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General Category => Common Forum => Topic started by: shibli on June 08, 2010, 07:36:03 PM

Title: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: shibli on June 08, 2010, 07:36:03 PM: In our everyday life, money seems to be a necessary element. Without money, we cannot do anything. The utility of money is enormous and powerful and the proverb is actually ``Money is a good friend but also is a bad master``. I will try to prove the truth of this proverb and its certainty.

Everyone has to work hard to earn for his living. Each one provides a service and gets a revenue in return. This is how it works in the society today. With his/her income, s/he pays his/her basic need such as the rent, the food, the transportation and the clothing. We need the money to survive and to sustain our everyday life. Without money, we have to spend our night time on the street, wear the second handed clothing, eat the food found in the gabbage bin and walk to the destination. We will become a beggar living on the street and have a miserable life. Therefore, each one has to work to earn the money to sustain their life.

Second, money can give a person the power of consummation. With the revenue, one can purchase a car for better convenience. S/he can go to fancy restaurant with his girlfriend. S/he can live in a bigger house for comfort. S/he can dress up in a beautiful suit for appearance. The person can improve his/her life by spending money he earns and has more diversity in his life. Money brings human being happiness, satisfies one's secondary needs and gives a person the power of consummation.

Third, money is a good solution for problems. When one encounters a problem, for example, s/he lost his power supply for his laptop. Then, s/he can go to the computer store and buy a new one. S/he can solve his problem by spending money in the fastest and most way instead of borrowing one from his friend or spending a whole day to find it. (To be continued)
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: moheuddin on June 09, 2010, 09:43:44 PM: Really sir, I strongly agree with you...............
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: Shamim Ansary on June 10, 2010, 11:08:11 AM: Some people say........

money is the second God

May I know, how you will interpret it, sir?
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: shibli on June 10, 2010, 02:50:35 PM: But money is a bad master. Let's not be mad to earn money more and more. Someone who thinks himself is the highest earner wants more and more money. Even people who speak for communism, who speak for ethics, who speak for humanism want money more and more. But why? Can anyone answer me? Perhaps it is because some people believe that money is the second god on which i strongly disagree?
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: Shamim Ansary on June 10, 2010, 03:23:23 PM: During the era of materialism, some people justify everything basing on money. The person who has a great deal of money, is considered as a significant one. He becomes able to make others submissive to himself. Virtually, he can buy a lot of things with money: He donates, builds edifice for living, wears pompous dress, eats whatever he relishes, gets pretty wife, travels here and there.....

....but ultimately, he becomes the slave of money. He chases and chases behind more & more money. His ethics, morality, spirituality evaporate.

...Money is important in life. Yes, very important indeed. It is difficult to live without money....

but...we should desire as much money as we need to run a moderate life. Exessive everything is very bad. After death, Allah will count every penny of one's possession.

So, never to hanker after money.

Money is our slave, not master.
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: shibli on June 10, 2010, 04:38:58 PM: How much money do we need to lead a decent life? Isn't it a relative matter? We have to be content and satisfied with whatever we have. Money and power create jealousy and jealousy brings destruction. (To be continued)
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: shibli on June 12, 2010, 05:10:16 PM: Money is the second God-goes the saying. In a sense, that might be true. The wheel of the whole universe of activities centers around one point -money. Money buys wealth, happiness, even love sometimes. Humankind all over the world kneels down to it. Truly speaking, there is hardly any job on earth that money cannot accomplish.

True, money is very powerful. But what is the nature of its power? Being a part and parcel of our daily life, does it deserve the honor we give it?
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: shibli on June 13, 2010, 11:19:54 AM: As a matter of fact, money is a good servant but a bad master. It serves you best with anything, in any way. But if you worship it, it conquers you wholly. Then you cease to be yourself. Not only that, you cannot be a good servant as well.
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: admin on June 13, 2010, 11:44:37 AM: Money is nothing but part of everything
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: shibli on June 13, 2010, 04:39:40 PM: In this regard, one thing we must remember: we earn money to live, and we do not live to earn money. Those who earn money to live----- earn it and spend it and enjoy their lives. They change money into happiness, prosperity, development, and well being; but money cannot change them. They can enjoy the gifts of life.

But, on the other hand, those who live to earn money------ live like salves to it. It is those people who are the root of all evils-chaos, destinations, murder, robbery, bribery and so on. Not only they cannot control themselves, but they are controlled by money. We must run after money but must not run toward hell.
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: shibli on June 13, 2010, 04:59:58 PM: So, money can never be our God-even the second; for "You must have one God only. Who will be at the expense of two?"
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: Shamim Ansary on June 14, 2010, 09:30:46 AM: Well said.
Title: Where there is a strong will, there is a way out
Post by: shibli on June 19, 2010, 12:14:45 PM: Where there is a strong will, there is a way out

If one develops a will power to do something, one will be able to do it someday or other. Maybe at present a man does not know how to do something, but eventually he will come up with a way to do it. In fact, intention to do something is the birthplace of an action. Nobody knows anything by magic. They must undergo a trail-and-error process to find out an effective way to do something. Perseverance is always rewarded. Actions never failed; what fails is only inactive dream.

Robert Bruce, For example, having failed several times to defeat his enemies, was at last able to win over them by tough perseverance. Sir Issak Newton recovered by hard labor the data he lost when his pet dog tom set the records on fire. History abounds in examples showing great menâ€™s success after repeated trail. In our daily life too we see that however hard a thing is, we can do it if we just keep on trying. Indeed â€œWhere there is strong will there is a way out.â€
Title: A beautiful girl might not be a good girl
Post by: shibli on June 19, 2010, 12:15:58 PM: A beautiful girl might not be a good girl.

