When people get rich, they cut themselves off from the context that has earned them these riches - the context of the common men. They forget they are part of society.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the disconnect between the wealthy and the common people.
N. R. Narayana Murthy highlights a social phenomenon where individuals who attain wealth may lose touch with their roots and the societal context that helped them succeed. This disconnection can lead to a lack of understanding and empathy towards the struggles faced by the common man, reminding us of the importance of remaining grounded and acknowledging our shared human experience.
In practice
During a talk on social responsibility, one could use this quote to illustrate the importance of staying connected to the community.
When you are in business for a long time, you go through good times and bad times. When you go through bad times, you learn to control costs, satisfy customers better, satisfy employees better and become more transparent. Therefore, you build character in the company.
India is known for much development that has happened since our independence, but at the same time, we have also failed on many levels. It is the responsibility of the future generation to ensure that all these failures are corrected and help create a civilised society with equal opportunities for one and all.
The unique instrument to eradicate poverty and usher in prosperity is our youth.
The biggest impediment to growth is in our minds and not in the world outside, and only constant in the world is change.
The future of any corporation is as good as the value system of the leaders and followers in the organization.
If longevity is the best index to measure a company, a basic requirement is the ability of the corporation to generate new and new leaders.
I make up my opinions from facts and reasoning, and not to suit any body but myself. If people don't like my opinions, it makes little difference as I don't solicit their opinions or votes.
Certainly the determining acts of her life were not ideally beautiful. They were the mixed result of young and novel impulse struggling amidst the conditions of an imperfect social state, in which great feelings will often take the aspect of error, and great faith the aspect of illusion.
Idealism increases in direct proportion to one's distance from the problem.
You people of the South don't know what you are doing. This country will be drenched in blood, and God only knows how it will end.
Human history began as an act of disobedience, and it is not unlikely that it will be terminated by an act of obedience. At this point in history the capacity to doubt, to criticize and to disobey may be all that stands between a future for mankind and the end of civilization.
In any civilized society, it is every citizen's responsibility to obey just laws. But at the same time, it is every citizen's responsibility to disobey unjust laws.
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