Inscriptions 22 july2018

INSCRIPTIONS 22 July 18 Issue
Contents:
Sculptor Inscribes: Changing the labels contents change
Guru’s speak: Forecasting “The Truths and the Myths”
Caterpillar space: Infatuation
Gallery

New Labels New Contents
R.Gopinath
gopinathr@go-past.com
Can Changing the label on the can change the content in the can? For example a can containing
water become milk by just changing the label (Remove the label water and fix the label milk)? No
way, the content does not change by changing just the label.

But when it comes to human behaviour, it is possible. Changing the label can change the content.

Quite often, human brain has been compared to a computer. ( This comparison is flawed, the
comparison should be the other way. Computer should be compared to brain, because that came
first).

Have you heard of super computer? Let me quote wikipedia,

“A supercomputer is a computer with a high level of performance compared to a
general-purpose computer. Performance of a supercomputer is measured in floating-
point operations per second (FLOPS) instead of million instructions per second (MIPS). As
of 2017, there are supercomputers which can perform up to nearly a hundred quadrillion
FLOPS.”

The Super computers are known for two distinctive advantages: 1) Speed of processing
and 2) Multi-tasking. If we are amazed by these factors, how should we be for the work of
this brain? Should it be called Super Super computer?

Just like the work of a computer has two major components 1) Hardware and 2) Software
the functionality of the brain also has two major components 1) The brain (hardware) and
2) The mind (software).

Our mind is capable of using the brain to do multitasking. At a given point of time the
brain is governing the heartbeats, regulating the body temperature, breathing, functions
of the glands, balancing the body, using senses to protect the body, receiving
information, computing and the list is endless. Mind like the software gets the brain to do
all these some at conscious level and some at subconscious level. Your mind does all
these only to serve you.

Of all the priorities of the mind the top most objective of the mind is to protect you from
pain and push you towards pleasure.

Your mind will go to any extent to protect you from pain or see to provide you with
pleasure. It creates conditions that will save you from pain.

In fact there is no such thing as pain or pleasure in this world. Pain or pleasures are labels
that we give to the results we expect. You keep defining pain and pleasures in your mind.
And the mind acts according to the latest definition

Let me give you some examples:

1) STUDENT:

Let us say a boy who is about to face his school examinations has defined in his mind it
as pain. “Facing exams is a pain”. (There could be reasons for the same, like the previous
failures, or lack of preparation this time) From then the mind starts it protecting activities.
First he prays for some incident or calamity that will get the exam postponed, when it
does not happen, just before the exams the boy develops stomach upset and complains
pain in the tummy and he suffers from indigestion. The parents take him to the doctor
who examines the boy and gives medicine and advices rest for a week. The boy is now
absent at the exams. He even becomes alright within 2 days, as soon as the mind senses
that the danger is over, not even waiting for the one week time that the doctor had given.
The stomach upset was real, he did not fake it.

The mind will go to any extent to protect you from pain. It created the condition of
stomach upset by producing some chemicals within the body (or not producing the
correct chemicals that aid digestion) that caused the indigestion.

2) ANOTHER STUDENT:
This student has defined studying mathematics subject as painful. (There could be
reasons for the same, like the previous failures, or lack of preparation this time). What the
mind does is that whenever he takes the maths book or sits to do the homework on that
subject, he gets headache. Real headache, not a drama to escape the ordeal. Or his eyes
become swollen and reddish. But the same boy when he does a subject of his liking, for
example social science stories, these symptoms do not appear.

3) AN UNEMPLOYED YOUTH:
This person has defined rejection as painful. (There could be reasons for the same, like
the previous failures, others heckling, or lack of preparation this time). So whenever he
sits to send out a CV, his mind will try to divert him towards some other job on hand, like
going to the shop to get that cable that will connect his latest phone to his laptop.
Because even if there is a remote chance of pain, the mind would like to protect him from
that.

4) An Insurance Advisor:
To make cold calls (Approaching previously unknown people) for selling life insurance
plans, he feels is painful, because sometimes the reactions could be insulting. This
advisor will sit in his house or office for days when he does not get appointments to meet
prospects, but will not venture into cold calls even during that period. For when he forces
himself to do that, suddenly he will remember a requirement of an existing client to be
fulfilled like getting him a tax deduction certificate or revive a lapsed policy.

