April 10, 2025
Managing Work and People Without Harshness and a Domineering Attitude
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 2, Looking at Oneself and Others, pg. 47
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/04/08/managing-work-and-people-without-harshness-and-a-domineering-approach/
Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are allavailable on the YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@santoshkrinsky871
More information about Sri Aurobindo can be found at www.aurobindo.net
The US editions and links to e-book editions of SriAurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:04,680
There is an apocryphal story
involving the mother, a sodic,
2
00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:08,080
and a Bullock.
The sodic complained that the
3
00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:10,840
Bullock was being obstinate and
not cooperating.
4
00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:14,560
The mother asked the sodic to
bring the Bullock so she could
5
00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:18,040
observe it.
After doing so, she indicated
6
00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:20,200
there was nothing wrong with the
Bullock.
7
00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:24,600
She advised the sodic that the
bullock's obstinacy was related
8
00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:28,640
to something inward the sodic
needed to address, and she
9
00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:32,439
counselled patience,
understanding, and goodwill.
10
00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,200
The Sadiq and the Bullock both
benefited.
11
00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:41,520
The vital ego, when it is put in
charge of a project or
12
00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:45,800
supervising or managing the
activities of people, frequently
13
00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:50,080
tries to assert itself and
exercise a form of power over
14
00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,640
others, which can lead to some
rough handling of others.
15
00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:57,600
Particularly when this ego
aligns with the mental nature
16
00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,640
that believes it knows better
than others what to do and how
17
00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:05,120
to do it, there can arise a
certain narrowness and intensity
18
00:01:05,519 --> 00:01:08,480
that creates a difficult working
environment.
19
00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:12,280
This can take on a certain
harshness and oppressiveness,
20
00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,640
which in the long run is not
helpful.
21
00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:20,880
It is best to find ways to
encourage, to support and guide
22
00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:25,480
in a positive manner, and only
to exercise anything more
23
00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:29,520
intense than that when
absolutely needed to preserve
24
00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:34,320
the integrity of the project.
This does not mean, however,
25
00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:37,880
that individual variances and
method are processed by
26
00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:40,120
individuals need to be
discouraged.
27
00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:45,200
On the contrary, as long as the
work is done, and done in a
28
00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:49,400
reasonable fashion, these
individual activities provide
29
00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:53,520
those doing the work a means of
gaining their own knowledge and
30
00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:58,080
learning, growing and developing
their own insights and power of
31
00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:01,360
action.
In many cases, one finds that
32
00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,760
the people actually doing the
work, with this amount of
33
00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:09,120
flexibility and freedom of
action, may find ways to enhance
34
00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:12,960
and improve upon the work.
And certainly the working
35
00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:17,960
environment is more conducive to
harmony and collaboration than
36
00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,320
in a tightly controlled and
discipline centered management
37
00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:26,520
process.
Srioro Bindo writes quote to
38
00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:30,400
take advantage of what is good
in others, keeping one's eye
39
00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:34,920
always on that, and to deal
tactfully with their mistakes,
40
00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:38,480
faults and defects is the best
way.
41
00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:43,800
It does not exclude firmness and
maintenance of discipline, even
42
00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:48,600
severity, when severity is due.
But the latter should be rare
43
00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:52,360
and the other should not feel it
as if it were a permanent
44
00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:57,680
attitude.
End Quote Reference Sri Oruvindu
45
00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,720
and the Mother, Looking from
within, Chapter 2.
46
00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,520
Looking at Oneself and Others,
page 47.
00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:04,680
There is an apocryphal story
involving the mother, a sodic,
2
00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:08,080
and a Bullock.
The sodic complained that the
3
00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:10,840
Bullock was being obstinate and
not cooperating.
4
00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:14,560
The mother asked the sodic to
bring the Bullock so she could
5
00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:18,040
observe it.
After doing so, she indicated
6
00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:20,200
there was nothing wrong with the
Bullock.
7
00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:24,600
She advised the sodic that the
bullock's obstinacy was related
8
00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:28,640
to something inward the sodic
needed to address, and she
9
00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:32,439
counselled patience,
understanding, and goodwill.
10
00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,200
The Sadiq and the Bullock both
benefited.
11
00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:41,520
The vital ego, when it is put in
charge of a project or
12
00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:45,800
supervising or managing the
activities of people, frequently
13
00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:50,080
tries to assert itself and
exercise a form of power over
14
00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,640
others, which can lead to some
rough handling of others.
15
00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:57,600
Particularly when this ego
aligns with the mental nature
16
00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,640
that believes it knows better
than others what to do and how
17
00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:05,120
to do it, there can arise a
certain narrowness and intensity
18
00:01:05,519 --> 00:01:08,480
that creates a difficult working
environment.
19
00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:12,280
This can take on a certain
harshness and oppressiveness,
20
00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,640
which in the long run is not
helpful.
21
00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:20,880
It is best to find ways to
encourage, to support and guide
22
00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:25,480
in a positive manner, and only
to exercise anything more
23
00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:29,520
intense than that when
absolutely needed to preserve
24
00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:34,320
the integrity of the project.
This does not mean, however,
25
00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:37,880
that individual variances and
method are processed by
26
00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:40,120
individuals need to be
discouraged.
27
00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:45,200
On the contrary, as long as the
work is done, and done in a
28
00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:49,400
reasonable fashion, these
individual activities provide
29
00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:53,520
those doing the work a means of
gaining their own knowledge and
30
00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:58,080
learning, growing and developing
their own insights and power of
31
00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:01,360
action.
In many cases, one finds that
32
00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,760
the people actually doing the
work, with this amount of
33
00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:09,120
flexibility and freedom of
action, may find ways to enhance
34
00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:12,960
and improve upon the work.
And certainly the working
35
00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:17,960
environment is more conducive to
harmony and collaboration than
36
00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,320
in a tightly controlled and
discipline centered management
37
00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:26,520
process.
Srioro Bindo writes quote to
38
00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:30,400
take advantage of what is good
in others, keeping one's eye
39
00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:34,920
always on that, and to deal
tactfully with their mistakes,
40
00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:38,480
faults and defects is the best
way.
41
00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:43,800
It does not exclude firmness and
maintenance of discipline, even
42
00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:48,600
severity, when severity is due.
But the latter should be rare
43
00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:52,360
and the other should not feel it
as if it were a permanent
44
00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:57,680
attitude.
End Quote Reference Sri Oruvindu
45
00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,720
and the Mother, Looking from
within, Chapter 2.
46
00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,520
Looking at Oneself and Others,
page 47.