So much emphasis on efficiency

Ik kwam deze uitleg van een typisch culturele dimensie tegen in een boek over India, efficiëntie en controle vss acceptatie en fatalisme. Of in technische termen, “internal locus of control” vss “external locus of control”. Het verschil blijft iets waar ik altijd tegenaan zal lopen, vrees ik.  

‘Furthermore, they place so much of emphasis on efficiency, which they value above all things. Their thinking is that if everything is not running at 100% efficiency, then results will not be forthcoming. Thus they become impatient. But in India it is opposite. We people do not value efficiency in same way. Here it is accepted there are other forces at work and therefore we human beings don’t have total control over every circumstance. Westerners call this “fatalism”. It is not fatalism exactly, but a general acceptance that humans are not in control of their own destiny. They have no power over the wind and rain. To think otherwise is delusion. Fact is we must look to a higher power for guidance and safe passage. Consequently, we Indians are much more accepting when something goes wrong. What may appear to be bad luck often contributes to our good fortune in long term, after all.’

Tarquin Hall, The Delhi Detective’s Handbook