5) A Manager:

A supervisor, working under this manager, and is holding an important portfolio in his
office is behaving arrogantly with his team members. The manager has to counsel him/
advise him to change the behaviour, but he feels this is going to cause him pain, because
the supervisor is a tough man and also holding an important portfolio. Whenever he gets
a complaint from his staff, he ventures to call the supervisor, he remembers another
important job/ statement to submitted to the HO/Regulator

6) A Middle aged lady:
Would like to reduce her weight but since walking daily for 30 minutes early in the
morning is painful, she keeps avoiding it. Once or twice she started the habit, but
suddenly she had ligament pain and the other time she developed headache after walking
in the morning for 300mts.

There can be infinite numbers of examples like these. All the above examples are having
some common points:

1) They know what is good/beneficial for them

2) The want to do those actions

3) They are capable of acting

4) But they are not taking those actions

Just like a sensor camera connected to a steel shutter, that quickly lowers the
shutters when someone unauthorised is trying to enter and make it into a fort of
impregnable steel.
Any action that is connected to a result that is “pain”, the mind will ensure that
action is not taken. It will create conditions that will save you from causing pain to
yourself.
The opposite is also true. That when something is bound to make us happy, the
mind creates conditions that we act instantly upon it.
The mind does not go by others’ definition. For example father defines something
as pain, the boy does not go by that he has defined the same as pleasure, the boy’s
mind will push him towards those actions that will result in pleasure.
So ultimately it is trade off between these two.

What is the remedy?

The definition of pain and pleasure.

The mind does not have a definition of pain and pleasure, it simply accepts the definition
that we give. And when we change that definition it changes its way of guiding the
actions also. It goes by the latest definition.

Examples of redefining:

A girl who grew as princess in her house. She cherishes ice-creams. She loves eating
sugar coated candies. She hates anything that is bitter. When some bitter food is kept in
her dish, she will throw-up. She gets married and goes to another house. In the new place
also she is treated like a queen and she continues her passionate eating. One day she is
served with bitter gourd. Her in laws say that this is good for health. Hesitantly she takes
it, but immediately she throws-up. From that day they decide, that they will never try that
with her.

She now conceives a child, and the doctor advises her that these candies may not be
good for the baby in the womb and for the next 24 months she should avoid eating such
food. She also advices that consuming boiled vegetables is good for the baby. She
suggests a vegetable that could be very bitter but helps the purification of blood and aid
its circulation for both the mother and the child. Doctor says, imagine having a healthy
baby, active and always happy. Your behaviour can beget you that.

The lady comes back home and shares this with others, hesitantly they cook the
vegetables and serve her. Now she consumes it, it tastes bitter, but goes down the throat,
the intestine, only to aid better blood circulation. This becomes a routine food now. A
guest visiting house got some sugar candies for her, looking at that she says, she may not
take it but her sister in law will love it. Earlier even the sight of that candy is enough to
make her mouth watering. But now she gracefully picks it and gives it her SIL but no
reaction in the mouth.

What happened here? Now pleasure of having a healthy, active and happy baby is the
Minds top objective. It has created conditions that food that tastes bitter is acceptable.

Nothing else changed. Taste of ice creams remain the same, bitter gourd continue to be
bitter. Only one thing changed the label:

Let us see the act of changing the label. Let us say an Life insurance agent is defining the
result of rejection as pain, then whenever she attempts to do prospecting or calling
people to seek appointments, the mind will create conditions that will not allow her to do
make that call. But suppose she defines teaching the right things to the people in the
society gives her pleasure. The mind will create conditions that she will make more calls
seeking appointments, because now the mind knows that there is a chance of getting the
pleasure of teaching the right things. While the people around her do not realise the
importance of insurance and they instead prefer to spend the money on trivial things, she
would be thrilled to convince them about the correct way of handling finance. Insurance

first, savings next, investments thereafter. Priority is to provide for duties and
responsibilities, next provide for self reliance, then for ambitions and later for legacy.

