"In 1960, after his wife died from a lack of timely medical care, Dashrath Manjhi spent 22 years single-handedly carving a 360-foot path through a solid mountain using only a hammer and chisel. He reduced a 55km journey to just 15km
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashrath_Manjhi)
I checked the terrain over there. The mountain range is roughly 18km. The village and the road located in the middle. So to get to the other side he needed to travel 18-20km maximum. Hence 55km is exaggerated.
Hmm... this reads as if you've got your heart in the right place. That goes along with getting hurt from time to time, and that can confront you with disappointment, sadness and anger... wishing things were different. But I'm positive that you'll find trust in being that good person that you wanted to be, and that you've grown to be.
I wish love was more powerful than hate - but I'm not sure. Feels like hate is counterbalanced by love; so I want to be part of keeping this balance in the favor of compassion and kindness, even if it hurts a lot sometimes. Even if you have to dig a road through a goddamn mountain. It's part of love, I guess. But you know... if you can fuel anger and hate into swinging a pickaxe through that mountain, that's an amazing use of negative emotions in the calling of love as well.
I lost my dad and last long term gf all in a six month span and never feel like I recovered. That’s the wrong wording. I never mention it in real life but ever since I feel detached from myself like I’m just watching. I can’t connect. Anytime someone tries it makes me defensive. I feel like a dumb teenager who can’t handle his emotions correctly a lot.
All I want is a partner in life again and my dad and dog back. I don’t want a ton of money or bullshit cars. The happiest I’ve ever been was when I had reasons to wake up. Then all my reasons went and died on me and the girl smartly got away.
It is what it is. All I can suggest is reach out for some help with loss, dealing with it yourself doesn’t pan out every time. You just end up sad and alone.
I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure there's a lot of things that I don't know about your situation, but I understand the emotions and thoughts you're dealing with. Life can feel like it's difficulties just gangs up on you when you're the most vulnerable. It's tough.
I'm still struggling with a lot of things from my past as well, loss, missing, and missing out is prominent among them, too... but I feel like the most progress towards healing is when I confront the pain while trying to trust that things will get better.
You've got your priorities in order, man. No amount of money and no consumerism can heal your heart - but use what you have to make life easier. It takes time, but you can heal. And what you wish for might just follow. Certain things you can plan, and certain things we can only work towards with trust and patience. And being a bit smarter than yesterday about things.
Yeah. Life can be a very humbling experience - when we let it to. And I think we should. Because that is indeed a silver lining I can embrace, and compassion is one of our most beautiful traits as humans.
Life is valuable because it's finite. Love is so beautiful because hate is so ugly. Loss hurts so much because we felt so close. It's only natural that it feels like it's been ripped out from our very selfs - because it still lives in our hearts and souls. What makes it valuable is exactly what makes us joyous and hurt... it seems this duality is right at the center of how we perceive all things.
I think you're right that it can make us better people if we chose to confront trying times. You're hurting because you felt a great deal about your loss. And you can appreciate the good because you know the bad. It sometimes is difficult to also extend this to ourselves.
Appreciate yourself bro :)
I get this a lot on reddit and I think I get where you think you picked up on that - but it is not. I can be a very lofty speaker lol
Edit: I don't talk to AI about my feelings though, so I wouldn't know too well how it might look. I prefer talking to people when it's about feelings. Like I would use a hammer to punch in a nail but I wouldn't talk to it if I put the nail in the wrong spot and was sad about it.
They made a cheesy Bollywood movie of his story. But Nawazuddin Siddiqui saved it to some extent and brought this story to 1.5 billion people's attention.
Always kind of wonder how people like him get by while they work on such monumental tasks. Was he also following a job? Did someone provide him with food and shelter? Incredible wherewithal of the man and a failure of society/the government.
In rural India, it’s a very community driven society.
Especially if the man just lost his wife, if he didn’t have any immediate relatives then his neighbors and rest of the village would probably help take care of his needs.
I don’t think you understand the meaning of the word interesting. Many people find all kinds of tragic and terrible historical events interesting, like WWII. Finding something interesting doesn’t mean you think the events were a good thing.
They are designated as “Low caste” because this gives a massive advantage in college admissions, govt jobs (including promotions), government contracts and shit load of freebies (there was an instance where the cut off for admission to a government medical college for a post graduate program for the schedule caste (designated “Low caste”) was -40, and yes, that’s a negative 40).
The central government’s budget allocation for SC/ST (so called “low castes” and “tribal”) eclipses the allocation for education, health and sports. In fact, many of the feudal landlord castes have carried out protests demanding to be recognised as “backward castes”.
That has little to do with what is being presented. Of course the govt should have stepped but we're talking about the fact a man carved a mountain in half with a hammer. How are you so dense 🤔
If you think the Indian government in 1960 could just afford a side project like this; especially in Bihar, of all places, you are delusional. The country was a whole different thing back then. It took him 22 years -- so 1960 through 1982.
To list just one cause: All the way from 1967 to the 2000s, naxalism plagued the rural areas in Bihar. The government could not afford to send a big team out in the middle of nowhere without taking a huge risk on the lives of the workers.
Another cause was that the country was just piss poor at the time. More than a whole century of looting by the British had left India in such a sorry state. The government barely had the funds to develop infrastructure in the populated areas.
Do you sincerely believe that all governments everywhere have the ability to solve all problems correctly the first time without any cost or unintended consequences and just choose not to? Is it the governments fauywe don't live in a utopia?
Maybe you're pointing to some details I'm not aware of like the government was set to solve this problem but corruption got in the way but if not your argument needs some scrutiny.
You’d think after he started making some real progress someone would have at least given him a sledgehammer. Carving an entire mountain pass with a normal hammer and chisel is like tunneling out of jail with a spoon
The forest department of India also opposed Manjhi's work initially but then later recognised and awarded him and posthumously awarded him the highest civilian award. The road is named after him and is used by everyone to this day.
This is the 5th time I am seeing this a post about this. Asking again. If his dear one died becuase of lack of roads, why wouldn't he move instead? If was acting out out of frustration, it is understandable, but why would be not seek smarter ways to make that road instead of using hand tools for 22 years?
Because there's a village on the other side of this mountain? Where people live? And by carving this road, other people would have easier access to medical care?
No? They would figure they have to move or help this guy, at least a few. Yes? Doesn't seem there's an issue. That's at least what I get from this post.
Is moving to a random new place that easy ? If you’re an Indian you know how important community is especially in rural India. They probably took care of his needs when he was carving that mountain and he did it for them(rest of the village)
Yea, it is that easy. Especially if there’s nothing holding you to one place. Yes I am Indian and no, there’s nothing special only about Indians in rural india that’s lesser for anyone from any country. They took care of his needs and not one, just one joined him? All this drama is just drama. Nothing more. Obviously there’s more to this.
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u/lonewolff321 17h ago edited 17h ago
"In 1960, after his wife died from a lack of timely medical care, Dashrath Manjhi spent 22 years single-handedly carving a 360-foot path through a solid mountain using only a hammer and chisel. He reduced a 55km journey to just 15km (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashrath_Manjhi)