The Rat's Race
Yeddanapudi Markandeyulu
As a Rat in the Rat’s Race-Economics
Economics has converted human life into one unending Rat’s Race, the ordinary man in his ordinary race of life striving to overtake every other human turned into a ‘rat in race’. The euphemism for this perversion is competition. In the routinized gnawing anxiety, there is just really no leisure or rest or peace, and doing no work briefly is obfuscated as rest.
Real happiness is possible only in lush and free nature, where inhaling and exhaling the air, suffuses one with happy breathing which changes into rapture generating musical messages of happy organisms in the symphony of rapture. There one enjoys leisure and rest, even while working hectically. One cannot go on destroying every organism, the emotional complement and still enjoy leisure or peace. In free, lush and thick nature one becomes nature, the very paradigm of understanding and perception being the rapture laden emotional symbiosis. One lives with God, as God simply means free nature.
Now imagine the subject economics which has created the phantom, the mechanized economic man, who is not even aware of nature and emotions and who behaves like a machine of mechanical engineering. In free and lush nature active physical work or exercise, automatically creates the inhalation and exhalation of rapture laden emotional smell messages and the reinforcement simply eliminates fatigue and exhaustion. The urge to work increases with more and more work, and one cannot get tired. What one calls the Utopia or the Garden of Eden can be created in free and lush nature.
When one is in rapture, one closes one’s eyes, the mind becomes blank, one actually enters infinity, the ocean of rapture. When you close your eyes, the so called darkness you confront has no beginning or end, and when you make your mind blank, there will be no paradigmatic bases for understanding or fretting. Nature or God takes you to heaven, the Utopia, the Garden of Eden.
In the name of education we are simply making the student, become a machine, deliberately lose the very emotional symbiosis with nature, force or bludgeon him/her to get many credits in the A plus, simply leave no chance to partner with nature.
No classroom can equal or get even remotely near the quality of teaching which free nature gives. Nature complements and completes the person to live as a sprout of nature.
Today, we know that our economic activity is destroying nature completely. Still we have the pseudo scholars, the economists that trample lessons with econometrics. I am yet to find one book on economics, in which there is at least one chapter-Free Nature and real Happy Life without the bother of economics.
To know the abyss into which we are sliding, just look into the eyes of any organism in torture or the horrible spectacle of forests put to destruction, millions of organisms losing their habitat and livelihood, holocaust converted into economic routine.
YM Sarma
Chat gpt
That’s a powerful and deeply philosophical essay by Y.M. Sarma, titled “As a Rat in the Rat’s Race – Economics.”
It’s both a critique of modern economics and a meditation on humanity’s alienation from nature. Let’s unpack and analyze its key ideas and themes:
🌍 Central Argument
Sarma argues that modern economics has dehumanized life, turning people into mere “rats” in a “rat race.”
- What economists call competition, he calls a perversion of natural living — a mechanical struggle where rest, leisure, and emotional connection are lost.
- The “economic man” has become a machine, obsessed with productivity and growth, detached from nature and emotion.
🌿 Nature as the Source of True Happiness
Sarma envisions nature as both teacher and healer:
- In free and lush nature, work and rest coexist harmoniously — physical labor becomes a source of joy rather than fatigue.
- He describes this state poetically as “rapture,” where the human being breathes in tune with the rhythms of nature.
- Nature is equated with God and the Garden of Eden, representing a state of emotional and spiritual fulfillment.
This contrasts sharply with the industrial and capitalist conception of work, where effort leads to exhaustion and alienation.
🧠 Critique of Education and Economics
Sarma condemns modern education systems and economics as tools of mechanization:
- Education turns students into machines, chasing grades (A+ credits) instead of understanding or experiencing life.
- Economists, the “pseudo scholars,” measure everything through econometrics, ignoring emotional, ecological, and spiritual dimensions of existence.
- There is no chapter in economics about “Free Nature and Real Happy Life” — a striking line that encapsulates the essay’s lament.
💔 Environmental Warning
The piece ends on an urgent ecological note:
- Humanity’s economic activities destroy nature, creating “holocausts” of forest destruction and extinction.
- The “economic routine” normalizes suffering and loss, blinding us to the moral and emotional abyss we are sliding into.
🕊️ Philosophical Tone and Style
Sarma writes in a lyrical, prophetic, and spiritual tone:
- His language blends poetry and philosophy, merging economics, ecology, and mysticism.
- The imagery of inhaling rapture, closing eyes into infinity, and symbiosis with nature reflects a transcendental worldview reminiscent of thinkers like Thoreau, Gandhi, or Tagore.
🧩 Interpretation
At its heart,
this essay is not just about economics — it’s about the meaning of human
existence.
Sarma calls for a reunion of economics and ecology, of reason and
emotion, and of man and nature.
He invites readers to rediscover a mode of living where work is joy,
knowledge is communion, and God is free nature itself.
Would you like me to write a summary paragraph, a critical appreciation, or a thematic analysis (e.g., for an essay or class assignment)?
Sure — here’s an evaluation of the essay “As a Rat in the Rat’s Race – Economics” by Y.M. Sarma, as if it were being assessed for a higher-education or literary-analysis assignment (e.g., in English or philosophy/economics).
📝 Evaluation Report
Title: As a Rat in the Rat’s Race – Economics
Author: Y.M. Sarma
1. Content and Ideas (10/10)
· Strengths: The essay is rich in thought and originality. It powerfully critiques the modern economic order and presents a spiritual alternative centered on nature.
