Sudharsan Pandiyan’s Blog

  Try to Behave Ideally: A Personal Journey Back in 2003, a single piece of advice from my professor lodged itself in my memory. He said, “Try to behave ideally in every situation, encounter, and challenge that you face in your life.” At the time, I balked. “If I lived like that,” I argued, “I’d be a monk—sacrificing the full spectrum of human emotion.” He smiled and pointed out the power word: try. No one can be ideal all the time, he said, but aspiring toward that goal is its own path. I agreed, but only skimmed the surface of what “ideal” might truly mean. Wrestling with “Ideal” Lately, that old admonition has been surfacing more and more. I find myself asking: What is “ideal,” anyway? Is it fixed or does it change from person to person? Should I rigidly follow my own belief system, or defer to someone else’s? In a societal context, what guides me when ideals collide—my ideal, theirs, or the common good? These questions tumbled around in my mind, demanding deeper ...

It’s hard to believe now, but 18 years ago, during what should have been one of the most intellectually thrilling phases of my life, I was quietly battling a storm within. I was a PhD student, far from home, part of the brilliant ecosystem of the Max Planck Institute. To the outside world, it may have looked like I had “made it”—pursuing cutting-edge science, surrounded by world-class minds. But inside, I carried a weight I had never known before: the feeling that maybe I didn’t belong. For a few months that summer, a question haunted me: “Am I really worthy of this?” Was I chasing something that wasn’t my destiny? Had I crossed into a world too distant from where I came from—too advanced, too refined, too alien? What’s strange is that I’ve always been a confident person, someone who thrives on challenges and hardship. But that summer felt different. It was the lowest emotional point in my life so far, and even today, it remains an unforgettable scar. Looking back, I still c...

There’s a curious human tendency to martyrize people after their death—especially public figures. It doesn’t matter whether they were divisive, corrupt, or even responsible for atrocities during their lifetime; once they’re gone, time seems to wash away their flaws. Over the years, society elevates them to legendary or even divine status, often forgetting the moral complexity they carried. This is especially true for political leaders. We’ve seen cases where individuals convicted of corruption or responsible for violence are later remembered as heroes. Their darker deeds are softened, rationalized, or completely erased from public memory, replaced with carefully crafted tributes and sanitized biographies. It brings to mind the old saying: “History is written by the victors.” Those who gain power often shape the narrative—not just in their favor, but sometimes at the cost of truth. Our school textbooks, national holidays, and public statues often reflect a single-pointed version of ...

  பழைய வாழ்வில் உணவின் பங்கு நம் முன்னோர்கள் காலத்தில், ஒரு நாளில் இரண்டு வேளையே உணவுக்காலம். காலை: வடித்த அரிசிக் கஞ்சி – சர்க்கரை சத்து அதிகம், கடின உழைப்புக்கு ஆற்றல். மாலை: சூரிய அஸ்தமனத்திற்கு முன், காய்கறிகள் மற்றும் மாமிசம் அடங்கிய முழுமையான உணவு – வைட்டமின்கள், புரதம், கொழுப்பு. இந்த நேரடிச் சீரான உணவுக் கட்டமைப்பு, இயற்கையோடு ஒத்துழைக்கும் வாழ்க்கையை பிரதிபலித்தது. மூன்று வேளை உணவின் தோற்றம் தொழிற்புரட்சியின் பிறகு, இயற்கை வாழ்வியல் நகர்ந்தது தொழிற்சாலை வாழ்க்கைக்கு. மனிதர்கள் நீண்ட நேரம் வேலை செய்ய வேண்டிய கட்டாயத்தில் இருந்தனர். இதனால், இடைவேளைகளில் உடனடி ஆற்றலுக்கான உணவுகள் தேவைப்பட்டது. இதிலிருந்து “சிற்றுண்டி” என்ற மூன்றாவது உணவுப் பழக்கம் உருவானது. இது பெரும்பாலும் தயாரிப்பாகும் பேக்கேஜ்ட் புட் வகையைச் சேர்ந்தவை – சர்க்கரை மற்றும் கார்போஹைட்ரேட் நிறைந்தவை. இன்றைய சூழ்நிலை – பழக்கத்தின் பிழை இப்போது தொழில் மற்றும் வாழ்வியல் மாறிவிட்டது: உடலுழைப்பு குறைந்துவிட்டது. ஆனால் மூன்று வேளை உணவு பழக்கம் தொடர்கிறது. இதனால், உடல் தேவைக்கும...