Things may not be judged by their appearances. If we donâ€™t use our objective judgment, our eyes may fail to see the actual worth of something. For example, often we come across commodities in the market which look good but give little utility. Most eye-catching, brightly colored furniture is made of unseasoned, cheap wood. The artificial diamond dazzles the eye with its fake brightness. Even this statement is true of people too.

The boy who looks over smart is virtually good for nothing. Enticingly-dressed-up girls seldom behave well. Very attractive girls might have snobbery in their mind. Everywhere we see things in pretentious disguise. Who knows what is genuine and what is false(ersatz)? All that glitters is not gold.
Title: I come home alone after a long day at work
Post by: shibli on June 22, 2010, 04:55:37 PM: I come home alone after a long day at work. I open the door to my home. No one is there. Is it blessed silence I hear - or echoing emptiness?

The millions of people who live alone today may have either experience. Some love living alone, yet others wish they didn't have to.

When they open that door at night, people who live alone do not have to put up with demands or listen to someone's noise or meet anyone's dinner deadlines. They do not have to debate about which TV program to watch or stay off the phone because someone else is expecting an important call. No one else messes up their kitchen.

But when they are sick, no one else will bring them an aspirin or call the doctor. Preparing dinner for one can be difficult, and eating dinner for one night after night can be very lonely. Perhaps no one really cares what they did all day. If they are feeling sad, there may be no one to cheer them up. Some people who live alone say the worst times come when something very good happens because there is no one to share the joy.

During the course of a lifetime, one may sometimes live with others and sometimes live alone. Each way of life has its advantages. Learning to take advantage of them is one key to contentment.
Title: Every year billions of dollars are spent on advertising
Post by: shibli on June 22, 2010, 05:08:54 PM: Every year billions of dollars are spent on advertising. Many approaches are used to persuade consumers to buy a product. Some seem to work better than others.

One approach, for example, is to try to make the reader or viewer identify with the people shown using the product. These people seem to be glamorous, loved, successful, elite, clever, or sensuous. Supposedly, anyone who uses the product can expect the same reward. Another approach is to let the product speak for itself; people are attracted to scrumptious food, beautiful clothing, and sleek new cars. Sometimes good prices and special deals are the focus. Ads for complicated products, such as computers, may provide a lot of information. Endorsements by celebrities are especially common.

In general, many of the ads succeed. People do tend to buy what they see advertised. However, some advertising can backfire. People may be offended, for example, by ads that are overly sensuous or ones that viciously or sarcastically attack competitors' products.

Advertising can be a useful aid for the consumer. It helps a person learn what is new or in style or handy to have around, what things cost, and where to buy them. To use this information effectively, however, a person must learn to look past the emotional appeals and find the facts.
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: Shamim Ansary on June 23, 2010, 09:23:00 AM: "We rarely like the virtues we have not..." William Shakespeare, English playwright
Title: Why do people go to university?
Post by: shibli on June 24, 2010, 04:36:24 PM: People study in college or university for many different reasons. I think the most important reason is to gain more knowledge and learn more skills. Of course, there are also many other reasons that people study in college or university such as to get more friends, and increase one's self-confidence.

These days, most jobs require people who are educated and have good job skills. Therefore, the people who want a good job have to study hard and at least graduate with a high education. Furthermore, as technology advances all over the world, more and more education is required of people.

Some people who study in college or university want to make more friends and increase their interpersonal skills. They enjoy their lives in university or college and tend to socialize a lot. They can meet more people who have the similar interests with themselves. They can go to uni ball after school and make more friends who they trust.

The people who graduate from university seem more confident in our community. These people are more respected by society. Many people want to be respected and to be important by family, friends, their bosses, and others in their lives. They find that most of them can confidently talk and do their jobs as they are more educated. Therefore, most people want to get the confidence through the university or college study.

In today's society, people need more knowledge and skills to be adapted. The university and college study is a good way to achieve this.

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Title: Why do people go to university?
Post by: shibli on June 24, 2010, 04:38:36 PM: University is a place that the students can learn more and new knowledge and experience in it. Of course, different people have different reasons to study in university. For example, some people want to be to go on a further study after they graduate from the university; some people hope to find a good job after their studying in the university and also some people wish to exchange their present situation through studying in the university. In my opinion, no matter what reason people study in the college for, studying in the college is just a preparation for their futureâ€™ life.

First of all, students can learn new knowledge and experiences from the studying in the university. There are many teachers, professors with abundant teaching experience who teach students lots of new knowledge and help them to solve the problems in their study. With their help, student can learn a lot of useful basic and professional knowledge which is very helpful for their futureâ€™ work. and study. After they finish their study in the college, students go to work in the society and contribute to the different fields.

Secondly, students can learn how to arrange their own time reasonably. Before their studying in college/university, their life often arranged by their parents and their study often arranged by their teachers. It is very different for them to live and study in college, because students studying in college have to arrange their life and study by themselves. They have right to arrange their part time, such as when to get up, when is the sport-time, when to finish the assignment etc. This is very important experience for studentsâ€™ work and life in the future.

Secondly, studying in the university make students having opportunity to live with other student and learn how to cooperate with other people. Usually, people often have uncomfortable feeling to live with a stranger, because they do not know each other and perhaps their habit and personality are different. But for the long run, it is good for them. They have to cooperate with each other and solve a lot of problems they will face together. Gradually, they can learn how to care and understand other people. It is a preparation for students to go to cooperate with other people in the society.

All in all, students not only can learn lots of new knowledge from the books but also can learn much more necessary experience such as how to arrange time and how to cooperate with other people. It is very important for their future work and life.

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Title: Our neighbor
Post by: shibli on July 07, 2010, 10:52:54 AM: Our neighbor

Living next to next is the principle of a neighbor. Good neighborliness is the ideal to be aimed at and pursued. People live in the same neighborhood for many reasons. Sometimes it may be aesthetic and very often convenience. It may be the nearness to one's office of work, school, traffic centers and so on. As the saying goes, no man is an island; he has to live with his neighbors. To make life tolerable and bearable one must cooperate with one's neighbor.

