Quality consciousness : Probability distribution.

Disclaimer : this blog is highly anti-communist. It refuses to believe "Everybody is equal".

This is a pristine Rule of nature : Anything in good quality is always in short supply. Whenever nature is unable to sustain quality, it increases the quantity to increase the probability of survival. The more you are unsure of getting something done, the more back-up plans you will have.

     

Why do animals bear several cubs/calves at a time? A bitch gives birth to at least 5 pups at a time. A cat bears 3-4 kittens in one litter. Why? Since nature is unsure of the survival of all of them. The hen will lay hundreds of eggs, since only a few will hatch. The queen ant will lay thousands of eggs, many of which will be squashed by larger animals. Why does a tree bear lots of flowers (hence fruits) : since many flowers will be destroyed, most fruits would be eaten and will not be planted to grow another tree. Nature always wants to sustain its species, and delay/postpone/prevent extinction. It will leave no stones unturned for that. 

Now look at the species called homo sapiens. Why are triplets/quadruplets/quintuplets/sextuplets and above so uncommon in human beings? Only 3% of the deliveries are twins. Why did people bear 15-20 children during their reproductive age, a few centuries ago? It was the question of probability of survival. Some were still-born, some were born deformed, some died within a year due to malnutrition/etc. Only a few survived into adulthood. Rabindranath Tagore was the 14th  among his 15 siblings. Three of his siblings died in infancy. Now we have the 2-child per family norm, some even going for a single child from the 1990's. Increased health care has lowered the infant mortality rate, ensuring the survival (probability of living = 1) of the next generation. Thus, you need not make several attempts to sustain your species.

Quality gives higher probabilities of survival.

Darwin's epoch-making law "Survival of the fittest" translates into "Go for quality, or perish". Nature's rule is to squash the inferior and retain/sustain the superior. The deer which runs fast enough survives the tiger attack, and lives to produce faster offsprings. The tiger which runs fast catches his food (deer), and survives to produce faster offsprings. Nature is competitive and experimental. And since nature is unsure whether its experiment will succeed or not, it will conduct many experiments, to increase the probability of at least one successful experiment. It keeps on making attempts to succeed in its quality-sustenance. However, we too can step in to increase the quality-assurance. Look after yourself and you will live longer. Keep yourself healthy and you will bear healthy, normal, strong children. If you have diabetes/obesity/heart problems/anemia, it is quite likely your next generation will bear it, too.

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Increased quality always reduces the quantity : good quality products are always in short supply in the market. When you do your work at high quality, you do not have the time to do anything else. You don't get the time to divert your energies in too many things. The concept of "balancing your life" is very over-rated. 

All good things come in small packages. Eat good quality nutritious food and you will need to eat less. Get good quality sleep and 6 hours per night would be enough. Do good quality work and you will need less time : your time-efficiency will be enhanced. Teach well and you will need to teach only once. Give clear specific instructions to your subordinates and you will need to instruct only once. 

Only a few pupils in the class will absorb the knowledge, shine as brilliant students, and will make a better future. Dronacharya had only one student surpassing him, Arjun.

Unpredictable rarity is what draws awe and respect. Cheap and low quality things are available everyday. You need to patiently wait for good quality things. Rarity increases the price : this is the basic law of economics. 

Intensity beats extensity every time. Higher the substance density, nobler is the metal. Check out this element list in the ascending order.

Metal : Aluminium, Iron, Copper, Silver, Gold, Platinum.

Densities(gram per cubic cm.) : 2.7, 7.8, 8.9, 10.5, 19.3, 21.5 respectively.

Even basic matter is telling us this : increase your density and rise in value!

Real Life examples :

1) Why climbing cliffs everyday is not an achievement, while summitting Mt. Everest once, is? 

2) Why do many people reach Mumbai every morning to attempt their luck in the acting and modelling industry. Because only very very few (less than 0.1%) will become successful in building their careers. Allow poor "singers" to audition for Indian Idol, and you will spend days and days searching for a needle in a bale. 

3) Why is the IIT-JEE so tough? The qualifying sieve is very fine, to filter out only the very sharp brains. Make the sieve coarse and you will dilute the quality of IIT. Sadly, it is happening since 2006.

4) Why only Arjun became better than his teacher Dronacharya, while the other 104 students (princes of Hastinapur) remained ok-ok / mediocre?

Everyday examples :

1) If you make quality compromises in choosing a mate, you will need to meet many many prospects to finalize who you will marry. Make the criteria stringent, and you will get to meet (and choose from) only the good quality. 

2) If you are visible everyday, you will stop surprising people. Talk too much and no one will listen.The less you talk, the more you are listened to.

3) Buy poor quality clothes and you will need to buy their replacements after a few months. Buy good quality and they will last (much) longer, with the quality. 

4) Eat out rarely, but only at the best restaurants in town. Frequent the fast-food joints, and you will feel (and look) crappier.

5) Watch few movies, but only the best ones. Otherwise spend every Friday evening cheated on your 500 bucks. Only 1%-2% of the Bollywood movies are worth watching.

6) Buy a cheap gadget of a cheap brand and see how many times it gets hospitalized! 

7) Watch crappy TV programs/channels and you will each up changing channels more than watching!

8) Allow just anyone to stand for elections (including criminals), and you will have goons ruling the country. 

9) Use one good (exhaustive) book for exams, and you will not need to google desperately on the exam eve.

10) A magazine/journal which is bi-monthly/quarterly, is much expensive than the newspaper, available everyday.
11) Have intense workouts 3 days a week, and you will not need daily 'walks'!
12) Read a few high-impact well-researched scientific papers, and you will not need to look into piles of grey literature.
13) Friends must be few, but well-chosen. Would you prefer 200+ "Happy Birthday" wishes on your Facebook wall, or 3-4 phone calls from close friends on the same day?
14) Have a few idols/icons whom you idolize and emulate, and you need not bother about what the "celebrities" in the society are doing.
15) One inspirer is better than many advisers.

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Depth beats breadth. A tree has deeper roots than wider branches. Anyone who has the "chalta hai" attitude is doomed to stay mediocre. Anyone who stay within the comfort zone will never make any progress.

Speak less; but when you speak, your intensity and impact must silence others. Make poor status updates and you will need to make them everyday in order to attract attention and reactions. Make high quality (yet rare) status updates, and see the reaction : even strangers would notice.

Nature can never have 100% efficiency. Stop being in the 'rejected lot' of Nature. Stop being a back-up plan of nature. Become its priority. Concentrate. Focus. Pin-point your effort. Or end up being "Jack-of-all trades, Master of none".

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Reversal : when Quantity is also important.
1) The more you practise, the better is your performance, whether it is dance or Maths.
2) Children need quantity time, not quality time, from parents.
3) You need to drink lots of water to be healthy.