The 'feel-good' factor.
Feeling good
Thomas T Abraham
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DADDY, what's feel good factor?'' my son asked, one day. He is all of ten and was coming straight out of the TV room. I got worried. Was he watching India Business Week? Or... help me God... the Starr Report in CNN's impeachment drama?
As it turned out he was listening to the Finance Minister. I was relieved.
Trying to give a secular (read, politically correct) answer, I said: ''You know our telephone didn't work for three weeks. If the telephone department were to reduce the bill amount, wouldn't we all feel good?''
My son had a different viewpoint. ''Dad, don't you remember the trouble I had with my homework during those days? Every time I had a doubt, I had to cycle down to Prasad's house!''
Collecting my wits, I tried again. ''Son, imagine the auto driver telling us when we get down, 'Sir, please pay me 30 per cent less because my meter is faulty'. How would we feel?''
He didn't seem to have digested that.
So I offered another example: ''You remember we took your cousin to the USIS for her visa and took turns in the night to keep her place in the queue? Suppose they were to say, 'Take this priority coupon and come tomorrow after the lunch break.' How would we have felt - good? We would have even gone for a movie. That is feel good.''
I paused, and following classic feedback and motivational theories, said: ''I'm sure you understand, by now. Can you explain to me what is feel good factor?''
''Dad, for me, feel good is when you go out of station,'' he said, pulling out from his trouser pocket the television remote control - our perennial, bone of contention.
economictimes.com
|