One's neighbor may be temporary as in the case of traveling by bus or train. Here the neighbor is with one for a few minutes or few hours. Even here if there is understanding between the neighbors the travel will be pleasant. Good neigborliness generates good company and especially during travel it helps to take away the boredom. There are cases when such travel has culminated in longstanding friendship.

Whether one likes it or not, one cannot do without neighbors. Even where houses are isolated as in the case of bungalows there is inevitably the neighbor. Normally one may think one can do without neighbors because one can command all comforts and services, so the services or the need for a friend may not arise. However serviceable the radio or the TV may be in providing the recreation, they cannot supply the human elements. The sympathy, the admiration and the appreciation which a neighbor may offer will have a great humanizing influence. To share one's view and sometimes even one's sorrows one needs some neighbors. Because man is gregarious he cannot live in isolation.

But all neighbors are not always keeping the cordial relationship. Stresses and strains develop because of misunderstandings. The cause may be very trivial or flimsy, still tension develops ending in animosity and feud. Jealousy may be another cause for such a tension. The neighbor may be doing fine, has earned a lot of money, his children are doing well, he gets quick promotions, these and such others may create jealousy. Once this is generated, this leads to non cooperation and petty quarrels. Very often children may be the cause for strained feelings.

Children may quarrel drawing the elders into the fray. The neighbor's son may pick a flower or a fruit from your garden and an argument may erupt. Again he may throw his ball at your window pane damaging it. These are not unnatural so far as the younger one is concerned but it is for the elders to view at them with equanimity and make up for it. This may read easy on paper but not so in practical life. But with some broad outlook one must be able to tolerate.

Another reason for tension may be the animals. Your neighbor's dog may be a real nuisance or his poultry which would come into your garden and eat away the young saplings.

In all these cases to keep up good neighborliness some understanding between the neighbors is important. Small differences can be easily patched up or ironed out. Care can at times play the good samaritan and helps the neighbors in a small or big way. Nobody is perfect and it is better not to speak disparagingly of your neighbor.

A cheerful word or a nod or a casual enquiry will strengthen the feeling of good neighborliness. Negatively, one must not pry into what the neighbor is or what he does.

Tolstoy speaks in one of his stories how neighbors should behave. A child was wearing a new shirt and the neighbor's child threw mud on it and thus spoiled it. Women folk started the quarrel and men folk entered into the fray ending in a few heads broken and so on. By then the children forgot all their quarrel and were playing. Tolstoy draws a moral from the story namely neighbors must be quick to forget small wrongs done.

Neighborliness is not only for individuals but it is important also in a great measure between neighboring countries. History has got a lot to teach in this respect. Unless countries learn to live as good neighbors, there cannot be peace on earth. So children must be taught at home and in the school to cooperate with the neighbors and be friendly with them. The basic principle is to give and take and to develop a sense that the other man has as much right as you have and some degree of tolerance is very necessary.

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Title: Computer and their uses
Post by: shibli on July 07, 2010, 10:53:28 AM: Computer and their uses

Perhaps the single greatest invention of the century is the computer. The computer is essentially a machine that enables humans to complete tasks that may be time consuming or very repetitive in nature. This it achieves by imitating human thought processes. In much the same way that humans think using pathways in their brains that conduct minute electrical currents, computers too use tiny electrical circuits which tell it what to do. The difference being that computers do this at incredible speeds.

In this modern age man has grown to be heavily dependent on computers to carry out all kinds of jobs that were done manually before. In banking for example computers allow for millions of transactions to be carried out involving large sums of money which would otherwise require thousands of bank tellers. Computers do the job in a much shorter time and practically free of any errors. Computers are responsible for air traffic control and the running of trains to ensure that travel is made as smooth as possible. In factories nowadays computers operate mechanical devices that produce goods we require for everyday living, in such quantities that would be otherwise impossible to achieve if these factories were run by humans alone.

Perhaps the greatest advancements have been made in the field of communications. All of us are by now familiar with the 'Internet'. The internet is a collection of computer systems and individual terminals linked up worldwide through telephone lines and other channels. It offers a cheaper alternative to communicating with people within a country and internationally through computers. It has also been described as an immense pool of knowledge just waiting for applications it has given rise to a new means for countries to carry on trade with each other through 'E-Commerce'.

It must however be kept in mind that as useful as computers are. They are not capable of independent thought and still require human input. In recent times scientists have developed' Artificial Intelligence' in computers that may enable them to function independently of man in the future.

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Title: The pleasures of reading
Post by: shibli on July 07, 2010, 10:54:21 AM: The pleasures of reading

Animals may have moments of pleasure but only man has got a lot to do with it. It is through our sense organs that we enjoy pleasure. The sense of smell, sight, hearing, touch and taste each brings pleasure. Even the baby as soon as it is born feels the pleasure of sucking and the comfort of being cuddled in the wads of cloth in the mother's lap. But for the pleasing smell we will not be able to enjoy our food. We are thrilled by the sight of ice capped mountains or the roaring water falls of the Niagara. So they are the senses that help us to get pleasure.

There is no end to the sources of pleasure. But reading for pleasure belongs to a higher order and stands as a category by itself. While external things bring pleasure to the sense organs, reading brings pleasure to the mind. Greater the mind is cultured, greater will be the derived from reading for reading makes a full man.

Reading is the end product of writing. Unless there is something written one cannot read. So good writing is a concomitant of reading. Man alone can write, in other words put his ideas in black and white. In fact even before printing came into being man was writing and it is as old as modern civilization. Man can preserve his thoughts and ideas through writing. Thus the whole world of literature is there far one to read.

