Rise Above Fear and Learn

· by · in Website & Product Reviews. ·

I was watching this latest video of Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund. I couldn’t help but think how even educated urban folks get victimized by superstitions. There was a time common people used to believe in all sorts of mumbo-jumbo, nonsensical talks of gurus and babas. With the advent of time, we have learnt a lot, our scientific knowledge has led us to think rationally and logically. Humankind has advanced as a whole. But still, somewhere we feel the fear- the fear of unknown.

Yes, the fear of unknown works in tandem with superstitions. It, perhaps, runs genetically. With the advent of time, education and the knowledge acquired from it helps us to keep it at bay. But still, at times, we become its prey and immediately it takes us back to the drawing board.

The internet has become a synonymous term for life. It seems one can spend a day without food, but not without the internet. And, with it, superstitions has got some new definitions. Often we got stuck to an email asking us for forwarding it to 10 or 20 people. No, the sender has all good intentions, he takes a genuine interest in my prosperity and, ONLY because of that he is asking for this favour. It’s simple, forward the email/message and get a few million bucks in return!

While some of us promptly hit the ‘trash’ button, some other hesitate. While the inner logical soul says that it’s nothing but balderdash, the not-so-sensible one keeps on playing the devil’s advocate, the keyword being “money”. And, we end up behaving like the gentleman in the video. After all, money matters.

Money certainly matters. Earning, expense and savings- these three should be in proportion if one wants to prosper in life. But, we have to understand properly and think responsibly, in conformity to our belief with our reasons to believe.

Money can’t be grown magically or overnight. It needs a proper planning and intelligent investment. New age technology has opened up new horizons in banking and financial service sectors. Besides loans and insurances, we now have plans and policies like SIP, equity mutual fund investments and much more. There are portals providing sound advice on investment. #JanoTohMano is such a site that speaks rationally about growing your money.

Ignorance is not always bliss. It could have drastic effects. It’s better to learn before it’s too late.

What are your views on savings and investment? Do you have any faith in such emails/messages? Share with us.

42 responses to “Rise Above Fear and Learn”

  4. I usually hope yo save on my own. I also think those who invest in good choices are smart.
    When I read your title and the beginning, I was prepared to discuss stupid rumors about people. I thought ignorance is a “cancer” when it comes to prejudice and hate. Martin Luther King, Jr. Originated this comparison. Whole different topic than hatred.
    The money and financial world is not of interest to me, thanks anyway, Maniparna. ♡

    Liked by 1 person

    • I’m sure you are wise enough not to believe in those stupid emails containing messages about you winning millions of dollars in Microsoft lotteries or such kind of things 😀 I once got a mail stating some widow on her death-bed in South Africa wishes to make me her descendant 😀 😀 Couldn’t stop laughing on that….
      Thanks, Robin…

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  5. People should be made aware of bulk messaging and bulk emails .. They really don’t realize the trouble they land in by passing it on to 10 or 15 others just because it has a religious message or a picture of a child suffering from cancer and Microsoft paying a dollar each kind of bs. Ignorance in these matters is far from bliss!

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Scams and false information!! Marketing emails, lottery mails, cheat funds, charity funds etc etc name it. Once a woman got scammed by one such lottery sms and deposited money in the cheat accounts and even if I wanted I couldn’t help her more since we are bound to keep our customer’s secrecy. It sucked for her. Her husband is a rikshaw driver and it’s already hard on them on top of that she lost more then 20 thousand on the scam. It is really frustrating when people don’t understand that money doesn’t actually grow on trees! If they did the world would have more trees! >.<

    Sorry it got too long!! wonderful post Maniparna 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  7. People fall prey to those phishing scams too. Even now! I receive messages saying I have won some crores and cars and what not. I wonder how many fall for them. It is sad :/
    This will be an eye opener for many since you have a lot of followers Mani. People don’t take investing seriously.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. I remember a couple of years ago my uncle who was a brigadier and commanding at that time.. He called me here in uk early morning saying he has won this lottery for thousands of pounds and all they want is the bank details and a deposit etc etc. . So can I do it since the lottery was uk based..

    I mean as you say an educated person also can fall for the scam…

    Money is something that evades me a lot.. I am not saying I don’t earn .. I earn a lot and get a good salary but by the end of month it’s all gone. Just can’t figure how to save..

    Easy money is always a lure and if it belongs to someone else then more still..

    I do wish I win a lottery and have loads of money..

