WHEN TO QUIT





















There is an old Chinese proverb:

“Of all the war strategies, to know when to quit is the best.”



Now, read it again… It says ‘When to quit’… and, not ‘How to quit’.

We hail young Abhimanyu as a brave warrior. According to the legend, he learnt about the warfare of Chakravyuh – its formation, how to get into it and penetrate it - while he was still in his mother Subhadra’s womb! Arjuna, his father, would discuss about this war secret with his wife and the unborn Abhimanyu would learn it so early… Yes, that’s how the legend goes. However, as Arjuna had to leave, he could not complete the most important part of the warfare of Chakravyuh: How to quit it.

So, when it was time, the young-warrior, Abhimanyu, enters the Labyrinth brilliantly… But, alas, only to get ambushed by his enemies inside!

Ever since this great battle of Mahabharata, we have come to believe that to win Life’s battles, we need to know not only how to enter our Labyrinths, but, also, how to quit them…

The Chinese proverb reminds us: Of all the war strategies and maneuvers, the best one is the knowledge – ‘when to quit’!

All battles, in History, had erupted, first, in human minds before they were waged outside… All, including the two deadliest World-wars! Wars are, always, the results of stubborn minds… They are battles of our egoes… Every battle starts with the clash of two egoes… 



And, once two bulls lock their horns, 

very, very rarely,

 they can come out un-battered…


Yes, they know how to lock their horns… but not how to unlock… and, worse, ‘when’ to do that!

Letting go…

Quitting the battlefield…

It is the most important strategy in the book of Life’s warfare…

Like brave Abhimanyu, almost all of us come into this world knowing how to get into our Labyrinths – our Chakravyuh’s… But, we have not learnt how to come out of it… How to quit… And, as the Chinese Proverb reminds us, we have, certainly, not learnt ‘When’ to quit!

And, as I end this Post, a thought strongly prompts me to add this:

We have never bothered to know: ‘Why’ to quit!


GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Sanchita Choudhury

Comments

Nayana Deshmukh said…
Excellent way of telling: why and when and yes how to quit a 'losing' battle! Thanks. Nayana
February 16, 2013 at 4:04 PM
Pooja Manik said…
Nicely narrated. Pooja
February 16, 2013 at 5:52 PM
Heena Naik said…
Letting go IS for the brave!! Heena
February 18, 2013 at 4:54 PM
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