I had responded to the above question of the students in a discussion with them.

As this is a frequently asked question, which lingers in many of us, I would like to explore it further in this article.

The curiosity to know what the other thinks of us bothers, and even haunts us, in different ways throughout life. Sometimes we may know what the other thinks about us but we want to hear explicitly from the horse's mouth! We want to hear about it even if it may not be favourable to us! Why do we crave to hear about ourselves from others instead of reflecting and introspecting? Why are we scared to look at ourselves? Do we know that we are, at times, ugly and cruel although we may be physically beautiful?

The human being is an extraordinary organism with the most intricate feedback control system conceivable. The organism is so marvellous that we hardly know about it at all. Most of it is unknown to us. How such an intricate system could come about is just beyond our imagination! It obtains feedback from the external world to organise and activate so many functions like movements etc. Similarly, there is continuous feedback to the closed loop control systems within the organism. For example, the heart begins to beat faster when there is an increased oxygen demand of the lungs of a man running.

The control systems of the organism related to the inner and outer worlds are obviously a part of a larger whole. One of the enigmatic capacities is that of self–awareness. What is this? This question has occupied the thinkers, philosophers and seers of every age. To be able to observe oneself critically, as a scientist would observe an object of his study, has been indicated by J. Krishnamurti to be an invaluable, and perhaps the only, instrument available for bringing about fundamental transformation of oneself. One wishes to explore this possibility.

Obviously, many seers and philosophers have explored the significance of introspection and the clarity it brings for better action. Action rooted in introspection is more likely to be of better “quality,” is perhaps the implication of some schools of thought. In view of the immense possibility it offers, the ability to introspect and explore the inner world is an important aspect of education. Recent educators have also been emphasising upon the need for children to have better emotional quotient and improved intra–personal intelligence. The nature of introspection called for by the modern educators and that hinted upon by Krishnamurti may be different due to a motivation driving the former.

The question raised by the students of Class 10 impelled me to introspect upon the purpose of education. Do we need to evoke each of the “multiple intelligences” by different learning processes designed for different contexts or are there more integral approaches of education, which can bring about a holistic movement? How is the observer the observed?

This is the sixth consecutive issue of our value added newsletter. The process of staff and students writing for it and the editorial processes are getting streamlined and established. It is largely a self–sustaining activity of the school presently. A lot of the work happens naturally without much ado. It is a happy time for the school and its community members. I feel confident that we can take up many challenging initiatives of different kinds in the time to come. Our children are growing up well and they are bound to contribute meaningfully to our society in the years to come!

I wish all our students, staff members, staff families, associates and parents of our school a very happy new year!