revere and respect elders in their field and to attribute greater skill to their predecessors. Besides that, in most cases, the predecessors would have been their gurus or idols in the field, so they can't dream about surpassing the idols or at least openly accept it.

There might be other reasons, and I might be only seeing one side of it all (think about scientists before Newton and poets before Shakespeare, they existed too, but still the later ones are considered the best, right?) but it is mostly the case that in a list of successful people in a field, the earliest is always considered best. And, these comparisons never end.

So, which was the best movie of the decade, who was the best sportsman, which year was the best, etc etc.. and the comparisons go on and on... and while you are on it, you could also try and tell which of my posts is the best :) Yes, I am no different.

the canine question

Freedom. Contrary to what the word means, I think the word has a different connotation that is exactly opposite to the meaning, one which means restriction. We are all free by definition, but are we really free? Probably its a bit easier for us intellectually superior beings called humans ,to understand what the word really means and what we should and should not do under this empowering word called "freedom". But think about the animal world, specifically the "pets" the we so dearly love and have them by our side always. Are they free? Do they know whether they are free?

Watching two dogs on one day in different circumstances triggered a doubt in me as to what this word "freedom" would mean to each of the dogs.

The first of them was traveling in the rear of an air-conditioned car, sticking his head out of the window, wearing a dreary look on its face. One look at it and you would feel it is missing something. Is it freedom? But think about it, and the comforts it is enjoying, probably not even the upper middle class human can afford. But is it really free? Does it want to jump out of the window, hunt for its food, eat his hard-earned meal rather than eat artificial dog food fed to it every 6 hours. Is it happy being in the car? Probably yes. Is it free? Does it want to be? Only the dog can tell.

The second, a street dog, again with a dreary look on its face, this time looking out for some generous human who can give it some food. Is it happy? Not so much I would say, it doesn't know what its next meal is going to be and when. Is it free? It definitely is freer than the earlier one. Yes, it can hunt at its own times and for food that it wants. Sleep in its own time at any place it wants, be it right in the middle of the road under the shade of a tree. Freedom? Totally. But the very next moment a rash auto driver runs over its leg and it squeals in pain and runs amok as far away as it can. Is it happy being free? No. Does it want to be in the air-conditioned car, in return for the freedom? Only the dog can tell.

Never having reared a dog, I am not sure if these canines have a sense of freedom and whether they have a preference to have it or not, but what impresses me is their loyalty. They are loyal when they are free, and even more when they are tied up. One quality worth learning.

If only these canines could speak..