Latest news with #Nietzsche
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
The Pataudi Trophy has a new name, but we should remember what he stood for
'What's in a name?' asks the Bard, dismissively. 'What things are called is unspeakably more important than what they are,' counters Nietzsche, while not disputing the sweet smell of a rose by another name. Nietzsche was not talking about cricket, but he had a point. Consider the Pataudi Trophy, awarded to the victor of India-England Test series contested in England. Starting this summer, the winner will receive the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy. But why not the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy? Robotic alphabetic convention can neatly sidestep national pride issues, as with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Presumably, the ECB recognised where power resides and compromised. Vastly different from the height of the Empire in 1932, which is when our story unfolds. Iftikhar Ali Khan was the eighth Nawab of Pataudi, now part of buzzy Gurgaon. Pataudi was a poly-athlete who made his mark at Oxford—he read history at Balliol—by clocking 100 metres in under 10 seconds when that meant something. He went on to earn Blues for hockey and cricket. Pataudi had attitude to complement his talent. In the 1931 annual Varsity Match at Lord's, Alan Ratcliffe scored an impressive 201 for Cambridge in the first innings. 'A fine innings, but I can go one better,' said the Nawab. He did. An unbeaten 238 which Wisden called 'majestic' while noting Pataudi's 'perfect judgement and timing.' After scoring 1307 runs for Oxford at a Bradmanesque average of 93, the 22-year-old Pataudi made his England debut against Australia, playing his first Test at Sydney in early 1933. He batted at Number 4 and scored 102. According to Wisden, he played with 'quiet authority' and his innings was 'one of the best seen by an English batsman in Australia that winter.' In a team that included all-time greats Sutcliffe and Hammond. After the match, Pataudi asked Aussie umpire George Hele for a bail as a keepsake. Hele did better and offered him a match ball. The grateful Nawab presented Hele with a gold wristwatch. Noblesse oblige. But the Sydney Test was historic for a different reason. For the first time, MCC captain Douglas Jardine deployed his controversial 'Bodyline' strategy. Led by Bradman, the Aussies had won the Ashes in 1930, with the great one scoring two double centuries and a triple hundred. The English were unaccustomed and sore losers. To combat the greatest run machine in history, Jardine, the patrician from Winchester and Oxford and captain of the MCC, became a thuggish street fighter. Worse, he deployed Harold Larwood, his strike bowler and a coal miner's son, to do his dirty work. Since they couldn't get him out, England decided to intimidate Bradman by bowling at his body—in an era without helmets—with a packed leg side field. Aussie wicketkeeper Bert Oldfield suffered a cracked skull. Captain Bill Woodfull was hit above the heart but refused to retaliate. 'There are two teams out there. One is playing cricket. The other is not,' he famously said. Bradman ducked into a short ball and was bowled off his body at Melbourne, but scored an unbeaten century in the second innings and averaged 57 for the series anyway. Hammond was privately critical but did not raise his voice. Gubby Allen refused to bowl at the body, but the 'Englishman' who confronted Jardine most directly was our man from Gurgaon. He refused to field at leg slip and did not join team huddles when Aussie wickets fell. 'I see His Highness is a conscientious objector,' quipped Jardine, mockingly. Jardine did not eject Allen, who was as much establishment as he was, but turned his ire on Pataudi, who was not just colourful but, in the eyes of the Bombay-born Jardine, coloured. He dropped Pataudi. At the end of the tour, the Nawab had this to say about his captain. 'I am told he has his good points. In three months, I have yet to see them.' Shamefully, the MCC made Larwood the scapegoat and demanded he apologise. Larwood refused, saying he merely followed orders. He never played for England again. Ironically, he emigrated to Australia where Jardine remains the most vilified Englishman. Bradman, of course, kept on doing Bradman things. The rule changes following Bodyline survive. Only two fielders can be behind square on the leg side and onfield umpires can intervene to prevent dangerous bowling. As for our hero, he captained India against England at Lord's in 1946 and became the only player to represent both England and India. But at this point he was 36, and past his prime. His legacy was proudly maintained by the dashing 'Tiger' Pataudi. Like his father, Tiger was a middle-order batsman—evidently, nobility favours batting over bowling—who led India to its first overseas Test victory. There is no record of Tiger presenting gold watches to umpires, but, remarkably, he played 46 Tests after losing his right eye in a car accident at age 21. Tendulkar and Anderson are names writ large in record books and will never be forgotten. But the Pataudi name stands for something that, in the words of Nietzsche, is 'unspeakably important'. We should remember it. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Observer
