Steven Pinker on the Moral Instinct

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moral right, psychology, Steven Pinker

The New York Times magazine has one of the finest articles I have read in a long time. It’s called “The Moral Instinct” by Prof. Steven Pinker, the Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology at Harvard University.

While the article itself is rather long, it gives those interested in the way we behave interesting insights into definitions of right and wrong. How are these formulated in our minds? What’s the thin line dividing what is right and what is moral? How is it that one set of behaviours may be ok in a context but not in another?

Which of these 3 people, starts the article is the most admirable? Mother Teresa, Bill Gates or Norman Borlaug? Which of these 3 is the least admirable? If this gets you interested, read the rest of the article here.

The starting point, writes Pinker, for appreciating that there is a distinctive part of our psychology for morality is seeing how moral judgments differ from other kinds of opinions we have on how people ought to behave.

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Rights Vs Rights

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Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, US Presidential elections

Read “Rights Vs. Rights” an excellent article in the New York Times about the decision supporters of the Democratic Party soon have to make in the run up to the Presidential elections later this year.

Should they go a way they have never gone before and elect a lady as the Democratic party candidate? Should they go a way they have never gone before and elect an African-American as the Democratic party candidate? Lines are drawn between Sen. Hillary Clinton of NY and Sen. Barack Obama of  Illinois.

Ideally the party supporters would have liked one of them but since Clinton is not an African-American or Obama a lady, they have to make the tough choice. No, there is no African-American lady in the fray at this stage.

Over the years, traditionally supporters of women’s rights have been supporters of African-Americans and vice versa. There have been conflicts too. One bitter case from the 19th century saw a split between the abolitionist Frederick Douglass and the women’s rights’ pioneer Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Stanton was herself a fervent abolitionist, and a close ally of Douglass, but later confined herself to the cause of women’s equality. These ideals would eventually clash, resulting in increasingly divisive rhetoric that reached a harsh climax after Stanton condemned the 15th amendment — which gave black men the right to vote but left out women of all races — as something that would establish “an aristocracy of sex on this continent.”

This is going to be a tough one. In far away India, I have been a supporter of the Democratic Party since the Kennedy days. I, for one, root for the greater political experience and charisma of Hillary Clinton.

I found a lot of information on the US Presidential election due in November 2008 here.

Reduction in US & Indian salary gaps

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appreciation of the Indian rupee, US & Indian salary gaps

An article in the Economic Times speaks of the narrowing gap betwenn US and Indian salaries in the software sector.

This follows the rupee appreciation against the US dollar and the robustness of the local currency.

While the gap is likely to drop by up to 21 per cent in 2008 from the levels seen in 2006, it is still high enough to keep India’s competitive edge as a low-cost market, says a white paper by leading executive search firm Manpower.

According to data compiled by Manpower, the sector’s staff level salaries were as much as 86 per cent higher in the US compared to India in 2006. However, this gap declined to 82 per cent in 2007 and is expected to decline further to 78 per cent in 2008.

The steepest decline of 21 per cent is likely to be seen in the middle manager level, where the US salaries used to be 69 per cent higher in 2006, but would be only 48 per cent higher than India in 2008. This difference stood at 57 per cent in 2007.

Salary is the biggest cost component, accounting for 45 per cent of IT companies and 40 per cent of BPO costs. Concerns have also been raised periodically that the adverse impact of rupee appreciation could force IT companies, for whom exports account for a major part of revenues and profits, to cut down on the wage hikes and other employee costs in order to offset the impact on their margins.

However, “as long as the cost arbitrage exists and major companies remain profitable, the chances of a slowdown in recruitment may not be in the offing,” the paper noted.

“While most of the companies have managed to weather the storm rather well, they have started to gear up for further appreciation in the rupee and taking other remedial measures to increase productivity and improve efficiency in their operations instead of resorting to cost cutting around people,” Manpower said.