Now reading material is available for all tastes. A scholar may go through serious writing for the sake of enriching his knowledge. Another may read a magazine or a picture book for whiling away the
time. One chooses the reading material according to his moods, his literary background, the time at his disposal and the purpose if any. A teenager may like stories of romance and an old man may prefer books on philosophy and religion. Some gifted with imagination and the faculty to reflect may read poetry.

One who takes pleasure in reading always tries to build his library. Very often a good library may serve the purpose.

The greatest advantage in reading is when one comes across great minds. Whether you agree with what is there to read or do not agree there will not be any quarrel. You may pronounce your judgement on the writer. There will be no harm if your judgment is silent and not published.

Given the proper atmosphere like a good silent place, soft light and comfortable seat, one can read and read and enjoy it.

There are great masters of writing in all great languages of the world. English Language abounds in such great authors. Again it may be poetry, novel, fiction, drama, travelogue, and letters. Biographies and autobiographies, form a sizable part. In these days of rush good magazines supply the material for reading. For example, one may cite the Reader's Digest.

In order to enjoy reading, one must cultivate that habit. Reading is not the 'be all' and `end all' of life. Yet, it can be ennobling. There is dignity in reading habit.

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Title: A friend in need is a friend indeed
Post by: shibli on July 07, 2010, 02:08:28 PM: A friend in need is a friend indeed
â€œWhat to do now? Iâ€™m frightened! The bear is coming near!â€ said the man who could not climb trees to the man who could. The latter, seeing that danger was imminent, ran way and climbed onto a nearby tree without considering what would happen to his friend. Being on the tree, he said, â€œI didnâ€™t promise to you that I would be in your danger.â€

His friend, finding no other way, lay down on the ground as if he were dead. The bear came and, smelling the man, thought he was dead and went away. The danger over, the first man came down from the tree and asked the second, â€œFriend, what did the bear tell you? â€œFriend!â€ the second man exclaimed, â€œWhatâ€™s called a friend?â€

Actually, who is a real friendâ€ This question will set anybody thinking.

Everything can be judged, and so it should. And so should a friend too. Success has many friends. But they are only fair-weather friends, not real. A friend, says Plato, is a single soul living in two bodies. If this is the definition of friends, then anybody cannot claim to be a friend. On the contrary, one who helps his friend in danger is a real friend. That is, friendship should be tested by the touchstone of sorrows and happiness. As a matter of fact, a friend in need is a friend indeed.

By Zakir Hussain
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: shibli on July 07, 2010, 06:33:18 PM: Money is a stupid measure of achievement but unfortunately it is the only universal measure we have. Discuss its importance

In life there must be a measure of achievement. In ancient society achievement was measured by the head of cattle one possessed, by the acres of land he owned and by the battle he had won. Among the cannibals by the skulls he had won; very grotesque and cruel indeed. In these examples we find it was never the money that counted in measuring achievement. Instead of money some societies had different measures, for examples, it may be the cowries or even salt. There are areas where the achievement cannot be measured numerically because of the uniqueness of the achievement, for instance, in the case of conquering Mt. Everest or landing on the moon.

However, today it is money. It can command a measure of achievement. If he has a big bank balance he is looked upon as a man of success. How he got them and at whose cost he got them are not questioned.

But the real worth of money is its exchange value. When money was there, of course then too there were transactions. They exchanged one commodity for another, called the barter system in the olden days. If one had a cow he may exchange it for wheat; if one had wool he may exchange it for finished product. With the complexities of the market and the multiplicity of commodities, barter is not possible. We can't say it is completely out of fashion for in international trade a kind of barter is still going on. A country exporting wheat may in turn get sugar. A country exporting tin and rubber, may import motor cars. But as a measure of value money is the best. As such it has brought many good things and bad things too.

To measure the achievement money is also used as a standard. The achievement of amassing great wealth has to be looked into. Has it come by honest work or dishonest means ? This moral side is very often eclipsed by the ostentatious show of the wealth. People are dazzled by the riches, the limousine a person drives, the brilliant gems his wife wears and other items of luxury.

Let us see why it is a stupid measure. How can one get money ? Can he get by inheritance, by being the owner of some natural resources e.g. petroleum, good land speculation or having a good market for products ?

Still we want a measure by which other things can be valued. Money is the greatest common factor and the genius who thought of money as such must have been a very brainy fellow indeed. It makes marketing and accounting easy. It is easy to carry. Intangible becomes tangible.

But all is not well with money. The value of money is only relative. It depends on how much a particular unit of currency can buy in the market. Some currencies are backed by good economic strength while others are weak. That is the picture we see today. To decide achievement by money alone is a very poor yardstick.


grotesque         strange and unpleasant in a frightening way

eclipse         to make another person or thing seem much less important

ostentatious         too obviously showing your money, possessions or power, in an attempt to make other people notice and admire you

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Title: Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man and writing an exact man
Post by: shibli on July 07, 2010, 06:38:22 PM: "Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man and writing an exact man" (Bacon). What influence do you think reading, conversation and writing have in making you a citizen of the world ?

The major aim is to become and be a citizen of the world. One may be a citizen of a town or city or country. That is easy because the spirit of the place grows into one's own blood as it were. Thus one can be easily a Malaysian, an American and so on. But to be a citizen of the world it calls for a much more broad outlook, deep understanding and a judicious appreciation of other cultures. Very few people could claim to be a citizen of the world. But there have been and there are people who have reached that height. If we analyze and study their lives we could see how their education, interactions with others and writings have made them citizens of the world. So let us see the role played by reading, interactions and writing in the make up of the citizen of the world.

