The Balance between Love and Logic
(Vinod Anand)
Can we achieve a balance between love and logic? Logic leads to material gains, while love warms the heart and leads to emotional and spiritual gain.
In life, both are required. The eternal battle between mind and heart is something all of us have to contend with. You are made up of body, mind, heart and soul.
Physically, the heart is a separate organ and the mind has no physical location. But when we speak of heart in poetic or metaphysical terms, when we speak of emotions, ‘heart’ refers to the part of the brain which is responsible for our emotions. And love is always of the heart, never of the mind.
The human mind is a double edged sword. It can take us to great heights, as we can see from scientific and technical advances we’ve accomplished. It can also push us into the depths of decline, and all the crimes, wars and bloodshed over centuries are proof of that.
The heart is responsible for feelings of love, compassion, sharing, altruism, sympathy and empathy, but is a bad businessman. The heart is much ‘weaker’ than the cognitive and rational thinking part of the brain. The heart is not concerned with profit and loss, or with assets and liabilities.
In fact, if anything, the heart is irrational and illogical. Love always springs in the heart. It is a deep connection between two human beings, which cannot be explained or understood with words.
And love can happen to anyone, anytime. Every society places a lot of rules and restrictions on love, romance and marriage. Although our mind understands these and tries to follow them, the heart can often break through the barriers and fall in love, even if it means going against social conditionings and beliefs.
The heart can bring you true love, but you might have to pay a price. Another problem with love is that we often tend to confuse our thoughts for feelings. Love cannot be described or taught to anyone.
It arises spontaneously. How does one know whether what one feels, is really love, or something masquerading as love? Love implies freedom both to you and the one you love; love implies that you are willing to do anything for the happiness of the other person, even if it is not4n your interest.
Love is unconditional, without any ifs and buts. If one wants to know true love, one must observe, study and understand the love of a mother for her child. This is often considered the gold standard, where love is concerned. If you truly love someone, you will only want to give, not to take.
Possessiveness and jealousy are not part of true love; they are thoughts of the mind, which is always from worrying about losing your love.
True love is never scared of losing anything, because it does not want to take, only give. And when you are only interested in giving, how can you be worried about losing anything? The mind often tries to tell us many things—the person you love is not rich, is not good- looking, is not educated enough, will not be acceptable to your parents.
But if you truly love someone, it will be easy to counter all these arguments. The mind warns us against losses when we are in love, but true love does not care whether you gain or lose. The moment you start asking,” What’s in it for me, it is no longer love. Real love is always unconditional, without ego and ready for every sacrifice
VINOD K.ANAND: A BRIEF PROFILE
Born in 1939, and holding Master’s Degree both in Mathematics (1959) and Economics (1961), and Doctorate Degree in Economics (1970), Dr. Vinod K.Anand has about forty five years of teaching, research, and project work experience in Economic Theory (both micro and macro), Quantitative Economics, Public Economics, New Political Economy, and Development Economics with a special focus on economic and social provisions revolving around poverty, inequality, and unemployment issues, and also on informal sector studies. His last assignment was at the National University of Lesotho (Southern Africa) from 2006 to 2008. Prior to that he was placed as Professor and Head of the Department of Economics at the University of North-West in the Republic of South Africa, and University of Allahabad in India, Professor at the National University of Lesotho, Associate Professor at the University of Botswana, Gaborone in Botswana, and at Gezira University in Wad Medani, Sudan, Head, Department of Arts and Social Sciences, Yola in Nigeria, Principal Lecturer in Economics at Maiduguri University in Nigeria, and as Lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in Nigeria. Professor Anand has by now published more than 80 research papers in standard academic journals, authored 11 books, supervised a number of doctoral theses, was examiner for more than twenty Ph.D. theses, and has wide consultancy experience both in India and abroad, essentially in the African continent. This includes holding the position of Primary Researcher, Principal Consultant etc. in a number of Research Projects sponsored and funded by Universities, Governments, and International Bodies like, USAID, IDRC, and AERC. His publications include a variety of themes revolving around Economic Theory, New Political Economy, Quantitative Economics, Development Economics, and Informal Sector Studies. His consultancy assignments in India, Nigeria, Sudan, Botswana, and the Republic of South Africa include Non-Directory Enterprises in Allahabad, India, Small Scale Enterprises in the Northern States of Nigeria, The Absolute Poverty Line in Sudan, The Small Scale Enterprises in Wad Medani, Sudan, Micro and Small Scale Enterprises in Botswana, The Place of Non-Formal Micro-Enterprises in Botswana, Resettlement of a Squatter Community in the Vryburg District of North West Province in the Republic of South Africa, Trade and Investment Development Programme for Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises: Support for NTSIKA in the Republic of South Africa, and Development of the Manufacturing Sector in the Republic of South Africa’s North West Province: An Approach Based on Firm Level Surveys. Professor Anand has also extensively participated in a number of conferences, offered many seminars, participated in a number of workshops, and delivered a variety of Refresher Lectures at different venues both in India and abroad. Dr. Anand was placed at the prestigious Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Shimla in the State Himachal Pradesh, India as a Fellow from 2001 to 2003, and had completed a theoretical and qualitative research project/monograph on the Employment Profile of Micro Enterprises in the State of Himachal Pradseh, India.