THE LESS PUBLISHED SURVIVAL INSTINCT
COMMON BETWEEN A CAT AND A HUMAN
(THE GREAT COVER UP)

 

In this article I am going to discuss an instinct which is used as a Killer Instinct or Survival Instinct that is common to a Cat (commonly called as “Billy” in some Indian languages) and the Human. It may be less known or less observed, less discussed or even less published, however, it is very important to recognize it in the context of public life and society. Here I am discussing about the Cat (Billy) as in wild and not pet cats who are kept under controlled conditions in human household or in a zoo.

First of all let us see what is Common Meaning  of  an “instinct”? The Dictionary meaning of the word instinct is: “The way people or animals naturally react or behave, without having to think or learn about it”. However, in well thought out (conscious) or controlled conditions, the instincts get modified, in case of Human by education and training to apply conscience ; or in case of a Cat  when it is trained as a pet and kept under controlled conditions as Pet in a household; the Killing Instinct or Survival Instinct gets modified.

An instinct by its said common meaning, that Cat has in wild is that, it will invariably try to shit at a place where it has some materials to cover the shit. It is a wild and natural instinct of the Cat within the common meaning cited above and the survival instinct or killing instinct the cat has to shit at a place in the households and cover it with some surrounding materials is ubiquitous with all cats in the wild. Although the cat may have a language that has not been possible for humans to decipher till date, however, the Cat knows very well that its shit is something wrong to happen and it must be covered not to be noticed easily, that is its Survival Instinct or Killing Instinct that remains with it naturally.

I have seen, as example, mostly in rural households, there are cats commonly available like stray dogs, and they are of no one’s concern. Therefore, the Cat has its own Survival Instinct or Killing Instinct. I have observed and in most common, where there used to be piles of harvested food grains or wastes of the grains, usually at farmer households who do organic farming in the villages, the Cat will come quietly, shit over it and also cover it with the grains or the wastes of the grains available in the surrounding and go away. It may be inside the household or outside households found in the villages where farmers are engaged in organic farming. It is not only in piles of grains, the Cat does it in open bags of grains also (before being stitched and sealed). It is not the piles of grains that are the targets of the Cat, there are other such possibilities over the materials in a place or corner of the household whether inside or outside, Cat does this activity as its Killer Instinct or Survival Instinct where there are some materials; available to cover its shit. It is normal and within the common meaning of the instinct, the cat would not like to create its shit at a place where there are no surrounding materials available as per its survival instinct judgment to cover the shit with some materials once it is created.

It is true, it is a pity of the circumstance, that the Cat, either does not know or does not understand that, even if the visibility or noticeability of the shit it creates in this way as its survival instinct or killer instinct, can be hindered by covering it by itself with some surrounding materials; but the pinching and unbearable foul smell (stink ) of the shit it creates and tries to cover it up, can’t be covered and its flow to the atmosphere can’t be checked, it has to flow with the wind to the atmosphere in any case and under all circumstances. The sickening foul smell (Stink) of the shit of the Cat, in fact, makes its shit easily discoverable. The foul smell of the shit of the Cat is also a part of its Killer Instinct or Survival Instinct; as due to its foul smell; because the foul smell of the shit of the cat acts as a repellant for the animals who can use the cat as their prey ( targeted animal to be fed on ).

The instinct, thus which is the Killer Instinct or Survival Instinct of the Cat, as to shitting and covering it by surrounding materials to make it invisible, is comparable to the instinct of a Human to commit a mistake (or otherwise also, to call it as an act of offence) and almost in all instances, there will be his/her effort to cover it up by its Killer Instinct or Survival Instinct by surrounding materials (physical, non-physical or human efforts). Similar to the shit of the Cat, the Human mistake will also have a foul smell for the society (a bad or not acceptable consequence) as its result or outcome of the mistaken act that will flow to the atmosphere of the society in most of the cases, in terms of information or records, which will be ultimately discovered comparably; as the Cat’s shit ultimately gets discovered because of its foul smell. Like the Cat may be thinking as to its shit, by common meaning, a Human, would also think and assume that he/she has covered up the mistake and it will not be noticeable. However, the bad or unacceptable result or outcome of the mistake of the Human, similar to the foul smell of the shit of the Cat, will be discovered almost in all or in most of the cases, in the atmosphere ( or environment ).

The Ordinary Human members of the society as afore-said, have the common instinct, that is a Killer Instinct or Survival Instinct, comparable with the Cat; whereas the Cat tries to cover its shit, a Human will invariably try to cover up his/her mistake by some means or other so that it is assumed that, it does not get exposed or noticeable to the society, this is an instinct of also of Human, there cannot be dispute about it.

