Rational,
Obviously you have never studied psychology. "Interiority complex," is a classical psychological concept that does NOT mean a feeling of being inferior. The opposite is the case, as you so nicely demonstrate. Someone with an inferiority complex is absolutely convinced of their superiority (or in the case of the Indian inferiority complex, their nation's superiority). While feeling superior, the person with the complex is, at an unconscious level, conflicted, because if they are so superior, as they are sure they are, then why is their country so poor and backward in so many respects. Because of this deep-seated sense of inadequacy, while at the same time, on the conscious level, feeling superior, someone with an inferiority complex excessively and aggressively asserts his (or his country's) superiority and thereby becomes incapable of rational and objective understanding and analysis of themselves (or their country) and they tend to blame their (or their country's) problems on others. Go buy a good psychology textbook and read about it. You demonstrate it beautifully.
You are absolutely right about the accomplishments and abilities of Indians in this country and I feel that the US is very fortunate to have benefitted from India's brain drain. Indians in this country are not at all representative of Indians as a whole, however. We have gotten the cream of the cream, lucky us. Unfortunately, many of them have been taught from childhood that they are superior to others because of their caste and their country's glorious heritage. It is this ingrained attitude that harm's their relations with others (and India's relations with other countries) and contributes to their inability to honestly face up to problems.
I love many things about India, but caste and the attitudes it fosters is not one of them. You write: "The first thing Indians learn as a child is to respect others." That is truly laughable. Just watch any upper caste children talk to their servants. Stand on the street and watch how people "respect" the poor mochi sitting there offering his services. I have done this. I got to know a couple of mochis (cobblers) because I am not hung up on caste and I wanted to know all kinds of people. I sat in the shade and watched how Indians "respect" mochis. One person after another would walk up to him and kick his sandal in the direction of the mochi and in a very unfriendly voice, sometimes using the demeaning "familiar" verbal forms, order him to fix it. Then when he was done they would drop or throw the money at him, heaven forbid they should say a kind word or hand him the money politely. This is just one little example that could be multiplied a thousandfold. Yes, there is a certain kind of "tolerance" that is charactistically Indian, which basically means "Don't expect me to have anything to do with you and don't expect to have anything to do with me," but that's really a different issue.
You write: "From your posts, I can infer fairly confidently that you either have achieved very little in your life or have some other absurd complex that has made you inferior and so you want to visualize others in the same predicament. It is unfortunate."
Actually, you know nothing about me. My grandfather was a poor farmer who lost his farm in the Great Depression of the '30s. My father worked his way through university and did quite well. I and all of my siblings have graduate degrees and are professionally employed. I was the first person in my family to earn a Ph.D.
Papillon
|