4 days ago
- General
- Observer
Live your life: Because survival is not enough
Survival is defined as the state or fact of continuing to live or exist, typically in spite of ordeal or difficulty and its nature being directly proportional to its intensity and its possible consequences. For example, you will see many young people in European society wearing t-shirts emblazoned with 'I survived 7 nights in Ibiza', which can be seen as a joke, droll, whimsical, or even sarcastic, depending upon your knowledge and understanding of Ibiza and its reputation. But it beggars no comparison whatsoever to the anguish of surviving a car crash, a shark attack, an earthquake, or a battle. While at one end of the scale an extended hangover is as bad as it gets, the others are truly traumatic events, in which to not survive is to perish. German-born philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who himself lived a 'challenging' life. His father, a pastor, died of excruciating pain from a diseased brain, when the boy was only four and his younger brother also died only six months later, only two years old. Nietzsche was plagued by eyesight difficulties, migraines, debilitating indigestion, respiratory difficulties and significant mental issues; and by his mid-twenties was an invalid. Yet his philosophies and observations demonstrate remarkable clarity and he wrote that, 'To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering'. In doing so, he warned us that difficulties, suffering and survival are all part of life and as such must be faced with purpose. Dave Pelzer, author of 'A boy Called 'It', about his experiences as a mistreated child, writes: 'You can be a victim or a survivor. It's a mindset'. In doing so, he virtually rationalises the stabbings, burnings, beatings and abuse by his alcoholic mother, any one of which would draw bitterness and vitriol from anyone, yet, even in the face of his father's passivity, Pelzer found a perspective that allowed him to focus on his way forward, his way out, of such callous brutality. He did survive! I guess, when confronted by situations that can be harmful, or even hurtful, you don't always, but sometimes you must make a choice. To confront the 'challenge', mitigate its effects, fight like a tiger, or surrender? We just don't know, do we? But our responses will be, to a certain extent, be coloured by our previous experiences and our own homespun philosophies like 'not being bitten by the same dog twice', or 'living to fight another day'. Reassuringly, the great tactician and militarist Sun Tzu, once wrote that mankind, confronted with annihilation, will survive; plunged into deadly situations, they will live; and that when we are most exposed to danger, most of us will survive. Another factor in survival is survivor's guilt, the response to events that we experience when we survive what others did not. This phenomenon is identified as a post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, a common anxiety disorder and an observable manifestation of tension and distress that sympathy cannot erode. It often manifests itself in solitude and a lack of communication and interaction, so has proven difficult to treat. The North Sea Piper Alpha oil rig disaster saw 167 die and 61 survive; and Professor David Alexander of the Aberdeen Centre for Trauma Research, interviewed 36 of those survivors and found to his horror that, scarred as they were, mentally, many had difficulty finding employment following the disaster, as some offshore employers regarded them as "Jonahs — bringers of bad luck, who would not be welcome on other rigs and platforms'. Imagine, even trying to reconcile your experiences, to be bludgeoned with such medieval thinking. It's almost beyond comprehension... almost. Yet, Alexander also stated that some are stronger than before the tragedy. 'They've learned things about themselves, their values and many relationships are now stronger as they find strengths they didn't know they had and heroism'. We have been told that for civilisation to survive, we must cultivate relationships, the ability of all people to live together, at peace. However, in our imperfect world there are always those who will be covetous enough to prefer instability within relationships, societies, cultures and faiths. For that shallow few, survival is naught but a clarion call to greed.
Time of India
4 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Jitendra Avhad Vs Gopichand Padalkar : खरंच पडळकरांनी मंगळसूत्र चोरलं होतं का? जाणून घ्या सत्य !
