Who are we – helpless victims of a cruel world or masters of our own destiny? Nitesh Gor gives us a clue in the second excerpt from his book ‘The Dharma of Capitalism – A Guide to Mindful Decision Making in the Business of Life’
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Like any skill, acting in the Mode of Goodness can become second nature, but it takes practice, discipline and the occasional short-term sacrifice.
Going on the premise that we act our way into thinking (as opposed to the other way around), to figure out which mode you’re in at any given moment it’s helpful to keep track of your actions and outcomes and be honest in identifying your real motivations.
In the following pages you will find some specific characteristics of each of the Three Modes in different areas of life and work. Once you’ve obtained a sense of the behaviour that tends to define each mode, take a few minutes at the end of each day to jot down some notes about decisions you’ve faced or made, evaluating them in the context of the Modes, for example:
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- What was my true motivation?
- What mode was I in?
- Did I consider all the consequences of my actions?
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In some situations you may be primarily in the Mode of Ignorance. In others you may be in Passion or Goodness. In still others the dominant mode may be unclear.Thinking about the difference will help develop a thought process for approaching future choices.
Do this for a few weeks, noting any changes in your behaviour. Give yourself permission to backslide and to be bewildered at times. If it was easy, you wouldn’t be reading this book.
