Story of dog, donkey and man

Beginning of relationship between man and dog

Long long ago, about 20000 years to 40000 years back in time, man was a hunter-gatherer living in wild. Unlike other stronger animals of wild, he felt community living was safer than venturing out alone. Hunting and gathering in community was more efficient. Man was not alone in understanding benefits of community living. Wolves had also learned these benefits and formed their own cabal.

These two communities living in same wild, must have looked at each other with scepticism. Nothing of common interest was there in wild, which would bring these two communities together to collaborate.

Then strangest event in evolutionary history of life on earth happened. Some wolves left their community to transform into dogs and become first trustworthy companion of man. It was strange, as in primitive life of wild, neither dog nor man derived any tangible benefit from this association.

Settlement of agrarian society and domestication of Donkeys

Not so long ago, about 10000 years to 12000 years back, man started feeling boredom in wild. Daily hunting-gathering activity became monotonous chore. So he acquired new skills of livestock rearing and farming. With these two skills, he left the wild permanently to settle in small clusters (village) with his companion dog.

As need of farm labour grew, man domesticated many wild animals solely for utilitarian purpose. Donkey was one of them. Though not as strong as horse or bull, donkey had its own attraction. Its low height and strong built was ideal for carrying goods. Another behaviour of donkey that fascinated man was coyness and diligence. Man must have seen in donkey highly useful, yet perfectly unremarkable animal.

(Incidentally, donkey appears as important companion of Mulla Nasiruddin in tales from Baghdad.)

Influence of traits and habits

It would be interesting to list out some traits of dog that must have fascinated early man.

Sixth sense: Many dogs possessed extra sensory perception beyond limits of many other species including man. Some dogs could hear low and high notes of sounds beyond normal audible range. Others could see beyond seven colours of rainbow. Yet others possessed both abilities and lot more. In life threatening situations of wild, these abilities would have helped a lot.

Pavlovian conditioning: Dogs lacking sixth sense abilities, ended up compensating it through Pavlovian (conditioned) response. This habit of dog would directly satisfy man’s ego.

Dependability: As companion, dog provided unflinching support to man in adverse circumstances and dangers associated with wild. Man would blindly trust dog.

Territorial rights: Dogs were quite vigilant of their perceived territory. This territory was aggressively protected, not only from different species, but also from dogs that were considered outsiders.

Siesta and lazy lying: As man’s trusted companion, dogs enjoyed easy life. Every day, long siesta a dog enjoyed and performed insignificant and mundane work of keeping vigil of surrounding.

By the time donkeys were domesticated, man had already acquired many traits of dog.

Donkey exhibited some noticeable traits listed below:

Diligence and hard work: Donkey’s diligence, obedience and hard work was exemplary, yet it never helped him win title of most favourite companion of man.

Easy going attitude to territorial rights: Donkey was happy sharing territorial space with every other species, including other donkeys. Comraderie and bonhomie were natural traits that helped donkeys forget pain inflicted by much harsher and exploitative relationship with man.

Low self-esteem: Due to repeated rebuke of man even after year round hard work, donkey would develop low self-esteem complex. As a result it became introvert and reserve.

As famous poet Kabir das says, “कबिरा संगत साधु की, ज्यों गंधी का बास। जो कुछ गंधी दे नहीं, तो भी बास सुवास’”, proximity helps exchange and spread good qualities (and of course bad ones too). Man being a smart learner, acquired many traits of dog and donkey.

People behaviour in contemporary society

Dog’s ability for long Siesta and lazy lying is quite infectious and popular in some parts of India. As we move further into eastern part of India, post-lunch siesta between 2pm-5pm is more common scene. In some places, markets and businesses religiously shut doors during siesta time. Those who still commit social crime of keeping their businesses open are frowned upon.

Majority of people in society ended up following donkey’s traits. They ignored the proverb “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. They have this sense of pride in putting herculean effort of donkey every day in false hope of becoming dog someday. They liked to keep company of similar hardworking people to chill out occasionally and breaking the routine.

A few people exhibited sixth sense of dog. They were born with that extra ability to understand the world, which 99.9% did not possess. They fitted description of hindi saying “पूत के पांव पालने में ही नजर आ जाते हैं,” new born’s movements are indicative of his or her future actions.

Yet others realized early that they neither possessed sixth sense nor could live donkey’s life that would be taking nowhere. They undertook pavlovian conditioning route to earn rewards in life. They took art of sycophancy to greater heights.

Some people were extremely competitive, trying to safeguard their knowledge and territory while others were more co-operative, sharing and caring types.

People’s Influence on Institutions and vice versa

Hardworking people in an institution make best of their efforts to keep that institution running as well-oiled machine. They are master of routine. Since majority of world’s affair is everyday routine, it can be safely concluded that they run the routine affairs of world. However their ability to make path breaking changes in affairs of Institution remain doubtful.

Some professions promote hardworking traits over all others. These professions are apprenticeship types, where learning by doing is norm. So if persons with sixth-sense abilities joins such profession, chances of survival are slim unless they hide/subdue their special trait abilities and fit into regimentation of routine.

Some institutions/professions reward pavlovian behaviour. Many government run institutions actually promote this culture and behaviour. Though rare, sometimes a person born with sixth-sense joins such institution, spends much of life his pavlovian style, reaching top. But once on top, he bares his cards to bring about tectonic changes in same institution. One can cite example of T.N. Seshan as CEC and Subir Raha as CMD-ONGC here.

Duo of Ramdev and Balakrishna can be cited as sixth-sense friends, transforming the rules of the game in FMCG space.

As hardworking ones and lazy ones are so numerous, they don’t deserve any citation.