Survival is defined as the state or fact of continuing to live or exist, typically in spite of ordeal or difficulty and its nature being directly proportional to its intensity and its possible consequences. For example, you will see many young people in European society wearing t-shirts emblazoned with 'I survived 7 nights in Ibiza', which can be seen as a joke, droll, whimsical, or even sarcastic, depending upon your knowledge and understanding of Ibiza and its reputation. But it beggars no comparison whatsoever to the anguish of surviving a car crash, a shark attack, an earthquake, or a battle. While at one end of the scale an extended hangover is as bad as it gets, the others are truly traumatic events, in which to not survive is to perish. German-born philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who himself lived a 'challenging' life. His father, a pastor, died of excruciating pain from a diseased brain, when the boy was only four and his younger brother also died only six months later, only two years old. Nietzsche was plagued by eyesight difficulties, migraines, debilitating indigestion, respiratory difficulties and significant mental issues; and by his mid-twenties was an invalid. Yet his philosophies and observations demonstrate remarkable clarity and he wrote that, 'To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering'. In doing so, he warned us that difficulties, suffering and survival are all part of life and as such must be faced with purpose. Dave Pelzer, author of 'A boy Called 'It', about his experiences as a mistreated child, writes: 'You can be a victim or a survivor. It's a mindset'. In doing so, he virtually rationalises the stabbings, burnings, beatings and abuse by his alcoholic mother, any one of which would draw bitterness and vitriol from anyone, yet, even in the face of his father's passivity, Pelzer found a perspective that allowed him to focus on his way forward, his way out, of such callous brutality. He did survive! I guess, when confronted by situations that can be harmful, or even hurtful, you don't always, but sometimes you must make a choice. To confront the 'challenge', mitigate its effects, fight like a tiger, or surrender? We just don't know, do we? But our responses will be, to a certain extent, be coloured by our previous experiences and our own homespun philosophies like 'not being bitten by the same dog twice', or 'living to fight another day'. Reassuringly, the great tactician and militarist Sun Tzu, once wrote that mankind, confronted with annihilation, will survive; plunged into deadly situations, they will live; and that when we are most exposed to danger, most of us will survive. Another factor in survival is survivor's guilt, the response to events that we experience when we survive what others did not. This phenomenon is identified as a post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, a common anxiety disorder and an observable manifestation of tension and distress that sympathy cannot erode. It often manifests itself in solitude and a lack of communication and interaction, so has proven difficult to treat. The North Sea Piper Alpha oil rig disaster saw 167 die and 61 survive; and Professor David Alexander of the Aberdeen Centre for Trauma Research, interviewed 36 of those survivors and found to his horror that, scarred as they were, mentally, many had difficulty finding employment following the disaster, as some offshore employers regarded them as "Jonahs — bringers of bad luck, who would not be welcome on other rigs and platforms'. Imagine, even trying to reconcile your experiences, to be bludgeoned with such medieval thinking. It's almost beyond comprehension... almost. Yet, Alexander also stated that some are stronger than before the tragedy. 'They've learned things about themselves, their values and many relationships are now stronger as they find strengths they didn't know they had and heroism'. We have been told that for civilisation to survive, we must cultivate relationships, the ability of all people to live together, at peace. However, in our imperfect world there are always those who will be covetous enough to prefer instability within relationships, societies, cultures and faiths. For that shallow few, survival is naught but a clarion call to greed.
National Geographic
14-07-2025
- National Geographic
This Swiss town is an under-the-radar outdoor mecca
As the Maloja wind sweeps through the Engadin Valley like clockwork around noon, dozens of colorful kites soar over Silvaplana Lake—one of the few places in the world where you can kite surf against the backdrop of snow-powdered peaks. Set in Eastern Switzerland's canton of Graubünden, Silvaplana once inspired Friedrich Nietzsche. The German philosopher was a frequent summer guest to the area, where he took many walks along Lake Silvaplana. According to the local lore, it was here where Nietzsche came up with "eternal recurrence," one of the central concepts of his philosophy. The tiny town of Silvaplana is home to around 1,100 locals. Photograph by Daria Bachmann A quick look around is enough to realize why Nietzsche kept coming back: Surrounded by 3,000-meter peaks, the town boasts magnificent scenery and an unhurried atmosphere. Silvaplana is a neighbor of St. Moritz, a host of the Winter Olympics in 1928 and 1948. While St. Moritz is known for high-end winter travel, where a day of skiing is often followed by fine dining and shopping for designer brands, Silvaplana maintains its small-town atmosphere with cozy hotels and restaurants run by local families. (How to plan a classic Alps summer adventure, from hiking to rail itineraries) 'What makes Silvaplana truly different from other parts of Switzerland is this combination of high-alpine scenery and an almost coastal lifestyle—it's rare to find that mix,' says Daniel Bosshard, the mayor. 