First of all take the case of reading. One reads for pleasure or for understanding or for improving his stock for knowledge. What we read in the school or college or professional institutions is only the beginning and they show and guide what and where to look for. For example specialists like doctors, lawyers or engineers cannot be content with what they have studied in their colleges. Unless they study professional publications later they cannot be up to date. Thus a lawyer may study law reports; a doctor may study professional magazines and monographs. For pleasure we read a lot in our own mother tongue and in other languages as well. The companionship of books is the best that one could look for. Books may please you but never offend you. The reading may be light as a weekend magazine or it may be a master piece. One may read materials pertaining to his profession or personal interest; he may also read books on other areas for fun. Thus one may read books on dozens of different interests and this reading surely goes to make him a full or an all-round man. Such people of wide knowledge are really useful.

Very few people are good conversationalists though there are many well read men. To be a good conversationalist one requires certain qualities. Basically one must be a good mixer; in other words one should like to socialize and have the gift of the gab. He must be a good conversationalist and listener and must never be offensive or must not wound the feelings of the other. At a higher level when a man meets others in conference he learns a lot from them. To be a success at a conference one must have the ability to put forth his arguments forcibly and logically and convincingly. He must have the patience to hear the other man. He must grasp the other man's point of view quickly and reply. This makes one a ready man.

Coming to writing, we write when we cannot directly converse or talk to. In writing words are recorded and once the writing goes out of one's hand and reaches the other person it becomes a record. The right word in the right place shows the depth of knowledge of the writer and his penmanship. One may write simple, loving family letters, serious stories, poems, dramas, business letters and short articles. What ever is written the flow of words shows the man. You must write what you want to express in plain, straight forward language avoiding redundancy. In conversation one may be wandering; digressions are permissible but in writing each word or sentence must take you forward. We can see this in the great essays of master writers. The power of the written word has been proved in the great books of the world. From the Bible to the Communist Manifesto we find the effect of the written word. The compactness, the exactness, the sequence of logic, all these make good writing. The more one writes the more chastened he becomes like the polishing of a precious stone.

So to be a good citizen of the world one must read a lot, one must learn from companions and one must write. Then can he become a full, ready and exact man.


monograph         a long article or a short book on a particular subject

the gift of the gab         the ability to speak easily and confidently in a way that makes people want to listen to you and believe you

digression         to move away from the main subject you are writing or talking about and to write or talk about something else

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Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: shibli on July 10, 2010, 03:26:39 PM: Dear students
Describe how you have been helped or hindered by relatives and friends in preparing for exams.

Answer:

Examinations are like running a race. It is not always the one who deserves that wins. Some proper training is indeed essential for passing examinations well. With all one's innate intelligence one may require proper guidance. Some grasp quickly end can do further work by themselves. These ere people with e high intelligent quotient. Average people can surely succeed in examinations with positive help. It is something like oiling the wheel. One may know the answer but how it is put end present it makes a lot of difference. Experienced people may show the way. Hence nowadays people seek even outside guidance by having private tuition at home or joining an institute giving expert tuition.

Of course in my case I am lucky that all along I have been helped by my relatives end friends. To begin with I can't forget the help my mother used to render in the primary classes. She was ready to help and so I never worried about my homework. Not only did she use to urge me to do the task but patiently helped me along.

When I came to the higher classes I could confidently depend on my brother and sister. They would teach me mathematics and help me do the problems. Since they always wanted me to do well in the examinations they not only gathered question papers from other schools but also patiently saw to it that I completed those papers by myself.

One of my teachers used to help me whenever I approached him. He knew that I wanted to score first in the examination to get into a professional college. Unless one is really competent, one cannot hope to enter the professional college easily. So my teacher showed me the way how examinations should be tackled. We used to discuss in a general way about various problems both national and international and I can say it has stood me well in competitive examinations. That again has helped me in viva voce examinations because I had first hand practical knowledge.

Last but not least I can't fail to mention that some of my friends really helped me. We used to compare notes and help each other when one was not attending the class. We used to take down notes from reference books and discuss them. We formed almost a team and with a competitive spirit went for the examination. There was no jealousy among us and in doing practical work one always helped the other. When I look back I am grateful to all of them who helped me ungrudgingly.

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Title: A journey by car to a distant town
Post by: shibli on July 11, 2010, 04:04:16 PM: A journey by car to a distant town

When considering the distance a train journey ought to have been preferred, but my family decided this time to go by car. Our family friend offered his Sedan at our service. The car was a well maintained one and could stand the long journey. We wanted to avoid the morning rush on the road and so we started early morning after having tea. All our luggage was packed in and the four of us left. Besides ourselves there was of course the driver.

Even before we were on the road the day was breaking. There was not much traffic on the road, except for stray animals and the early risers. We sped along the road for nearly 50 km. We stopped at a hotel where we had a hearty breakfast with hot rolls, cheese, fried eggs and muffins. By the time we left the sun was up and the day was becoming hot. We talked of many things, from the latest film to the forthcoming election and many joke to cut the boredom.

Though we were a family we had different views and opinions on a number of things. If one could swear by the hippie cult, another could equally speak about the value of transcendental meditation. It is a wonder that such a disparate group could occur in a family.

After sometime we switched over to the cassette player and enjoyed the song, hits of some famous musicians. This invention is a great boon to a lonely traveler. Unlike the record player, the cassette is handy and the tape has a longer space and can be erased and recorded.

We stopped at a way side petrol kiosk for refueling. The road we took was the national highway and so travel was not particularly tedious. We drove past many vehicles, lorries, buses, vans and trucks. One the way we saw a coconut vendor. It was so tempting that we stopped for a few drinks. The cool, sweet drink was like ambrosia.

