Will demonetisation be worth the chaos?

Given the current dramatic economic change our country is presently facing, the question thus arise is as how does this change translate to a behavioral reaction. How has demonization changed our reality?

--------------

It is true that life is about a constant changing reality. Nothing is permanent. Behaviorally thus every experience happening around us, may it be personal, work, political, social, or ecological will affect our moment to moment reactions. We could be happy or sad, contented or deprived, worried or secure, confident or shy depending upon how our brain is designed to handle the change.

The way the brain has been conditioned to respond to various stimuli, suggests that within the framework of a changing reality, the neural responses will be preconditioned unless otherwise given a reason not to. Thus the brain itself is equally chaotic and cannot be dependable for a stable response. So for example if we now find an old 1000/- rupees note our brain begins to fire impulses that which once made us feel happy will now make us either sad, angry or frustrated depending upon the situation.

Furthermore, when corruption is so seeped into our system would a strategy like demonetization undo previously conditioned behaviors. Would corruption be stopped forever or is this a brake in the system till new strategies are learned? Why rush through such an important decision and have it happen at a time when its effects are worst felt by the people on the streets?

Our brains respond differently because they not only differ from person to person but their states vary from moment to moment. The more uncertainty experienced, the more chaos one begins to feel, and such instability brings in more negative mental states and more ways to cope with the uncertainty.

Given the current dramatic economic change our country is presently facing, the question thus arise is as how does this change translate to a behavioral reaction. How has demonization changed our reality?

Even before I begin to decipher this pressing question for myself I must state that my own ignorance at the economics of this country is my own shortcoming. And this makes me ponder about all the other educated and uneducated people of the nation who only understand economics with regard to how much they earn, save and what they buy.

How is demonetization affecting these people?

Furthermore, what is perplexing is that the poverty line in India is taken as Rs.32/ - per day in rural areas and Rs 44/- in urban areas. And according to the available statistic about 290 million people live in this margin, about close to 30% of the population per day have the purchasing power parity of less than Rs 50/- .

How is demonetization affecting these people?

I also seek to understand how the present legal 2000/ rupees will not become tomorrow's illegal money. How long before the legality will vanish. How will demonetization effect illegal money transactions on a long term basis? For a short term, as a feel good factor and when elections are around the corner, I can understand the curbing of illegal money, but within a year will the scenario change in any way (Unless of course demonetization is a constant phenomenon before every election).

I often wonder, what the intention of a good leader is. Should a decision taken by a good leader be such that it must exude confidence in the citizens or is a good leader of a nation like an authoritarian parent who knows what is right for their child and projecting their own needs over the needs of their children.

Taking a decision on the behalf of the people needs homogeneity with regards to the problem in hand. Can India afford such homogeneity? Simply stating: how do we trust such a decision as being a responsible decision. What makes leadership reliable?

Leaders, because of their position of power, have a greater effect on others in a political/social or work. Leaders can affect others around them with specific feelings. Some of these feelings can help the citizens perform better and innovate and develop. While some feelings are debilitating and inhibit adaptive thinking and pushes people back to a corner rather than forward.

For a leader to be effective, the leader must be willing to change their own internal state to inspire others to learn adapt and perform at their best.

In addition to empathizing with the emotions of followers, effective leaders also need to regulate and control their own emotions for a variety of reasons. For example, leaders may need to suppress negative emotions in certain situations such as anger toward a follower in order to avoid unhealthy conflict or confrontation.

On the other hand, a leader may need to suppress positive emotions, such as liking or attraction toward specific followers, to avoid claims of favoritism. Emotional regulation needs to be worked on and one cannot be impulsive.

A political leader should abide by their political manifesto, the ground on which the people voted for the effectiveness of the leadership.

If impulsivity is the new manifesto, I can imagine the chaos that will follow and what the consequences would be.