'At the same time, the village has maintained its authentic charm and close-knit community. People here know each other, support each other, and share a strong connection to the land and its traditions.' Located near Italy, the valley is a melting pot of cultures, where people might greet you with 'bun di' (Romansh), 'grüezi' (Swiss German), or 'ciao' (Italian). Kite surfing is incredibly popular here, thanks to the Majola wind. Photograph by / Alamy Stock Photo (Top) (Left) and Photograph by Prisma by Dukas Presseagentur GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo (Bottom) (Right) What to do and see in Silvaplana Silvaplana boasts a small downtown where you can step inside the Church of Santa Maria or take a quick walk to Crap da Sass Castle, built in 1906. Beloved by kite surfers and freestyle skiers, Silvaplana is more remote than tourist favorites such as Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen, and Zermatt. Here you'll find one of the best lakes for kite surfing in the world, thanks to the Maloja wind that occurs when cold air from the Maloja Pass descends on the lake. If you are new to this sport, book a lesson at Swiss Kitesurf, a local school where you can learn the ropes of kite and windsurfing. The best time for kite surfing on the lake is from May through September, when the consistent Maloja wind creates favorable conditions for gliding on the water. The Muottas Muragl funicular takes about 10 minutes to reach the top. Photograph by Prisma by Dukas Presseagentur GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo Muottas Muragl is a funicular railway that climbs 2,296 feet (700 meters) from Punt Muragl up to Muottas Muragl. Built between 1905 and 1907, this bright red funicular mostly retained its original look, despite being heavily modernized for speed and convenience. Once you reach the top, you can take in the views or hike to the Segantini Hut and Schafberg. As summer arrives in the Engadin Valley, thousands of bright flowers pop up across alpine meadows, making for a fantastic hiking experience. The flat valley offers plenty of trails, and if you crave adventure, you can take a cable car or attempt a more challenging trail to a higher altitude. The alpine terrain above the valley is home to boutique-style restaurants inside rustic mountain huts that serve up traditional Swiss dishes such as fondue and raclette. The food and cooking ingredients often get delivered by a helicopter as most of these restaurants are accessible only by foot. Bikers also have many options here. Head to Engadin Bikes in St. Moritz to rent a bicycle and then explore the many paths along the lake. The valley has biking trails for all levels, from Foppetta's Flow Trail Part 2 that's more manageable for beginner mountain bikers to the expert trails like Val Roseg. A scenic drive along one of the mountain passes in the area will allow you to appreciate the beauty of the area. Cruise along the tourist-popular Bernina Pass, Julier Pass, that connects the Engadin Valley with central Graubünden, or Maloja Pass, a mesmerizing alpine route with dozens of switchbacks. Lej Marsch is a small lake between Silvaplana and St. Moritz that's a popular swimming spot for locals in summer. The lake can be accessed via one of the many trails that run through the area. Winters in Silvaplana tend to be cold but perfect for ice skating, snowboarding and cross-country skiing. Photograph by Olaf Protze / Alamy Stock Photo Where to eat and drink in Silvaplana Restaurant 3303 is the highest restaurant in the canton of Graubünden, located at the summit of Piz Corvatsch. The dining area offers sweeping views of the Bernina Range and the Upper Engadin. A trendy spot with a spacious porch, Mulets Restorant-Pizzeria offers comfort food like burgers with chunky fries and homemade green curry sauce, flavor-packed pizzas, and a signature salad. If you crave something sweet after dinner, don't miss the chocolate soufflé for dessert. (The best way to experience Alpine culture? Eat—and drink—it) A fine dining restaurant with a low-key atmosphere, Restaurant Alpenrose is the place to indulge in typical Swiss dishes like rösti (hashbrowns) with bratwurst and onion gravy and traditional barley soup. If you want to enjoy a gourmet meal in a more relaxed setting, it's a good alternative to more upscale dining spots in St. Moritz. Da Franco is an Italian eatery that serves homemade pasta, salads, and tiramisu and boasts an extensive selection of drinks including wine, limoncello, and liqueurs. The Hut, Wine Food & Wood is a cozy restaurant with an impressive list of wines from Switzerland and around the world. Order your meal and sip on a drink in their outdoor area or pick a spot indoors to enjoy live music and social atmosphere. Maloja Kulm, a historical alpine lodge located on the summit of the Maloja Pass near Engadine. Photograph by Daria Bachmann Where to stay What makes Silvaplana special is that many businesses are owned and run by local families who have been in the area for decades, and even generations. Daniel Bosshard, the mayor of Silvaplana since 2016, first came to Upper Engadin in 1980 to work as a chef at the Suvretta House in St. Moritz. Since 2009, he has been running Albana Hotel Silvaplana with his wife, Malvika Bosshard-Jürisaar. Hotel Bellavista is a cozy, family-run hotel in a quiet part of Surlej, one of the three districts that make-up Silvaplana, between Lake Champfèr and Lake Silvaplana. The on-site restaurant is mostly known for its wild game meat, but it also serves fondue, and Pizzoccheri Valtellinesi, buckwheat pasta combined with potatoes, cabbage, and