As we were nearing our destination, we just stopped to get out of the car in order to tidy up. After that we continued our journey till we reached our hotel where rooms had been reserved. We were happy that we were able to cover such a distance in a car without any event.

disparate         different in every way

transcendental         describes an experience, event, object or idea that is extremely special and unusual and cannot be understood in ordinary ways

ambrosia         the food eaten by Greek and Roman gods, or a very pleasant food which could be compared with this

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Title: Every person has his own ideal of human greatness
Post by: shibli on July 11, 2010, 04:10:18 PM: "Every person has his own ideal of human greatness." Do you agree ?

"Some are born great; some achieve greatness; some have greatness thrust upon them." So wrote Shakespeare in one of his plays. One is common; everybody wants to become great. Why great ? The answer itself is obvious because the greatness has its own rewards, name and fame, ovation and applause, red carpeted welcome and wealth. There is practically no field where one cannot achieve greatness. From the great minister to a great cook in all ranks there can be greatness.

How great? There are degrees and shades of greatness as there are shades in colors. Greatness in a particular field cannot be equated with greatness in a different field. So each one in his specialized field has got his standard or ideal of greatness.

One thing common is that greatness cannot be achieved so easily. It is not made to measure or order and it is true also that it is not always the deserving that becomes great. To achieve greatness a lot of perspiration and hard work is needed. One may have the genius in him but he would have to use it. Even a diamond must be polished and faceted in order to sparkle; otherwise it would continue to be a crude lump of gem. So too in order to become great, one has to work for it. Shakespeare is not fully right in his above quoted statement. It may be true, some are made great but real greatness is the fruit of hard labor.

Now each one in his own peculiar field has his ideal of greatness. Take a politician. If he has taken politics as a career his ambition is to become a Minister one day or a Prime Minister. Whether, then, the country would gain or suffer under him is a different question. As far as the person is concerned his ideal of greatness lies in becoming a Minister.

Look at the sportsmen. Whether it be football, hockey or cricket if he can rise and represent his country in international meets he is considered great. He must wear the colors of his country and become the cynosure of the fans.
An artist wants to become great through his performance. It may be music, painting or sculpture. If he is recognized as unique and masterly then he is pleased. They hunger after recognition and a few of them want to leave behind a tradition. In the fine arts the idea of founding a 'school' is prominent and that is the ideal of greatness for most artists.

Greatness lies in the recognition which people bestow on the person concerned. Until the recognition is achieved the hungry soul can never rest satisfied. Some like Captain Sentry in the Spectator's Club could never move forward though he may have the recognizable merit. Some simply spring up and fade away as quoted in Gray's famous line 'full many a gem of purest ray serene ...' In conclusion everyone wants to become great in his or her own way.

thrust upon         to force someone to accept or deal with something

cynosure         a person or thing which is so good or beautiful that it attracts a lot of attention

bestow         to give something as an honour or present

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Title: As a profession, advertising is young
Post by: shibli on July 13, 2010, 12:38:32 PM: "As a profession, advertising is young" says an American writer, "As a force it is as old as the world" Discuss

It is a truism to say that advertising is a veritable force today and no product, however good it may be, can hope to succeed unless through the medium of advertisement. It cannot be gainsaid that man is more led by the advertisements in choosing his requirements whether it is a tooth paste or a fridge or a TV set. The advertisement meets him in many forms and the mass media is fully utilized for the purpose. A sizable percentage of the value of the world's commerce is spent on advertisement.

Advertisement takes many forms. There are a hundred and one ways in which a product may be advertised. It may be through the newspaper where in many thoughtful and suggestive ways advertisement is inserted. In fact no modern newspaper can survive but for the pages and pages of advertisements. In some countries they widely make use of posters, especially the cinema trade. There are the Radio and the TV advertisements and these have become very popular especially with the younger generation. Then there are the mementos and presentation articles.

Since advertisement has become a powerful media it has come to be specialized. It is being studied as a science and degrees and diplomas are being conferred by universities. There are advertising firms of national and international reputation who see to it that beautiful advertisements are made about products. They make the write-ups, create pictures, and coin ear-catching slogans to popularize a product. A good lot of psychology goes into it. So as a profession, it is becoming more and more scientific.

It gives employment opportunities to different types of talented persons. Photographers, graphic artists, writers and even poets find a job. Where the rich patronage has failed, perhaps the advertisement trade does it in that it could employ many types of artists. Naturally any person or company who wants to launch or introduce a new product sets apart a sizable amount of money for advertisement. They have to be advertising lest the public should forget. Thus products which have already made a name are being continuously advertised; for example 'HORLICKS' is being advertised in season and out of season though it has become almost a household name for a homely drink.

But the question is whether advertising it old or recent. The answer is an emphatic 'no'. Let us try to answer this question. If the spirit of advertisement is to attract and draw the attention of others as the quotation says, it is as old as the world itself. Then nature herself provides ample examples both in the plant kingdom and the animal kingdom alike.

Take the case of the color and smell of flowers. Some flowers are beautifully colored and still others are white. The colored ones easily attract the insects and the bees. The latter make them their homes for the sheer beauty of them and also for the sake of the honey. The poets have gone so far to say these insects make the flowers their beds. The smell again attracts the birds and insects. Most of the night flowers are white and sweet smelling. The white color and the smell easily show the location of the flower. This is the the mutual advertisement of the flower and the insect in that, the former is helped in pollination and the latter gets the honey as a wage.

Among animals, we find birds and animals are colored and so attractive. These colors help them in mating and choosing their partners. The love dance of the bee is well known. The male of most of the animal species is more attractive than the female. It is true of the cock, the peacock, the lion, the tiger, the bull and so on. Perhaps man has got a different opinion about himself. The colors and the attractive appearance help the male of the species to conquer his mate. Sometimes the color of the animal is a warning as in the case of poisonous creatures.

