Filter Coffee #088

On 'Via Trita Via Tuta'

Dear Readers,

FC #87 resonated with many of you. Some of your comments were indeed complementary to what I had written.

• My good friend Sanjeev Aga talked about being ‘economical with truth’. He says, “It implies that while you may not speak falsehoods, you may conceal some facts, thereby suppressing the truth from emerging or often even causing untruth to emerge.” He suggests that an extreme and yet classic example are the words, अश्वत्थामा हता: इति | नरोवा कुञ्जरोवा || that Yudhishtira uttered on the war field, aimed at deceiving Dronacharya who took command of the Kaurava army after Bhishma was defeated by Arjuna. As Drona was too tough to defeat, Krishna advised Bheema to kill an elephant named Ashwathama (which coincided with the name of Drona's son) and asked Yudhishtira to proclaim it loudly. Yudhishtira said aloud, “Aswathama Hatah,” (Aswathama is dead) but muttered under his breath, “Iti Narova Kunjarova” (not known whether man or elephant) which Drona could not hear. When Drona heard of Ashwathama’s death, he lost the will to live. He gave up his arms and weapons and went into meditation, and he eventually died at the hands of Dhristadyumna (brother of Draupadi).

• Another friend of mine, Rajesh Bagga alluded to ‘My Experiments With Truth’, the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi. I recommend my readers click here for a well-written summary of the book.

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🚶🏽 Via Trita via Tuta

This Latin maxim, which also became a common Roman proverb, means, ‘The beaten path is the safest path’, or ‘The well-worn way is the safe way’. The English word ‘trite’, meaning ‘devoid of meaning or worn out’, is derived from ‘trita’. (There is also a similar maxim: ‘Via antiqua via est tuta’, which means, ‘The old way is the safe way’.)

The maxim runs counter to the bravado of Bravehearts, who venture out to where no man has gone before.

Age-old habits, customs, and traditions can be equated to ‘via trita’, but will they be ‘via tuta’ forever? The history of mankind has shown that with the evolution of science, technology, and society, many customs and traditions are no longer considered appropriate and many of them have been outlawed.

The gruesome practice of ‘sati’, the deplorable treatment of widows, and the disinheritance of the daughter have all been done away with by both legal and social reforms. The concept of the beaten path being the safe path no longer applies to certain outdated customs and practices.

In my younger days, we were not supposed to sit on the chair in front of elders, much less with legs crossed, and you were expected to get up when the elders entered. We were supposed to fall at their feet and seek their blessings. We don’t see much of these practices today. The relationship between the parents and the children has undergone a sea of change. As sons and daughters attain maturity, their interactions with parents can be either less or more, depending on how that relationship is handled. In the olden days, there were no distractions that we see today, and it was easier to expect the children to return home, from wherever they were, before sunset.

Many parents have given children the space they needed and have encouraged them to be open about their feelings—this has helped parents develop a friendship with their children. Of course, there have been many instances of parents and children alienating from each other and the chasm has widened for want of early intervention and restitution.

Time-tested methods and processes are often considered ‘via tuta’ by businesses. Best practices are factored into corporate strategies, resulting in securing the interests of the corporate. The practice of conducting due diligence, evaluating risk factors, leveraging the balance sheet, acquiring new businesses are all part of this ‘via truta’. You may make a course correction or a short deviation, but you make sure to come back on track.

Abandoning the path that was being followed requires aggressive decision-making, recognising the consequences and associated risks. 

One example that I can cite from my experience was the age-old marketing practice followed by Brooke Bond India Ltd (now merged with Hindustan Unilever). Whichever nook and corner of India you went to, you would find paisa packets hanging like buntings in front of all grocery and corner shops. Tea dust was then sold in as little as 10 paise, 25 paise packets and there were Green Label Coffee Chicory tablets under the brand ‘Dilkhush’, which the daily wage earners used to put into boiling water and add jaggery. Interestingly, the shopkeepers would tell us that the sale of jaggery depended on the sale of Dilkhush tablets.

Another notable aspect of Brooke Bond's business model was ‘direct selling’. In every big town, there would be a salesman operating a depot and servicing all the outlets in his area. These salesmen were also the point of contact to various dealers and wholesalers. Their reach was so good that, on the back of selling tea, they distributed ‘Nirodh’ and ‘Centron’ blades. It was entirely another experience — whenever anyone from the company had a problem, all that they had to do was to call up the nearest salesman, and he would happily help you out.

Though I had left the company by then, it saddened me when paisa packets were discontinued and the company sales depots were shut, discontinuing the direct selling method. I see that Nescafe, Sunrise and other products like shampoo are being sold in sachets even today. Hopefully, tea packets too will be re-introduced as ‘rupee packets’.

Taking up the profession of one’s parents is another example of taking the beaten path. I followed the footsteps of my father and my elder brother to become a lawyer. Many have followed their parents and become doctors, engineers, businessmen, artists, and even join politics. However, if one is forced into that career, the individual may lose their way even on that well-trodden path.

When walking across unknown terrain, we look for footpaths and instinctively take them, feeling secure that we are on a well-travelled path. You can be confident that you will reach your destination, that you are more likely to find food and water along the way, and in some cases, encounter a footbridge where you need to cross a creek. Walking on these very narrow and winding footpaths requires us to observe the discipline of ants by walking one behind the other.

The same cannot be said when you are on a trek. You rely on the experience of the ‘sherpa’ or the ‘trek guide’ (when you write, you are not supposed to refer to them as ‘Sherpa’ because the capitalised version refers to an ethnic group). You rely on the sherpa to find you a ‘via tuta’, which may not be a ‘via trita’. 

We are also witnessing a trend to shun traditional ways and venture out on unknown terrains, conscious of the associated risks. There is some excitement in going down an uncharted path. This may remind you of these lines in the poem ‘Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost. (Click here to read the full poem.)

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Let me end this with a short joke:

A pipe burst in a lawyer's house. He called a plumber. The plumber arrived, unpacked his tools, did mysterious plumber-type things for a while, and handed the lawyer a bill for $600.

The lawyer exclaimed, “This is ridiculous! I don't even charge that much for an hour!”

The plumber quietly answered, “Neither did I, when I was a lawyer.”

Take care and be safe!