The Tale of Tadafni Mitti

Tadafni Mitti is what my mum used to call me as a kid. The word "tadafani" means 'writhe' in this context. The literal for 'Mitti' is 'sand/soil'. Mitti also represents notion of flexibility - the ability to transform oneself in different shapes. Although used in reference to physical movements, Tadafni Mitti has larger application as well. My mum would generally use the term in context where I would display impatient hurry to do things. This will include, among other behaviors, dropping utensils from hand, breaking window panes, sustaining injuries while playing, and so on. The objection was towards some destructive acts. The word Tadafni Mitti was conceived as negative reinforcement for an undesirable behavior. Occasionally, this Tadafni Mitti was also complemented with punitive actions. But I shall not make an adventure into what those actions entailed. It'll suffice to say that it invariably led to watering of eyes. Lest you think I cried, i will tell you unequivocally that I didn't cry. It was biological phenomenon unrelated to actual strength of my macho character. Anyway, as I said, Tadafni Mitti has wider application too. It is metaphor for impatient soul or easily distracted mind or inconsistent behavior. People afflicted with Tadafni Mitti can't focus on one job for sustained period of time. Their desires/needs shift them from one task to another. Short term fulfillment of their needs govern their minds. Their brain operates in an uncontrolled manner as if their grey cells have acquired Tadafni Mitti. The cure for Tadafni Mitti is hard to come by. For centuries, Sages have done yajnas, philosophers have written treatises, and authorities have imposed restrictions. But Tadafni Mitti has found a way to survive among human species. Some folks have simply given up any attempts to control it, allowing Tadafni Mitti to govern them. Others, possessed with their omnipotent view of themselves, portray themselves as gurus who vanquished their Tadafni Mitti. My mum was once psychology professor. Perhaps she loved Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Maybe, she invented the word "Tadafni Mitti" as a replacement to teach her kid some life values. Notwithstanding that, both concepts are inter related and helps our cause to illustrate what Tadafni Mitti is. Tadafni Mitti is reflection of Needs of human being; the desires that make people do what they do. The structure or basis of Tadafni Mitti is composed of various items in list of Maslow's hierarchy. For starters, grains of Tadafni Mitti includes physiological needs(food/sex), social needs(love/friendship), esteem needs(status/fame), and more. In extreme case, Tadafni Mitti governs your mind and makes you fall for seven deadly sins. : lust, greed, envy, gluttony, wrath, pride and sloth. Since I have come to US, I have found that Western world is consumed by higher intensity of Tadafni Mitti. They probably enjoy their Tadafni Mitti, unlike their counterparts back in Asia. Moreover, I witnessed a spike in the Tadafni Mitti of migrants. For example, the students, free from their parental or societal bounds, had their Tadafni Mitti unleashed within months of arrival here. Extra-curricular Tadafni Mitti has taken over their mind. As I said before, human beings have spent their life cycle, controlling their urges by getting rid of Tadafni Mitti. But such is the control exercised by it, that they have given up their hopes - just like my mum gave up on me very early on. For myself, I have love and hate relationship with my Tadafni Mitti. My Tadafni Mitti is of complex variety. I shan't go into too many details of my Tadafni Mitti. But some can be offered as an example.

The first illustration is this very essay. I am reading Algorithms and out of the blue comes the topic of Tadafni Mitti, which further compounded by real my Tadafni urge to document the idea, makes me leave my important career-defining subject for writing this essay. This is the Tadafni Mitti on display for you. So is updating whatsapp statuses, opening refrigerator every now and then, checking google news/thehindu.com, writing short notes of observations, etc cetera. List of my Tadafni Mitti is long. When my mum called me Tadafni Mitti as a kid, she meant both physical and psychological concepts. She understood the relationship between both. Tadafni Mitti is also a combination biological and psychological phenomenon. As a result, you can't eradicate it, but you can channelize it for defined purposes. Tadafni Mitti is what keeps you alive and going. But it can take you in directions that may not be productive. Tadafni Mitti captures the essence of our uncontrolled urges.

And before we can control that urge, we need to start by asking a simple question to ourselves : What is my Tadafni Mitti?