Dear Je
I participated in the public speaking workshop you conducted. It was truly a major turning point in my life. My dream is to become a public speaker, but I can’t speak well. I attended the workshop to up-skill myself.
What I first learned in that class is that the reason we all find it difficult to speak clearly is because our thoughts are often muddled. A good speech is precise and well-structured. By practicing this structure, our thinking itself would change. I realized how nonsensical my speech was. The reason I couldn’t speak well was that I couldn’t create a proper beginning for my speech. I would start with something and then just keep talking aimlessly.
What I learned in the class is that we need to deliberately plan and create the beginning of our speech. This alone solved my problems. I haven’t spoken on stage since that workshop, but my speaking has completely changed. Many people at the office noticed and told me about it. I felt happy.
The mistake I made was telling my younger brother about it. He spread it among our friends. So, when I came back, I was met with a lot of ridicule. To this day, the teasing continues. That’s why, despite my desire, I haven’t participated in any class since then. They call me “Hey, speaker!” Some people even came up to me and said it’s all a waste of time and money. They keep saying it. I can’t attend classes without them knowing. If they find out, the ridicule will increase. That’s why I’m hesitant.
C
Dear C,
I have changed your name. Please note.
You are an individual. Hope you are awaiting your notable achievements. Just keep yourself aside for now. Just browse the internet and notice the ridicule and mockery that have been directed at all the projects we have started. Just look at the sarcasm, satire, and slander that are being thrown around even now. If we had paid even the slightest attention to them, would these developments and achievements have materialized?
In 2009, when the Vishnupuram Literary Circle was started, many articles were written and calls were made, treating it like a major social evil (my friends tallied it up: 75 articles and Facebook posts!). It was alleged that I was running it to promote myself, and there were calls for Tamil writers to reject the Vishnupuram Literary Circle. No Tamil writer paid attention to that request. Today, the Vishnupuram Award ceremonies have become events where all the important literary figures of Tamil participate. It is a visible, undeniable achievement.
In 2014, when I started writing “Venmurasu,” there were so many criticisms, mockeries, and objections. There were various outbursts and ‘friendly’ advice to stop immediately. There were criticisms and distortions written with the intention of demoralizing me. But Venmurasu was completed. From questions like “Who will read it?” to claims that “No one is reading it,” everything was said. Today, it is the most widely read work in Tamil. After its success was assured, the complaint became “Readers read only that.”
These events are evidence that we have moved forward and achieved success without paying attention to anyone. However, in 2022, when the Tamil Wiki, an online encyclopedia, was launched, the same objections, mockeries, and criticisms resurfaced. People were agitated, claiming it would destroy the Tamil language. Today, it has successfully established its place on the internet. The objections have fallen silent, but the grumblings persist.
Why this mindset? Think about it: if a person talks about someone else because they have nothing of their own to talk about, how much spiritual poverty and intellectual emptiness must they have! Here, for the vast majority of ordinary people, what do they have in life apart from simple mundane activities, food, cinema, and other small worldly pleasures?
What greatly intimidates them is the superior qualification that one among them possesses. He exposes the trivial world they live in to them. They cannot accept it. If they accept it, the world they live in loses its meaning. Therefore, they reject the one who rises above. They cannot live without rejecting him. The way they manage to reject him is through mockery and sarcasm. They can do it under the guise of a ‘fun game.’
You are standing in a crowd. If you want to rise above, you have to push them aside and then push yourself up. You cannot carry them along and rise. There’s another thing, as you rise higher, they will descend lower. You can no longer interact with them on equal terms. They will bore you. They must exit your world. You must seek out your own circle.
There are writers of this kind as well. They enter the literary world with an inflated sense of themselves. They keep writing and experimenting. They innately know what their limitations are. This realization brings about a sense of fatigue. Immediately, they find a circle of people similar to themselves. They maintain this circle in such a way that their position remains unchallenged. They spend the rest of their lives within this circle.
But staying there brings peace. However, for some, it’s impossible. For those who watch others succeed in writing and constantly feel envy, life itself is hell. They will find some reason for their envy. Usually, whenever a new work is created, or any literary work is written, they will oppose and criticize it. They will try to destroy it. Even though they know nothing will come of it, they cannot help themselves.
These individuals create an image of themselves as “reclusive intellectuals.” They claim to have no need for groups or fame. However, you can see them happily celebrating even a small recognition. Another thing is that they pretend to be writing “pure literature.” But, deep down, they know it is mediocre.
They can only live by adopting such pretenses, displaying certain attitudes like moral indignation and refined taste. These groups can neither achieve anything substantial in literature nor stop anything by opposing it. Even though they realize this themselves, they cannot remain silent.
Achievements are attained by those who set their goals and engage with full dedication. For them, mockery and opposition do not matter in any way. Similarly, praises do not greatly please them beyond a certain point. The true joy they find is in the deep immersion in their work. Strive towards that. Moments of self-pride will come to you. After that, you will see these people as mere noise, perhaps with a touch of pity.
Jeyamohan
Translated by Geethaa Senthilkumar
