Seeking attention & reduction in attention span
The title appears paradoxical, but is also a fact. Tectonic changes in the globalised world, especially now with AI and Chat GPT subsuming us, has inundated humans with a fund of information (I am still grappling with the thought of whether we have truly acquired knowledge). In such a scenario, on social media and various WhatsApp groups there is a deluge of two tribes of people emerging (no offence to anyone - I say this with all humility). One, a legion of Life Coaches and two, a host of best-selling authors.
Perhaps (I could be wrong), they all have noble intentions but are desperate to be under arc lights.
Life coaches seem to be offering solutions to combat stressful conditions, marital problems, healthconditions, handling children, coping with loneliness or job-related issues.
The solution invariably is a one-fit solution - Yoga, Journaling, Positive affirmations and invoking the Almighty.
But are such Life coaches authentically trained to dealwith the human mind?
The second category consists of best-selling authors. Yes, there is an emerging group of writers who wish to display their talent. So far so good.
But authors do not approach proficient literary agents, books seldom reach prestigious book stores, airportsstores or railway station stalls. In fact, their publishers do not even display them online.
This is an unfortunate situation. It amazes me how people are able to write10 books in a year. Jeffrey Archeris known to check the drafts of his novels up to 14 times.
So, the publishing industry is making manna and various event companies, reviewers and influencers make their pound of flesh even as budding authors seeking popularity compromise financially and intellectually.
So, what is the way out?
First about Life Coaches.
This tribe of counsellors should be trained in their field (say Yoga) adequately, learn the skill sets under the tutelage of a Guru/Master for a sufficient period of time rather than learning from You Tube, copying a Yoga or health specialist etc., before posting their content on social media.
The clamour to seek attention, impacts the viewer who could learn incorrect techniques of body, breath and mind connection.
It would be noteworthy to find out whether such Yoga teachers can themselves perform 108 sets of Suryanamaskar or Chandranamaskar in a flawless manner.
Pranayama is suddenly being called breath work. I reckon overseas this word may make some sense. But it would be appropriate to call it Pranayama. Prana is the subtle life force and Yama is control.And this just cannot be translated into English in form of breath work.
Once a tutee was learning meditation under a Zen Monk. This was to be a 10- year-course. The novitiate was restless to become a master himself and approached the Master gingerly and remarked he would double the time spent learning meditation so that he could begin teaching within5 years. The Zen Master smiled and said, "You would need 20 years to learn the craft." This left the greenhorn stunned.
Potential best-selling authors, instead of looking for short cuts, need to read a lot and acquire fresh knowledge and experiences. It would be salutary if they attend various affordable writing workshops, visit book fairs, write for papers,magazines, blog, review books or even write letters to editors to hone their craft.
This is the hard way of learning to write in order to become a successful and best-selling author. A genuine cricketer plays at club level, school, college, Ranji trophy, Duleep trophy and county cricket before fighting for a place in the Indian cricket team. Or else there is a humongous tribe of cricketers who play T-20s, make some fortune and are forgotten.
Only the hard grind makes an individual a Life Coach or a best-selling author. And both are at the feet of a Master.
If not, the attention span of Gen Z is exceedingly short and one is lost in oblivion.
Ravi Valluri is advisor, Krishnapatnam Railway Company Limited. He has authored both fiction and non-fiction books
