Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Group Discussion - Abstract Topic

Dear Friends,


Quite some vibrant discussions in the previous two discussions, I must say. I have not commented on the first discussion but have done so in the second. However my feedback has been general in nature rather than personal. I will try to give individual feedback as well from now on.


We have had a couple of general topics and I thought that I would add an abstract topic to the mix.


Today’s topic is:

The number of cockroaches in your kitchen represents the economic prosperity of your nation.


Once again looking forward to a high level of participation,


Ciao


Update: (Jan 21 12.03 pm) Some comments posted on the discussion thus far

18 comments:

  1. In currnt scenario of globalisation, the economic prosperity of a country can be represented by investors moving towards it.This is an era of open market, so if peoples from other country is coming to country, means there is something in you, which is attracting others,and this will move you on thrack of growth.
    lets have an example of bank or a shop, it contains resources, plans but if peoples are not coming to use these resources or to move on plan then we can,t consider that shop is running well or bank is doing well.

    so, i think here cockroaches here representing the investors, if more and more investors are moving towards the country, it means the country is on track of economic development.

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  2. I agree with what aky has said. The connection goes like this.
    Nations are derived from societies and societies are derived from individual homes. And the prosperity of a house is reflected mainly by the status of the kitchen.
    More and better food means more cockroaches getting attracted to it. In the same way, more and more oppurtinites in a country means more and more investors getting drawn towards to it.
    And since the house, especially the kitchen, is the basic building block of a nation, the number of cockroaches in the kitchen gives an indication of the economic prosperity of the nation. The more, the better.

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  3. The improved economic status means better living condition as well as security for one and all irrespective of caste, creed, race or species. The increased number of cocroaches signifies better nutrition due to better purchasing power as well as lower death rate due to improved security, health and sanitation. so i would go 1 step ahead in saying that increased number of cocroaches in the kitchen would mean not only economic prosperity but also health and defence system prosperity.

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  4. Though, I agree with what Anita has said on the improved economic conditions, I would beg to differ on her points on health and defence system prosperity. Increased number of cockroaches and better health and sanitation conditions seem to be contradicting. Could you please elaborate?

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  5. Increasing cockroaches simply showing their own Progress to others who was Unable to survive and because No one left their to live. they make our kitchen as their home it’s all about 'centralised Globalisation' means Capital abandon countries Like USA,China,England are taking advantage of Our Unprotected Kitchen they simply Investing their Surplus capital to our country to make More Profit than other countries because Indian 'so called' strict regulation and Pulled that Capital whenever they wants for fill their home more than Before with huge profit it’s just illusion that We are developing rapidly its much slower than it seems.. the latest example is Recession in USA what happened at that time they just pulled more than 90% investment from our country when they feel Scarcity in their own country means cockroaches are increasing but no one knows when they will go to their home after making our Kitchen dirty...so make Your kitchen clean, we don’t need a cockroaches to show our Kitchen’s means Countries Prosperity...

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  6. Cockroaches are always used to represent dirt.So its the last thing you want to see in your kitchen.If kitchen is the economy, cockroahes are the foul players(hedge funds etc.) trying to manipulate the economy.This implies two things
    1.The kitchen(economy) is in good shape, thus, attracting cockroaches.
    2.There is a constant threat to the economy and hence, a requirement of disinfectant meaning strict regulations.

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  7. Cockroaches are never liked by house personnels because they are using the resources available, make kitchen dirty and leave anytime they like.

    There should be other indicators for economic development of the country like reduction in poverty, lesser inflation and better availability of food products

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  8. Ok, first of all, there is one point that I would like to make that has not been considered as yet.
    The number of cockroaches in YOUR kitchen depends on WHO you are!

    For instance, there might be innumerable number cockroaches living in the cracks or holes of a slum’s kitchen while on the contrary, there may be hardly any cockroaches in a well maintained bungalow, even though these two houses are located in the SAME country.

    So, in the same country, you have one person who has no cockroaches in his home and another one who has many of them. HOW can we generalize the country’s economic prosperity with this contradictory number of cockroaches in two different houses? HOW can we come to a relationship between the number of cockroaches in the kitchen to the country’s economic prosperity without even knowing which kitchen we are referring to?

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  9. It is interesting to have different analogies thrown up for discussion. Aky’s analogy of Open economy & FDI to Kitchen & cockroaches and Shrikant striking the right chord of a negative sense in buried in the word “cockroaches”.

    While Shrikant’s analogy looks more in line with the topic, to suit the topic there is a flaw in cockroaches’ nationality. They are manoos of kitchen and are not flying-in visitors from the neighborhood.

    Let us have a look at the requirements for the analogy.
    a)Cockroaches reside in the dark nook and corners of the kitchen. Darkness, in house
    b)They eat food items spilled over or improperly preserved. Improper management
    c)Ventures out mostly in the night when we are asleep. Lawlessness
    d)Unhygienic
    e)Pilferage of food items – fodder for cockroaches
    f)Excessive availability of food – prosperity

    Putting the jigsaws together - The house is not properly managed and does not bother about pilferage or petty crimes or small time thieves. Since it does not bother about in house petty thefts, it has to be rich and prosperous.