gooey cheese, a regional dish from Northern Italy that's been adopted in parts of Switzerland. (At these Alpine wellness retreats, ancient remedies have a modern twist) Conrad's Mountain Lodge is a neatly decorated hotel with small rooms overlooking the lake, and a mighty buffet with freshly made eggs, omelettes, pancakes, and other breakfast staples. The free shuttle bus to the Corvatsch Cable Car in Surlej stops just 160 feet from the property, and the on-site spa with sauna and steam room are perfect after enjoying the outdoors. If you have a car and a tent, or travel in an RV, consider spending a night at Camping Silvaplana, the only campground in town with basic facilities. The campground sits along Lake Silvaplana, and is particularly popular with kite and wind surfers. When to goAlthough winters in Silvaplana tend to be cold, there's plenty of sun and the skies are usually clear, a perfect combination for ice skating, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing. Meanwhile, summers in Silvaplana, which last from mid-June through early September, call for mountain biking, hiking, kiting, and windsurfing. Fall is an underrated time of the year, when the valley puts on an incredible spectacle with a stunning palette of orange, red and yellow shades. Winter in Silvaplana is the time for hitting the slopes of Corvatsch a better experience, avoid shoulder season in Silvaplana. Many local businesses close in May, as locals take a hiatus in other parts of Switzerland and go on vacation after a busy winter season. Avoid November through early December, when many restaurants and stores are closed or operate on reduced hours. How to get there You can get to Silvaplana by train or car. If you want to enjoy scenic drives along Swiss mountain passes, and have greater flexibility, renting a vehicle is ideal. Another option is taking the train to St. Moritz from Zurich Airport and catching a bus to Silvaplana once you arrive in Engadin. One of the most popular ways to access Silvaplana is by Bernina Express that starts in Chur, the capital of Graubünden and the oldest city in Switzerland. The train ride was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, and it traverses through some of the most scenic parts of the country, with glaciers and iconic bridges like Landwasser Viaduct, and stops in St. Moritz and Pontresina before ending in Tirano, Italy. Daria Bachmann is a travel writer who loves to roam the world with a camera in her hand. Her work appeared in Thrillist, Travel + Leisure, and National Geographic.
Time of India
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
War deadens the soul, kills spirituality
The most likely outcome of war is more war. As Nietzsche has pointed out in Human, All Too Human, what no govt admits is that it keeps an army to satisfy occasionally the desire for conquest. Every govt is supposedly armed only for defence, but this presupposes one's cause as just and the neighbour's as unjust. And then what happens? Fighting monsters carries the danger of becoming a monster. Gaze long enough into the abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. End Of Empathy In the ideology of war, the suffering of the Other is somehow no suffering. But as hatred of the enemy becomes indifference to his bleeding wounds, it takes a toll on the self too. In the Israeli psychological thriller TV series Blackspace, centred on a school shooting, students are shown to be deeply marked by the idea of necessary war. An extreme dehumanisation of the enemy demanded of them, brings other disconnections as well. This hardening is supposedly a survival strategy, but it also shuts down parts of the self that are most essentially human. Killing empathy is a betrayal of our own nature. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo We are wired for connection, cooperation and recognising ourselves in others. Crisis Of The Soul War provides the narrative arc of Mahabharata. Philosophically, however, its laying of corpses, captured in harrowing detail over tens of thousands of verses, is supposed to make us think about the cosmic meaninglessness of mass killing. Yudhishthira himself says he doesn't want the throne of Hastinapura that's been won with so much bloodshed: 'Since we slaughtered our own, what good can possibly come from ruling? Damn the ways of kings! Damn might makes right! Damn the turmoil that brought us to this disaster!' The Waste Land by TS Eliot has been called a PTSD poem wrought by WW-1. In putting an end to that kind of close-quarters combat, advanced weaponry had promised less barbaric wars. That was a cruel lie. New technologies have only increased the facelessness of those killed, and the indifference of those doing the killing. This is humanity staring into the abyss on an exponentially bigger scale. 'God Is Dead' There are the supposedly just causes, and then there are the excesses of brutality. From the mass rapes during Bangladesh's Liberation War to the mass children's graves in it in relation to savageries of this kind that Nietzsche said 'God is dead'? Persons exposed to such events feel both a collapse of civilisation and a spiritual crisis. For the ancient Greeks, the opposite of the sacred was 'miasma', the kind of pollution associated with bloodletting that is against the natural order. For many veterans, it's a lifelong feeling, that they left some core part of themselves behind with the bodies. Their wounded soul seems to almost be visible under their skin. But its ripples of trauma also touch their families and their societies. Drip, drip, it poisons the capacity for trust and tenderness. Unless, as Hannah Arendt wrote in The Human Condition, the birth of 'new men' constructs new beginnings.