The color and smell of a fruit is a sure way of advertising their presence to man and animals to get at them. Can anybody avoid the smell of a mango or a jackfruit ? So we see the whole world has a way of advertising itself. So we feel advertisement is a way of life, though the modem man has developed and built it on a Scientific basis. What the temple fair or carnival did in olden days, the modem advertisement does today.

truism         a statement which is so obviously true that it is almost not worth saying

momentos         an object that you keep to remember a person, place or event

lest         in order to prevent any possibility that something will happen

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Title: Assess the danger that the industrial society may collapse
Post by: shibli on July 13, 2010, 12:41:15 PM: Assess the danger that the industrial society may collapse by the middle of the 21st century through the exhaustion of raw materials

Before actually assessing the danger as contemplated let us first of all know about the certain premises raised here. To begin with let us be clear about an industrial society. In such a society for all his needs man look to the machines which symbolize the industrialized society. Many of the things would have been automated, for example, the sorting of eggs or the baking of bread. In such and many other cases man may be working but he is only a cog in the wheel. Everything is on a mass scale; everything follows a system; everything is made to order. The USA and most of the West European countries come under this category. Japan is the Eastern nation which is highly industrialized.

For all their industries, all these societies use many raw materials. They may be forest products, the fossil fuels, or the ores from the bowels of the earth. Their quantity is limited and the way the industrialized societies are exhausting them, create the fear that stock may be exhausted sooner or later.

For instance, forests are being denuded in many countries for the manufacture of paper and furniture. It is easier to fell hundreds of trees a day than to grow one. But the demand for paper is growing very fast that unless some alternative to wood is found in forest based industries, there may not be enough paper.

So too with fossil fuels whether it be oil or coal or natural gas. The way they are being used has led to the speculation that there may not be any petroleum by the turn of this century. Perhaps the stock of coal may last a few decades more. Anyway in the case of coal the stock is only limited and not inexhaustible. If forests take only decades to come up the fossil fuels require geological ages to form and unlike trees they cannot be made to order.

Then there are other minerals especially ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Some of the metals are in abundance while others are scarce. After all mines are not milch cows and even milch cows would become dry and old.

But by the middle of the next century things may not be gloomy after all. Science and ingenuity of man will work together to find a way out of the impasse. Newer materials, newer processes and recycling may have the answer. Already we are having a taste of what may come. Look at the man made fibers and plastics. A few decades ago none would ever have thought of them but now there is none who does not use them. In fact they are made from things which were considered useless or which were going to waste.

With the advent of television and other still more sophisticated methods of communication, the need for a big bulk of paper, may be reduced. Instead of writing letters, they may be tape recorded. Instead of books we may have microfilms of books.

Recycling has a great promise. Since matter is indestructibly, one useless stuff can be converted into something really useful. Nature does it in fact as in the case of photosynthesis or keeping the nitrogen cycle going. After man has set his foot on the moon, a lot of thinking has gone into recycling. So we may think of a day soon when there will be not waste material. By changing the constitution of materials they may be made to do wonderful work. An example is fiber glass which has the strength of steel. Then there is the sea floor which has not been exploited as much as land. Remember three fourths of the earth is sea.

Man is the only animal who can take the challenge and if previous history has anything to teach, it shows that man has stupendous and fantastic capacity to survive.

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Title: People who look for excitement and danger are foolish
Post by: shibli on July 17, 2010, 05:39:08 PM: People who look for excitement and danger are foolish. Do you agree ?

The answer to the proposition can be a big 'NO' though there may be quite a few who take the opposite view, still the truth will prevail. Man hungers for adventure for it brings him the excitement and the resulting satisfaction. Excitement and anticipation make life worthwhile. If everything is as cheap as dust or as free as air there can't be any excitement and life would have no meaning and man can at best be a cabbage going through a vegetative growth.

It may be enough for the purpose of this essay to confine to adventurous acts though there are others which may be equally exciting.

Why does any person go through the hazards of an adventure? It is because of their psychological needs. We see it in children. They explore and get into difficult places because they like excitement. This sort of thing is quite common among school children. Their mischief and frolic have got them into trouble. The youth does dangerous things because they have the elements of adventure in them. While there is attendant self satisfaction, it also ensures public recognition. One climbs mountains where others have never gone; one jumps long distances for the sake of recognition. To get the excitement of standing on the victory stand and getting the applause of the crowd one goes through months and months of hard training. What an excitement we get to see the star artist in the circus on the trapeze! Crossing the Channel or climbing Mount Everest has its own excitement. Climbing Everest and crossing the Channel have been done by successive generations of adventurers nobody now looks upon these as a challenge; so too with space. The news that man had landed on the moon was exciting in those days but now it is taken for granted.

Man's desire to try the impossible challenge and win is at the bottom of so many success stories. If these adventurers had not taken the challenge there would not have been any human progress, whether it be in the field of sports, science or medicine. Could it not have been exciting for Alexander to march his army all the way to the Punjab? Was it not adventure that forced Columbus to seek a route to India by going West ? Had not Vasco da Gama found a sea route to India round the Cape of Good Hope, the history of the Far East countries would have been different. It is not foolish nor childish to look for adventures. Then only can one cross the uncharted seas and be happy as Ulysses. Only the weak-kneed will look upon anything calling for excitement and danger, as foolish.