The important point to take cognizance in this article is; the mistakes committed by the Human beings placed at Leadership Positions in the Society whether at Institutional or Organizational, National or International, or at Global level are also similar to the shit of the Cat. The qualities of a leader or good leadership qualities envisage proactively recognizing mistakes likely to happen out of leadership decisions. The Leaderships will always be bestowed with some powers in their hands which can be used or misused also in their actions either way; having some consequences and the Good Leadership Qualities do not misuse the power. The power available in the hands of the Leaderships by the positions or chairs they occupy, will invariably be used/misused to cover up the mistakes of the Leaderships. Like the Cat would cover its shit by available surrounding materials, the mistakes of the Leaderships will be tried to be covered up by the power the leaderships would have in their own hands or the surroundings of the Leaderships have in their hands. Even the Power available in the hands of the Human Leaderships or in the hands of their surrounding will be used/misused to check or block the flow of the foul smell (the consequences ) of their mistakes, however, as said above, it is a pity that while the Cat does not have such power to check or block the foul smell ( the stink ) of its shit to the atmosphere (and this is a very minor difference to be admitted in comparing human with the Cat); while ultimately the stink or foul smell of the mistakes of the Human Leaderships (in  the form of information or records ) will ultimately flow to the atmosphere, by someone(s), some way or by some means and some mechanisms over time. The Good Leadership Qualities mean recognizing own mistakes and correcting it at the first available opportunity, however other than Good Leaderships, the action is in favour of covering it up, the great cover up, like the Cat.

The efforts of the Leaderships to cover up the mistakes committed by it, by use of power in its own hands or in the hands of its surrounding will always be very harsh and detrimental to the society and in common meaning will not be acceptable to the society. When the Cat shits in a pile of food grains and covers it by the surrounding grains, finally some quantity of the grains will be lost as it will be a spoiled lot, and not be consumable due the bad situation created by the Cat. Similarly, when the Leaderships try to cover up their mistakes by use of power of their own chairs or positions; or by the power available for use/misuse with their surroundings on which they have control, its effect would be quite damaging and detrimental and, by its common meaning not acceptable to the society.

The activity to cover up of the mistakes of the leaderships, thus, by use of Power, will cause Fear, Gagging, Intimidation, Elimination, Prosecution, Persecution, Distress, Depression and Suppression, Dissent, Resent, Revolt and Protests, while these may not be exhaustive words to describe the situation, there may be many words to describe and name the situation in the Society conspicuously or inconspicuously. The Cat can cover up its shit, by the available surrounding materials and run away to the wild, however, many times it also gets solid beating from the households, that has also been seen. The Human Leaderships also, other than Good Leaderships who accept and correct their mistakes, do run away by covering up their mistakes by use/misuse of own power or surrounding power, however, the society makes sure, that the Leaderships do pay a price for their mistakes over any time horizon that may be. Even if they run away by covering up their mistakes by use/misuse of power, in the time line of history, the society does not erase their mistakes and its consequences, and therefore, the foul smell (stink) of their mistakes joined and written along with their names does continue to hunt in the atmosphere for long and ever. Of course, the Good Leadership Qualities of the Human Leaderships get written in golden words in the time line of the history of humanity. While the past leaderships will be hunted by the foul smell ( stinking consequences) of their mistakes, the current leaderships should logically be mindful of their mistakes committed and likely to be committed; and not to use too much of power to cover it up by causing Fear, Gagging, Intimidation, Elimination, Prosecution, Persecution, Distress, Depression and Suppression, Dissent, Resent, Revolt and Protests or any such consequences defined by any other such descriptive words, and run away, as ultimately they will also be prone to be hunted by the foul smell (stinking consequences) of their mistakes, in the time line of the history of the human civilization and the society. There are plenty of information available regarding mistakes committed by the Leaderships over the time line of the History of the World and in this article I did not intend to cite specific case not to create any bias; however, the readers can easily search and find out from the common sources of information available in public domain or private domain or in all domains.

About the Author : Dr. Nimain Charan  Biswal is a B.Sc.(Agri. Science and Technology), M.B.A. and Ph.D.(Management Area ) by qualifications and he has 35 years of work experience in both  industrial and development sectors in diversified fields of social importance. He has been educated at Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT)-Bhubaneswar, Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) and Gujarat University (with Resource Support of IIM-Ahmedabad). Dr.Biswal is further educated at IIM-Calcutta, XLRI-Jamshedpur, Apple Computer Industries and Spar Inc., USA. He has worked for reputed National and International Organisations in Senior/Top Management Capacities. He is a management expert covering extensive areas from management in agriculture, industrial management, development management to management of public systems. He is a prominent professional of India and known Internationally as well. He lives at Mumbai in India.