Conduct and Thought Process—

To say, these are terms only. But the basic question is, whether the diurnal conduct of a person regulates his thought process or thoughts originating in the mind of a person prompts him to behave in a specific way. Which one is the driving factor out of these two elements?  While on the same, a total out come of these two elements, also revealed in another way in the behavioral  pattern of a man. It’s like “inclination or proclivity” for something. There is nuance in this. A subtle imaginary line divides both the elements in a person and surprisingly both the elements are inseparable parts of the persona of a man.

No doubt lies about the fact that ” thoughtfulness or thought process” is a significant part of our mental set up. It’s said, without a thought  coming  in the mind, no further action can be proceeded. Every day, when we step out from home, that’s too we initiate after pondering about something. For paradigm, our thought can incite us to initiate the day firstly by paying homage in the temple or mosque of church or Gurudwara etc and then to other worldly activities.

In stead, the same thought process can also prompt us  to visit some kiosk and have smoking first and then to proceed with other activities. There are examples too, when some people initiate diurnal journey of the day, firstly by visiting some bar and consume the alcohol. This may sound farcical, but a person who initiates the day by visiting the bar firstly, we explain his behaviour as a “proclivity” in negative sense. His this visiting the bar to consume the wine is also his conduct, that’s instantly being noticed by people as a “bad symptom.”

The term symptom conveys some deep meaning, that is often used in several aspects. For example, “symptoms” of illness! In this case, when a man suffers from ailment, a change in his behavioral pattern becomes obvious.The change is in a way, yesterday  he was healthier and walking by himself but today he is lying  on the bed, unable to move. Meant, his daily pattern or conduct been changed now. It simply means, when the conduct of a person deviates from a “regular pattern” it falls in the category of some “symptom.”

Apart from, in social aspects, if symptoms are obviously contrary to ” moral precepts” it becomes ominous or inauspicious. As described in aforesaid paragraph about a person who initiates the day by visiting some bar firstly. That’s too is contrary to the normal pattern. This conduct is counted as symbolic of “ominous category.” In this way “symptoms” somewhere to become corollary of the conduct of a man. Hence symptoms became  glued to the conduct. Now glaring issue is, which element has the upper hand in between conduct and thought process?

Though, the answer to the query seems simpler but it’s not so. We begin to behave since the day of inception of coming into this world. Our every activity is the part and parcel of our “conduct.” How we speak, out gait, our mannerism in total is part of our conduct. In the nascent childhood, we learn some conduct from our parents; so many other things we learn by imitating other people. The element of “imitation” is significant act, we follow from our childhood to the adolescence majorly. We by being impressed by someone’s way of talking or movement or mannerism begin to follow him and try to adopt his mannerism into our personal life.

Here focus upon the terminology “by being impressed.” “Impression” is an “ideological state of mind.” We are induced by an “idea” that by imitating some one, we too can be looked presentable. Here, the idea is being generated by  looking at some one else. But contrary to this, when we are sitting calmly and pondering over something, may some original idea or thought may strike our mind! Now this idea can lead us to change our conduct or behavior. For paradigm, we notice a person who when smokes, releases rings of smoke out of his mouth very smartly. This may incite us to begin “smoking.” Since,it induces us (in fact our conduct), by doing the smoking in the same style, we may have an attractive appearance.

But …. but on one day, by having a calm contemplation, it dawns that smoking in true sense is injurious to the health. In pursuance to this, we swear not to smoke in near future and give it up squarely. Here the “thought process” changed our conduct. Though it also helped to “Imitate” in the first hand. This all, in its entirety is a confounding issue. For instance,  by being impressed by the ideology of some political party, we begin to behave on the “party line.”  This ideological impression helps us change our symptoms. We begin to put on the specific cap or shirt representing the favorite party. Here an ideology is affecting our conduct.

Then a day comes, when disenchanted by that political ideology we deviate from that. This is an out come of our thought process in counter-reaction measures. Now the question remains same, which element between “conduct and thought process” dominates. The truth is, conduct and thought process may be   supplementary to one another or may not be. For instance, a person in his personal life may be a deep devout but not necessarily  opt to put on religious costumes, prescribed for a devout. On the same, another man, who puts on the pompous religious garb may not be a “devout” in his heart.

On various occasions, a man follows the conduct merely for showcasing. But when he got clad in a religious costume, his symptoms generally give an impression of his being a religious man. It’s like a decoy! Here his ideology is inauspicious but conduct is producing a “virtual effect”. Here his apparent conduct subsides his “ominous propensity.” In the initial stage of life as a child, we follow the conduct of other people in imitation only. Then we grow on and after a lapse of time, our mind attains a maturity level and we begin ably to ponder over something. After that age, we too have had a memory bank based on our perception of senses. This memory bank now helps us decide our conduct and thought process.

A receptive mind becomes fertile through education, self learning and with the help of society. On becoming matured, mind begins to generate new thoughts. The entertaining fact about all this is, Man’s conduct and thought process both are guided with the help of the mind only. In a conclusive way, our mind or brain is the mystery, that impels man to “think and behave,” as per the demand of the occasion. Yes! Every one attains a “ripe age” in the life, when the “tilt of scale” is heavier on the side of “thought” only. For example, when riding a vehicle on the road, every man is bound to follow the traffic rules. Though in our conduct, we may take liberty to ride indiscriminately and risk the lives of others and oneself as well. At the last, at some stage of life, the conduct has got the upper hand whilst on the same, at some stages”thoughts” play the vital role. Penned by — Vinay Pharasi —–