When people have labelled the chance of being ridiculed as pain, they will not venture
into public space. They will be unto themselves. For example in a class room, a student
who knows the answer, will not raise his hand to offer the answer, for the chance of being
heckled by others is there in that attempt. Suppose he labels “It is my right to express
myself”. I have paid money to join the class, i am a member of this group, so i have a right
and exercising the right is a pleasure.

For those who want to be different from the crowd around and they know that the crowd
is wrong in its stand now, but if they have defined un-conform (Not conforming to the
group behaviour) and the stares that will follow that act along with the murmurs that might
ensue, their minds will create conditions in which they will never un-conform. Suppose
“Setting a trend” is defined as pleasure, then the mind will create conditions to do such
actions often.

Let us look at the unemployed person referred above. Since he has defined “Rejection”
as a pain, he will not apply for vacant positions that got advertised, leave alone making
direct entries into corporates that might need his type of services. Suppose the girl has
defined seeking the right company and environment to work as pleasure, then she will

keep applying only to face the interviews to find out if that environment suits her. She is
no more seeking jobs, she is selecting the company to work for now.

Let us look at example number 6 that middle aged lady, suppose she defines being
beautiful or say to be her 20 year before appearance as pleasure.

In short it starts with changing the label from pain to pleasure so that gradually the
content itself get changed.

The reverse is also true. To stop actions which can cause damages, but now being
continued because the end result of that is defined as pleasure, we must find ways to
change the label to that of “PAIN”.

I being a trainer, get to travel a lot. There are some months when i take almost 30 flights
to connect to various cities. People use to ask me “Is it not a pain, traveling this much”. I
have defined the experience of travel, the chance to observe behaviours of humans of
various facets, observing giant systems which cater to thousands of publics, helping and
guiding travellers who find the signages not providing directions all these as pleasures.

Drawing a plan and sticking to the action plan is “Discipline” Some have defined this as
pain. Some feel that the freedom to act as per the plan designed as pleasure.

Forecasting - The Truths and the Myths
R. Gopinath
gopinathr@go-past.com
There has always been a desire to know about our future. From age old days this nature has been
there in humans. They use various methods like planetary positions, Birth days, moles on the
body, Horoscopes, Palm reading, and many many other ways.

We keep listening to weather forecasting. We use various media to know about the weather.
Internet, Radio, TV, Social media, Apps etc. These weather forecasts are made for various time
frames. For the day, week, month, for the season, for the year and sometimes for longer periods.

We can expect a good monsoon this year.

This month the temperatures is expected in the range of,

Snow fall is expected to be at a level of..

A cyclonic storm is expected to cross the coast at

Atlantic ice melting rate to come down

The spring this year could be longer

We can expect early rains

and so on

Why should we know in advance about the forthcoming weather conditions? We can anyway not
change them. If it has to happen it will happen, then why know about it?

Can bad weather by stopped? No it can not be stopped. Then why know about it in advance?

Can Good weather be advanced? No it can not be advanced or lengthened. Then why know
about it in advance?

Knowing about an impending bad weather is very important. Even though we can not avoid or
stop a bad weather, if we are well prepared for it then the bad effects of the bad weather can be
minimised or even nullified.

Same way knowing about a forthcoming good weather is very important. Even though we can not
advance a good weather or lengthen it, if we are well prepared for it then the good effects of the
good weather can be multiplied.

If a news reader reads out a forecast of a very bad weather, we do not call him an inauspicious
person. We don’t title him as a negative thinker. We don’t tell him “Be optimistic man”.

But many times we say this to a financial planner, Insurance advisor, financial analysts..

If weather forecast is required for all, then financial forecasting is also required for all.

Corporate bodies with more than 1000Cr wealth (10B) also do financial forecasting, so much so
that they have different periods forecasts like 5 year rolling plan, 3 year, This year forecast,
monthly and even fortnight plans. All these plans incorporate in them the likely risks in that period.

Even start-ups need such forecasting and professionally managed start-ups do it scientifically and
systematically.

Even companies which are undergoing crises currently also get financial forecasting done with the
hep of professionals.