    There can be zillions of correct analogies now.
    •Agricultural ministry unmindful of pilferage at ration shops since its granaries are full
    •Corrupt politicians syphoning off constituency's alloted money
    •IT departments unmindful of deceiving tax payers since their targets are achieved
    •Rain water harvesting not done because the corporation water supply is 24*7

    So the number of cockroaches (eg corrupt politicians) in your kitchen ( govt) does represent the economic prosperity of your nation ( they have still got money to be looted unknowingly).

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  10. An abstract topic such as this is almost like entering a swimming competition with the swimming style undeclared. I find no reason to believe one mans front crawl (read analogy) is more suited to the occasion than the others back stroke.
    Stepping out of water, for our friend the 'cockroach' prefers a more warm and damp habitat.
    The commonly classified pests (though less than 13% of its species are actually pests and fewer numbers can actually thrive in an average house hold) are known for their adaptability, cooperation and competition in group decision-making.
    Now put this, group of closely working adaptable species in our kitchen and we readily know the two don't form a pair. Agreeing with all of the points put fort by people here, I just want to make a small point of my own.
    'Black Market' - The betting and match fixing cartel, the human kidney racket, gold smugglers, the large scale money laundering et cetra. If reports are to be believed black money in India accounts for anywhere between 20-25 % of GDP. It has had a very corrosive effect on our economy, with the governments only action being burdening the honest tax payers, rather than taping this large scale illegal tax evasion's. It is also a well know fact that a major chunk of this black money has been used to fuel and fund the terrorist activities world over.
    Government is finally I guess serious about taking actions and not merely 'talking' action against the huge sums parked in tax havens of Mauritius and Swiss banks.
    Lets hope that our Government comes with some 'Hit' to get this pest out of our economy and onus is on all of us to make it a Hit.

    P.S.: I'm am an illiterate in economics.

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  11. Dear Noel, by improved health and sanitation, i'm referring to the health and sanitation conditions of the cockroaches.By an improved defense system i mean we are now capable of not only protecting human beings but also cockroaches

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  12. As i have mentioned that there is a negative connotation and given some examples, Jijits has fortified the concept by correctly pointing out examples of economic leakage like tax heavens & Black market. He did not correlate it to the topic of equating to economic prosperity.

    I think Anita is concentration on correlating "number of cockroaches to economic properity", while she is missing something important "number of cockroaches in kitchen", which is obviously negative. That's why we have 2 streams of discussion.

    since everyone else accepts a negative connotaion in the topic that number of cockroaches is due to bad administration and we are going through a thriving economic period and are unmindful of the small time corruptions made by the politicians.

    I think we can conclude the discussion that - Under bad administration increased number of cockroaches do represent economic prosperity. If not for the economic prosperity there would have been a revolt. If there is no food, people would have been forced to eat the cockroaches itself!!!

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  13. Hi Guys,

    Really good participation. When there were no comments for a few hours after I posted the link I wondered if I should give some clues on how to get started. But I need not have worried. Some very good points were raised.

    The way to deal with any abstract topic is to link whatever has been given to something tangible and then come up with points regarding that. The leap that you make from the given abstract topic to the "tangible point" is up to you. You have the creative license to say what you want. But once that link is established you would need to deal with that topic in a proper manner in terms of data and logic just like in any other GD. No more creativity from that point.

    Some observations:
    1. I know we are trying to simulate an atmosphere of a GD in a totally different setting but try to be as concise as possible. I know it is going to be difficult but just try that. Alternately keep in mind the fact that in an actual GD you will not have the luxury of talking for 1/2 min. And you probably should not either.

    2. Jijith: Do not make statements like the one that u made in the post script. It is drawing attention to a negative. Why do you want to do it?

    3. Abhilash: Good intervention. But remember in an actual GD you would need to spread it out over the entire GD and not attempt to say the same in one shot.

    4. Noel: Don't ask questions. Unless it is clarity that you require for your own benefit. Why do you want to give Anita another chance? Chivalry should be left outside the GD room ;-)

    5. Anita: My apologies for the un-chivalrous comment. :-)

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  14. DEAR Sir You forgot to comment on my post, please sir Help to rectify my Errors too.I am looking for More Improvement and thank you for sharing your helpful view with us.

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  15. Sir, one serious doubt. In case I dont understand something, am I supposed to keep mum? I was kind of challenging that comment.. @Anita: No offence. :)

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  16. Hi Guys,

    Shrikant: I did not forget to comment on your contribution earlier, I was just planning to give my feedback in a phased manner. Anyway, down to brass tacks; it is quite an interesting thought process that you have showed. However I would like you to be a bit more concise in how you convey the same. If you do that I would rate your intervention quite highly. Hope this feedback helps.

    Noel: If you do not understand something you can defi ask for clarification. Maybe you could do that by putting down what you thought they said and ask if they agree with your interpretation. If you are challenging some comment made, do it straight up but in an in-offensive manner. I would prefer that you do not ask questions, even if rhetorical. But then again these are things that you would need to evolve as you go through the GD sessions.

    Ciao
    Gautam

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  17. hello sir.ur blog of gd is very informatic.sir i hav a philosophical abstract topic :"all the world's is a stage".what can i discuss in it...plz do reply.il b very grateful..

    -----klp

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  18. nice.. i agree cockroaches may cause many problems. If need any pest control services check Infoonlinepages

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