N. Raghuraman's column: Are we getting myopic about the broader outlook on life?

Last week, the Khatal couple, who work in the Mumbai Police, had returned home after a long night shift, which lasted till around noon the next day. Tired, irritable and desperate to sleep, they reached their police quarters in Kalachowki. But another obstacle awaited them in their sleep. The four-year-old child of the neighbouring Sangle family was playing outside in the corridor, making noise. What happened next is not uncommon in a city where thousands of families live very close to each other. The argument over the child's noise turned into an argument between the neighbours. But instead of ending at the door, the argument reached the Kalachauki police station by night, which was a neutral police station for both families. It was here that a small problem in the neighbourhood turned into a bigger issue. Sangle also reached the police station late at night after completing his long duty and was allegedly under the influence of alcohol. Sangle misbehaved with Khatal and his wife there and when the policeman asked him to maintain a decorum, he also misbehaved with the duty officer. Then the same familiar thing was heard, which we often hear – 'Do you know who I am? I can take off your uniform and you will not be able to do anything.' Finally, the plain uniformed policemen of the Crime Detection Unit took him to the detection room to calm him down. When he was asked to give a blood sample to find out whether he had drunk alcohol or not, he became aggressive and threw a chair at a constable. The constable suffered a chest injury and had to be taken to the doctor. Sangle also suffered injuries during the scuffle and was later taken to a local hospital. He is currently on sick leave. What started with the noise of a child in the corridor eventually led to a departmental inquiry into the FIR against Sangle and his behaviour. He has been served a notice and is expected to be called for a detailed inquiry. And this is what makes me think, why do we give such a big place in our lives? The question is not who was right and who was wrong in the initial argument. An excessive noise from a child can disturb a tired neighbour. No one can be expected to tolerate it all the time. Perhaps we don't even know how Khatal started talking to Sangle. His tone may have spoiled the situation. But the big question is why do we often let a brief annoyance become more important than the life we have spent years building. We worry about getting a better job, earning more, buying a good house, securing a children's future, and saving enough for retirement. We think about taking care of our ageing parents, maintaining our health, improving the house, and creating some financial security for the years when our income may be low. But when there is a small argument, these well-thought-out priorities disappear from our minds. This is what I call the myopia of life. An ophthalmologist would describe myopia as short-sightedness – that is, seeing clearly what is near but seeing something far away. We can behave in the same way. The immediate provocation is clear to us, but the wider consequences are blurred. What disappears at that moment is the perspective. And the perspective is not just a philosophical thing. Our body also pays the price for not having it. Anger and prolonged stress activate the body's stress response, which increases hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. The trick is that such reactions can help us deal with a threat. But triggering it repeatedly over relatively small things can increase the physical and emotional burden we are carrying. Don't forget – health is wealth.