hazard         something that is dangerous and likely to cause damage

frolic         happy and playful behaviour

uncharted         completely news

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Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: nature on October 26, 2010, 01:06:42 PM: I also agree with you about money.
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: Junayed on October 27, 2010, 02:29:28 PM: I strongly disagree with those people who say money is the second God. I agree with my sir.
Because God means who can take our life and give our life. So how money could is the second god. God is only one ALLAH. Only ALLAH can give our life and take our life.
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: shibli on October 27, 2010, 06:11:59 PM: God is only one without a second....
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: satota chakma on October 27, 2010, 06:32:23 PM: i would like to appreciate sir(shibli) for this post....nowadays people have become so materialistic that they just run after money, their need is endless. and i strongly support sir's argument that we should be satisfied with what we have. we should not expect much.
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: shibli on November 08, 2010, 03:14:25 PM: Who is not after money? Everybody is after money....most people, if not all, are after money. It seems like this world is the playground of money.....money, money, money....the more a person gets it, the more s/he wants it........money seems to be the source of all pleasure....
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: nature on December 06, 2010, 02:15:40 PM: If you have a lot of money then you have a lot of power. Money...........Money......
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: shibli on March 17, 2011, 10:44:48 AM: How many of us comprehend the real objectives of life? Everybody tends to be after money. The more s/he gets, the more s/he wants..Nobody seems to be satisfied with whatever he or she has...We are in the rat-race. Everybody seems to compare his or her position with others...how many of us try to act selflessly? How many of us try to help or extend love for others...
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: shibli on March 19, 2011, 07:08:33 PM: We "hanker" after money and power because they are intoxicating. Once you have some, you want more and more. At first this thirst can be good; it becomes bad when you lose sight of your goals. Personally, I recommend that people set goals and meet those goals without going beyond them to prevent themselves from getting drunk with power. So, there is nothing wrong with "hankering" after money and power as long as there is a goal in mind. People who don't "hanker" after power are usually the ones who don't have any.
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: shibli on March 19, 2011, 07:11:03 PM: To lead a successful life, money counts a lot. But it's not the be-all and end-all of our existence in this world. Money can never guarantee true happiness and inner peace. Sometimes, in fact, excessive riches cause lot of problems. To make an aim to earn or mint more and more money is a folly of highest magnitude, for money, no matter how rich people are, cannot buy them peace, comfort and happiness.

The human history is replete with the glaring examples of both the wealthiest and pious people of the world. The prophets, saints and virtuous people never preferred to acquire mere money, rather they wished to seek the pleasure of their Lord to attain salvation and get inner peace and comfort. They were happy and contented with their simple ways to lead their life in this ephemeral world.

Earning money is very important for us to reduce or alleviate poverty. But wise and sensible people never give money prime importance. Wealth is secondary importance for them, for they believe that love, moral and ethical values, honesty, brotherhood and unity in our society will really help us make this world a place worthy to live. Regrettably, materialism has eroded our moral and social values, making us indifferent and heartless towards the less fortunate of this society, who need our support and help.

The lust for money makes the greedy and avaricious person desensitized and selfish to the core. Their wild and irrational desire to mint more and more always keeps them restless and unsatisfied. That's why we witness many rich people being worried, having no inner peace and genuine joy. On the face of it, they look happy, but underneath, they are sad beyond words.

If you are kind, honest, lovable, loving, caring, cooperative and helpful to others, you are always in demand. Respect based on wealth and fear is the most despicable thing. A real respect lies in hearts. Your good character and obedience to moral values command respect even by your bitter enemies.

Therefore, one must not hanker after money, setting aside all ethical values and resorting unfair means to mint money in the shortest possible time. The importance of money, I repeat, can hardly be denied, but it's not everything. A person with strong character, though poor, will earn more respect than rude and disrespectful wealthy person. Love, knowledge and honest must take front seat while money should take the back seat if we really want to attain genuine success in this world and in the Hereafter.

Khadim Hussain
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: shibli on March 19, 2011, 07:13:51 PM: In the capitalist society that has developed in the world today, sadly, money is the measure of success. However, earning money can only be considered a success if that is the goal a person is attempting to achieve. True, money can make reaching goals a lot easier, but reaching the goal is the real measure of being successful.

To say that a person is successful because he or she makes a lot of money is open ended. When we attempt to quantify our success or the success of others, we need to know what goals were attempted. It is not enough to just say that a person is successful because they earned a lot of money. What did they do with that money? Was that person happy? We can be successful and fail at the same time.

A person can live a prosperous life, being a very successful business man, but if their goal in life was to be an athlete or a doctor, can you really say that they were successful? A person who doesnâ€™t make a lot of money, but fulfills their dreams and goals, can you say that they have failed in life? It is possible for a person to be successful as society defines success with money earned, and be a failure at everything else. A person that works to gain monetary goals may neglect his wife and children. Failed marriages and dysfunction can follow a man driven to gain wealth and fame. Did this person really contribute to society? Accolades may be presented, and at the same time the people in that personâ€™s life may have nothing good to say about them.

Notoriety is given to the rich, while saints go unheralded. Society hypes up actors, athletes and millionaires, while the best teachers, paramedics, firefighters and police officer are ignored. The personal qualities that drive our goals are worth noting. What drives a person to acquire wealth and fame? What drives a person into a career that helps others? If a person who has become successful monetarily loses their money, it does not change the qualities of the person. Wealth does not define who we are.

When society uses wealth as the metric of success, that society becomes a vehicle for all of the evil that achieving wealth generates. People without the means to achieve this success, may try to take shortcuts to get there. Some live miserably thinking that they have failed because they do not make a lot of money. And when society brainwashes our children in this toxic thinking, we create another generation of dreamers driven to succeed financially. Society should reward those who give, not those who take.

Proverbs 22:1 tells us: â€œA good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and goldâ€. When your name rolls off of someoneâ€™s tongue, what is the response of the audience? The mark we leave on this world is the ultimate measure of success. Unfortunately, we are not around at that time to receive our final grade.

Nikolas Nies
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: Golam Kibria on March 22, 2011, 12:44:26 PM: Money can do anything. Without money we face many bad things.For money we are working hard.If a person has money he/she can do anything. But sometimes money can hamper everyday life.
Title: Re: Money is a good servant but a bad master
Post by: nature on April 02, 2011, 12:49:11 AM: Well said Kibria money is a very powerful thing and without this money we can not lead a happy life. But sometime money can not give the perfect happy life.