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Good advice Mani. The spammers are not confined to emails. Nowadays you receive such messages too and Watsapp messages too. The amount is mostly so large that gullible people would fall prey to it, Yes, ignorance is not a bliss, more so when it comes to the matters of our hard earned money.

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  12. I don’t usually read the products, websites and brands reviews because I understand one word in six. However, being a regular follower of your and Somali’s blog, I’ve learned to read, because in spite of the incomprehensible information, they always have some things that I love. Something interesting.

    I don’t understand finance and don’t invest much because don’t have much to invest. But, loved the relation between superstition and investment. Even I get a lot of emails, which could have made me a billionaire, if only I had the foresight to forward it to 20.

    Don’t know why, this post reminded me of a friend, who was an insurance seller. Whenever he used to meet, he used to bug to buy a policy. He had that uncanny and irritating habit to twist everything according to his own benefits. Birthday ho ya funeral, wo usko life ke importance se relate kar deta aur puchhta, “To kab aa jau ghar?” He used to prey on people’s fear.

    People always search for shortcuts. No one wants the hard way to earn and invest. There’s an apt saying in Gujarati. ‘Lobhi rahe to dhutaro bhookho na mare.’ As long as the greedy are alive, the conman won’t sleep hungry.

    No. I’m not greedy. I’m just hopeful. I’m simply hoping for my distant and secret aunt in South Africa to die and bequeath me two million dollars. Bas.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Calculative investment, I think, can make life a tad bit easier as we grow older. I know a few friends who keep on investing on real estates, shares and MFs like anything! They are crazy! I mean, it’s wise to plan and invest for the future, but everything has a limit, yaar! And, as you’ve said, I don’t have much to invest 😛

      I doubt the reasoning and logical prowess of those people who believe in such emails and messages. I can understand when a not-so-educated person is victimized, I’ve my full compassion in that case, But when a professional or well-educated person whines as how they’ve been cheated, how their trust has been shattered…I fail to connect. The mentioned Gujarati proverb nails it….

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      • You are right about that investment thing. I should actually learn about this thing.

        There hasn’t been a day when I don’t receive a couple of emails in my inbox making me the lucky recipient of 25k to 1 lakh dollars. I have many hobbies. One of them is learning about various ways to con people. I’d suggest you to read about Count Victor Van Lustig. AKA Victor Lustig. You can google him as The Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower. You would be surprised at human greed. It’s a fun read. It’s usually the well educated, who fall a prey to the scams.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Actually, greed knows no bound. Will google Victor Lustig. I’m sure you’ve heard about the great Indian conman, Mithilesh AKA Mr Natwarlal, who sold the Tajmahal, Red Fort and similar other monuments 😀 😀 That also reminds me of the film Bunty aur Babli…

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      • Natwarlal was a gem! 😀

        Bunty aur Babli is inspired by Victor Lustig and real life characters in England during 60s. Bonny and Clyde. Sidney Sheldon has written q novel ‘If Tomorrow Comes’. Even that’s inspired by Count Victor Van Lustig. He was an orphan, in fact and masqueraded as a count.

        Then, there was the grandpa of con… Thomson during the end of the 20th century. He used to accost strangers on road, chat to them for a while then say, “Now that we are friends, do you have 1 confidence in me to loan me your fob-watch, while I stroll around the block and be back?” The victim was usually so impressed by this gentle sounding guy that he used to give the watch… and kept waiting till eternity.

        When Thomson was arrested, newspapers screamed, ‘Confidence-Man arrested’. Conman is a shortened term for confidence-man. We need to thank Thomson for this. 😀

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      • There’s another movie, ‘Baap Numbri, Beta Dus Numbri’. Kadar Khan and Shakti Kapoor. That’s a take off on Lustig too. Lustig sold Eiffel Tower twice. Was going to sell it for the third time, but couldn’t. He sold a coffee maker to a police superintendent. Bola, note chhapne ki machine hai. And, he sold the same coffee maker to the same cop… thrice. 😀

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      • 😀 Same here. Cannot sell water to a thirsty guy!

        In fact, he first sold it to the cop. Uske jane ke baad jab note nahi nikle, the cop arrested him. He said that the machine has developed a fault and asked for 2k pounds to get it fixed. After that, he escaped to the States.

        That cop found that it’s still not working. Traced him and found him in states. This time Lustig said that the chemicals have dried up. Again he charged him some 2k pounds.

        The cop is said to have committed suicide as he used the government funds for this. Socha, paise aate hi return kar dega.

        Sad, but funny story.

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