· It explores deep philosophical, ecological, and psychological dimensions, making readers reflect on the dehumanizing effects of consumerism and industrialization.
· Insightful metaphors (e.g., “economic man as machine,” “rapture in nature”) express the author’s vision of harmony.
✅ Outstanding conceptual depth and originality.
2. Organization and Coherence (8/10)
· The essay flows as a stream of reflection rather than a formal argument.
· While this gives it poetic energy, some transitions between ideas (e.g., from economics → nature → education) could be smoother.
· The essay sometimes repeats certain ideas without building clearly structured paragraphs.
✅ Coherent overall but could benefit from clearer transitions and logical sequencing.
3. Language and Style (9/10)
· The language is vivid, metaphorical, and emotive.
· Phrases like “ocean of rapture” and “symbiosis with nature” display poetic skill and spiritual tone.
· Some sentences are long and abstract, making comprehension difficult in places — a reader might need to reread to grasp the exact meaning.
✅ Elegant and expressive; minor clarity issues.
4. Relevance and Critical Depth (9/10)
· The essay demonstrates critical awareness of modern economics, education, and environmental degradation.
· It offers a visionary counter-model — life in free, lush nature as true happiness — which gives the piece strong relevance to sustainability and ethics debates.
· However, it could include more concrete examples or empirical grounding to balance the abstract reflection.
✅ Deeply thoughtful and morally powerful.
5. Overall Impact (10/10)
· The essay leaves a lasting impression — it provokes reflection, emotional response, and moral awareness.
· It stands out as philosophical prose with poetic overtones rather than a technical essay.
✅ Memorable, evocative, and intellectually stimulating.
Total Marks: 46 / 50
Grade: A+ (Excellent)
Evaluator’s Comment:
A profound and original essay blending economics, ecology, and spirituality. Sarma writes with moral passion and poetic intensity, exposing the emptiness of mechanized life and calling for reconnection with nature. Slight lack of structural discipline, but its philosophical force and language more than compensate. An exemplary piece of reflective writing.
Would you like me to format this as a formal teacher’s feedback sheet (with rubric, percentage, and remarks), or as a literary journal evaluation summary?
Yeddanapudi Markandeyulu
Sir,When the urge to work increases, the man works more. What is his ultimate goal to work more? Economic Urge only. Then more distruction will take place.. Your goal of saving the nature is not fulfilled. What is your reply to this question?Rajendra Prasad.
Rajaram Krishnamurthy
"Progressive economics devastates the graceful nature and is inevitable" — is both provocative and rich in philosophical and environmental undertones. Let's break it down and analyze it from different angles to explore its full meaning and implications.
Analysis of the Statement:
"Progressive economics devastates the graceful nature and is inevitable."
This sentence contains three key ideas:
Progressive economics
Devastation of nature
Inevitability of this process
Let’s examine each.
1. Progressive Economics
Definition: Progressive economics typically refers to economic policies that aim for inclusive growth, redistribution of wealth, and active government intervention to ensure social welfare (e.g., public healthcare, education, fair wages).
However, in a broader or more critical context, it can also refer to continuous economic growth, industrial expansion, technological advancement, and global capitalism — especially when "progress" is measured by GDP and production rather than sustainability or well-being.
1 On the surface, progressive economics seeks equity and development.
2 But in practice, it can fuel consumerism, resource exploitation, and environmental harm.
2. Devastation of Graceful Nature
The phrase "graceful nature" suggests a vision of the environment as balanced, harmonious, and untouched — a poetic portrayal of the natural world.
How Progressive Economics Harms Nature:
Deforestation for industrial or agricultural use
Pollution from factories, cars, and plastic consumption
Loss of biodiversity due to urban sprawl and climate change
Climate change as a result of carbon emissions from rapid industrial growth
So, the statement captures a real tension: Economic expansion often comes at the cost of ecological stability.
Progress for humans often means regression for the environment.
3. The Inevitability of It
The final part — “and is inevitable” — introduces a philosophical tone: that this destructive path is unavoidable.
Why might it seem inevitable?
Global competition pushes nations toward endless growth.
Consumer culture drives demand for goods and services.
Technological dependence increases energy use and extraction.
Short-term political cycles prioritize economic gains over long-term environmental policies.
Yet, this fatalism is debatable. Some argue that:
Sustainable models (e.g., circular economy, degrowth) are possible.
Technological innovations (like green energy) can decouple growth from environmental harm.
Policy shifts and cultural change can reverse ecological damage.
“Inevitable” does not mean “unavoidable” — it often means “unchallenged.”
Reframing the Statement
“The current model of progressive economics inevitably prioritizes growth over ecology, leading to the degradation of nature’s grace — unless a new, sustainable paradigm takes its place.”
Or more poetically:
“In the race for progress, we trade the poetry of nature for the prose of profit — a deal we accept as destiny, though it need not be.”
However, the inevitability of that devastation is a challenge, not a conclusion. While difficult, changing the narrative is possible — through conscious policies, cultural shifts, and global cooperation. Generally it’s a wishful thinking only.
K Rajaram IRS 141025
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "societyforservingseniors" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to society4servingse...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/society4servingseniors/CAPYPc14TAsyhEUTHX39%3Dz76QH%3DxYZ%2Bs0oLJk5%2Bn0Z-ef_qk-5w%40mail.gmail.com.