According to data compiled by Manpower, the average annual executive salaries in the US stood at $205,047 in 2006 and increased to $213,336 in 2007. In comparison, the Indian average annual salary is expected to rise from $65,356 to $103,167 in 2008.

The estimates for 2008 are based on the assumption that salary levels remain unchanged in the US, while there would be an average 15 per cent increment in the Indian salary, Manpower said. It took into account 2006 dollar rate at Rs 45, while for 2007 and 2008 it has considered rupee level at 40 and 38 respectively.

For middle-manager level, the US average annual salary actually dropped from $104,681 in 2006 to $103,379 in 2007, while in India it rose from $32,733 in 2006 to $44,250 in 2007 and would further improve to $53,566 in 2008.

The Indian staff-level salary is expected to rise to $20,337 in 2008, from $13,156 in 2006 and $16,800 in 2007. In the US, the staff-level salary dropped from $92,201 in 2006 to $91,965 in 2007.

Lakshmana to Sue for Damages

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Bharti Airtel, Lakshmana, NHRC

I was one of the many who wrote about the injustice meted out to Lakshmana, a Bangalore-based software engineer in November 2007. Under “Mistaken Identity”, I wrote about this sad incident where he was mistaken for some one else and punished for a crime he did not commit.

He was wrongly arrested by the police and made to serve a prison term of 50 days in Pune’s notorious Yerawada jail. Not being a famous film star like Sanjay Dutt, a politician or an underworld don, he did not get privileged treatment there. One can imagine the torment he went through.

The Times of India reports he was beaten with lathis and made to use one bowl to both eat and for the toilet. All for some one else’s fault!.

He has now decided to sue the telecom giant, Bharti Airtel and the concerned Government authorities for Rs. 20 crores in damages. Mistakes do take place but in such sensitive cases, should not organizations take extra care? After all, it involves some one’s life. The blame game will go on. Bharti claims the police asked for wrong information and got it. The police say Bharti gave them wrong information. Perhaps the truth will never be known.

Nothing can make up for the humiliation and hardship Lakshmana and his family must have gone through. I hope the public will not forget this case in a hurry. I hope the National Human Rights Commission will play its part.

Let’s hope the swell of public indignation will make sure that salutary measures are taken to ensure that such cases are not repeated ever again-not even by mistake.

Managing the Boss- Listening

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A Step A Day, Listening, Managing the boss

Just as we need to be good at managing our teams, we need to be good at managing our boss too. Most bosses tend to get irritated if they have to repeat their views many times or if you appear incapable of grasping the main points very quickly.

Listening is an excellent skill to develop to cement the relationship with your boss. Listening is without doubt the most under rated skill amongst the many managerial skills. All of us claim we are good at listening but most of is are poor listeners.

These points are important in developing the skill of listening to the boss:

• Appreciate the importance of listening. Time is at a premium and the last thing the busy boss wants is to waste time in repeating herself many times over. Listening helps you get the true intent of the message just right, first time and every time.
• Be attentive: You must show that you are really listening. A lot of this is built around your body language. Maintaining eye contact, nodding and leaning forward are common signs of active listening.
• Understand: listen beyond the more obvious meanings for feelings. Emphasis on one point or lack of priority for another are expressed not only in words but through nuances of feelings, non-verbals and emotions.
• React: Show your understanding. Summarize key points. Ask questions if you have not understood. These indicate that you are “connected’. Asking questions long after the interaction indicate a lack of attention and focus.
• Don’t talk: Whatever people may tell you, you simply cannot talk and listen at the same time. Good listening means not talking. Pick up as much as you can and talk periodically to signify understanding and /or seek clarification.
• Use empathy: The perspective of the boss is different from yours. Try to see things from her point of view. If you do not understand the significance of a plan, ask for clarification. All too often, inadequate information or perspective gives us a wrong picture of priorities.
• Make notes: Jot down key points so they remain fresh in your memory. Noting points not only indicates interest but also helps you summarize key points at the end of the conversation with your boss.

Listen and listen well. It can be a big step in improving your effectiveness in managing your boss.

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