If corporate bodies wherein hundreds of workers contribute to its economics need financial
forecasting, wherein the absence of one or two of them may not significantly affect the economics
of the company, how important it is do a financial forecasting for families wherein only one person
(in many cases) or two persons contribute to the economics of this family?

For any type of forecast, whether it is a weather forecasting or financial forecasting these 4
elements are necessary:

1) A Professional

2) Appropriate Tools

3) Historical Data

4) Defined objectives for the forecasting

1) A professional can give a scientific estimates, others can only do a guess work. If somebody
asks me about how the weather is likely to be in Chenna, ut-the-most i can make a guess. But
a professional meteorologist can provide scientific estimates. Some part of any science is a
matter of common sense. But a major portion of that is in the purview of experts. How to
define professionals then? 1) They are qualified for that profession. Meaning that they carry
some sort of accreditation from a professional body. and 2) They are authorised to practise
that profession, meaning they carry a licence or an appointment order from the competent
authority. Then how correct it is to take advice from our friends and relatives on matters
related to finance. How wrong it is to follow the suggestions or recommendations of our
friends or relatives in making investment decisions? Their intentions might be good in making
those recommendations. But it is only a guess work that they are attempting.

2) Without tools how can anybody make scientific estimates? When we go to a doctor he asks
us to get some tests at a diagnostic centre. Because he does not have the tools to get that
tests done. When it comes to Financial forecasting there are quite a number of tools that are
required to make correct estimates. There are so many tools to arrive at these tools that it
might take a normal person a study of 3 to 4 years to learn how to use those tools.

3) Suppose we request a meteorologist from Europe to forecast about the behaviour of the
Indian ocean, its currents and shifts, he will say that he has to study the past 10 years data,
before he can venture into forecasting. But when it comes to financial forecasting if we are
unwilling to share our data with the advisor then how at all can he make a reasonably correct
forecast?

4) All forecasting are based on the objectives defined. According to the set objectives the tools
and the metrics will be selected. For example in a weather forecasting if the objective is to
advice fishermen about fishing the tools and the metrics will be a particular set, but it were to
be for a farmer to decide on crops then the tools and the metrics could be different. Same
way for financial forecasting also.

In the next issue of inscriptions let me explain the 4 most important objectives of financial
forecasting for families and also explain some basic tools that professionals use to estimate the
needs of the future.

In summation let me tell this:

Some part of any science is a matter of common sense. But a major portion of that is in the
purview of experts.

If we are fully prepared then the bad effects of the bad weather can be minimised or even nullified
and if we are fully prepared then the good effects of the good weather can be multiplied.

INFATUATION
Mr N Vaidyanathan FChFP
proactivevaidi@gmail.com
INFATUATION
I am aware, the above headlines, definitely would have created the curiosity, to the readers, what
this article, is going to talk & to communicate about.
As a person, in the Financial domain for almost 20 years with a bundle & bundle of handful
experiences, on the Financial products called, Life Insurance, Health Insurance, Mutual funds &
Home Loans, and always a person, with the intention of creating Financial awareness to the society,
I am trying to talk & share about my views, of online shopping of Financial products, through this
article.
Due to the Improvements & latest advancements on the technological domain, the concept of
buying, has predominantly shifted from offline to online, for most of the consumer related products.
On the other way, we can say, the fundamental behavior of the consumers itself changed drastically,
with the new concept called online shopping.
In this contest, according to the latest survey conducted, people are willing to prefer online
shopping, even though for various reasons, but they are moving ahead, with one major factor called
“LESS PRICING”, which eliminates the middle men and trying to connect the product
manufacturers or suppliers, and the consumer directly.
Before going more depth on the above point, whether it is right (or) wrong, first let us look closely,
the purpose for any consumers, to buy any products, whether it is in offline (or) online. The
answer is clearly simple
“TO ENJOY THE FULLEST BENEFITS OF THE PRODUCT PURCHASED,
WHICH HAS BEEN DESIGNED FOR, BY THE SELF,
OR BY THE FAMILY
(OR) BY THE BOTH, WITHOUT ANY ISSUES”
(Requesting the readers, to read it once again)
Let us honestly look in to the above point, whether the people buying online, getting the above
benefits exactly (or) not in the later part of this article.
To understand the purpose more clearly, the consumer purchasing products, can be easily classified
into 2 categories (1) Tangible benefits products (2) Intangible benefits products.
For example:
S.N
O
PARTICULARS PRODUCTS
1 Tangible Benefit Products Mobile Phone, Groceries, Watches, Clothes Etc
2 Intangible Benefit Products Life Insurance, Health Insurance, Mutual Funds , FD & any
Financial Asset related instruments etc

