(THE NEWSMAN OF INDIA.COM) An article by Dr.PARVEZ HAYAT, IPS, (ADG, Govt. Of India)
Man is a rational being is what we have been fed on all our life. *Even the most irrational of us dutifully sermonizes on rationality to his kids & the next generation.* From TV debates to road rage, does temper & erratic mood swing take over rationality. *When a whole society tries to prove an act or behavior as a rational one, on a day to day basis, it may sound strange but it seems the days of rationality are on wane ..

It starts with children being told they are special, they would be provided with whatever they want. And worse still that they should not make any effort, *making some extra effort is stress.* What is provided as cozy / congenial atmosphere to grow, becomes an *ideal training ground to learn how to throw tantrums.* To get your own way after knowing what you want is wrong. *Accepting mood swing for no reason is order of the day in endless number of families. At times mood swing issues are genetic .. serotonin imbalance then it is not easily treatable but in modern day stress mood swing issues have come to stay Finally, it might reach a stage where one is left with no choice but tolerate the idiosyncrasies of the child. As he / she enters the adulthood, with this past / grooming, *what amount is rationality is left is not very difficult to guess.*

The schools & colleges do no better. *Facts today are being camouflaged as opinion.* Human beings are not rationality enabled at birth. They have to be taught & then they should be forced to practice. *Only then it would get ingrained.* Where are we given these lessons & who are our mentors doing it? Is anybody following it through? The sum total of society practicing rationality is positive & proactive and *enables change suitable to present dynamic times.*

On the contrary, if you practice mood swings & temper, you would keep improving on it and over a period of time, *your world view would get completely blurred.* This mindset makes you to force your opinion on others. *Anybody who differs is an enemy.* The friction we find on a day to day basis in our professional & personal *can be attributed mainly to this behavioral trait,* which is on the increase.

*FOR BECOMING A RATIONAL SOCIETY, RATIONALITY HAS TO BECOME THE NUMBER ONE INDIVIDUAL ATTRIBUTE.*
Dr. Parvez Hayat IPS