If you could have a deep look in to the above table, tangible purchase are falling under the category,
of Instant Benefits products, and whereas the Intangible purchase are Future Benefits assuring
products, in the form of papers.
Here comes, the title of INFATUATION mind set behavior of the consumers, playing a role, of
blocking the logical thinking, (most of times) while buying Financial products online.
We all know, INFATUATION is the mindset, which hides, not only the real truth behind the
circumstances most of the times in life, but also gives the impression, the decision taken is always
right forever.
[I leave the choice to the readers, to recap their teen age experiences, for a minute, which helps, to
match the above mentioned statement is true (or) not]
To make it more understanding, let me take an example of buying term Insurance, through online
shopping, eliminating the middle men called Advisors, on the context called “LESS PRICING”.
On the above example, the buyers would be more confident, that the decision taken by them is
exactly right, without analyzing the real truth (Unfortunately by MISTAKE , most of the times)
of following points practically.
(1) The proposer (or) person Insured, would not be there, in the process of getting claim
settlement.
(2) No Insurance companies, will be compromising, by skipping the factors called “PROCESS”
while handling claim settlement , especially in collecting the relavant documentation, that too,
double cautious during term insurance claims handling.
(3) Definitely, the nominees (or) the claimant also, need to go through the steps called
“PROCESS”, in submitting the claim papers till getting the claim settlement,according to the
company requirements.
(4) Naturally the level of, practical knowledge of execution of process, may (or) may not be there,
to the nominees (or) legal heirs, like insured person.
(5) There are more chances of purpose gets defeated, in getting the benefits at the right time, to
the right person, and the right value.
All the above practical probabilities, will lead the family members, to the further stress, because of
one INFATUATION mind set decision, taken by the proposer, during purchasing of a online
policy, in the context of Lesser price, eliminating the human being called advisor, and putting the
family members, in a position to depend or Robotic call centre process.
At the outset, the consumer totally bye pass the logical decision of how to buy Insurance, with the
top most thought of how easy the settlement of claim with the help of advisor to the nominees
rather than, buying the same, with a thought of less pricing, which consumer indirectly
compromising the convenient of the family members unconsciously .
To make the above points, more precise, you may practically visit (or) help, to know the family
member’s present conditions, of the deceased person, in the recent past, who are in the process of
getting their claim settlement, form their respective Insurance Companies.
The above situation is a tip of an Ice berg. To get it more understanding, you may get in touch
with any right financial advisor, how the other financial products also work & what are the pricing
involved, which you need to pay, during the turbulent & necessary situations. So that, the consumer
can come to the right conclusions, what to do & what not to do, while taking the decision of buying
financial products in online.

Finally, let me conclude this article, with one strong point, clearly stating, buying tangible products
purchase is entirely different, from buying Intangible products purchase, definitely in online
shopping. Hence, the decision of less pricing factor, may not be the right solution, for the
consumers, who are really concerned, about their family members, especially buying
insurance in online.
Wishing you for a Peaceful Financial Life.
N.Vaidyanathan, FChFP
Certified Financial Advisor Pro-Active Financial Solutions

Gallery:
The 34th batch of Mission MDRT at Chennai

LEADING LIGHTS DEV
OFFICERs SESSION AT LISC
Kolkata

GOPAST LAUNCHES E-LEARNING CHANNEL
on 1st JULY 2018

LIKE A DIAMOND IN THE SKY
PARTICIPANTs MUMBAI

A DRAWING BY MR R>GOPINATH, WHOSE HOBBIES ARE
DRAWING, PAINTING, PHOTOGRAPHY and ASTRONOMY

Inscriptions 22 july2018

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