We live in 'Present' or 'Past'

This blog may be well beyond the purview of an engineer whose only experience is in the IT field but yet I would like enter the realms of the mind. I would like to explore the unexplored depths of the power of the past over the present or even the future. This topic is something that most psychiatrists work on for a major part of their life. And I have no doubts that neither can I match their proficiency nor their expertise on "how human mind adapts to experiences from the past?" Therefore the content of this blog, I would confine to my experiences - involving other people or involving me - and ken of my knowledge.

Case 1 - I get wronged in past so I wrong the people in present to seek revenge...
This is a section which mainly belongs to the serial killers n psychopaths... I have read many articles on how they are made. These articles were omnipresent (and also caused a spark of interest in junta) when we had cases of beer man killing rampantly in the city or that of cannibals in the country... Most of these articles stated the same observations... These people have traumatic experiences in the past, get abused and thus believe that the only way to undo the wrong is by seeking revenge... result - what they experienced, they make others experience... Not only do they have extremely justifiable reasons for this but also a flawless method of execution and marking their victim... They have no empathy, remorse, anxiety or guilt in relation to their behavior. In short, they truly are devoid of conscience. However, they understand that society expects them to behave in a conscientious manner, and therefore they mimic this behavior when it suits their needs.
Further reference - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopaths

Case 2 - I want my kids to be what I couldn't be
This is something I came across while I was reading Erich Segal's novel - "Doctors"... A kid commits suicide when he cannot come in the top ranks of the class.... He succumbs to peer pressure and kills himself coz he cannot fail... On further investigation of this suicide - comes a startling discovery... His father did not come in top ranks during his lifetime... And wanted his son to do so... So badly that if his son failed he was whipped... So, to make his father love him, the son set to accomplish his dream... And when he failed, he couldn't face it and killed himself... In this case, you reach a point where you fail to live upto the image of your parents' past that was created for you since your childhood... With the increase in competition, the number of suicides has always increased... May be each individual was a victim of this case... As a student, I did live in my parents past too but somewhere my father eased the pressure by being extremely understanding...

Case 3 - I live in anti-past... I am traumatised/disgraced by it and want to live a life completely opposite to it
This is something I have actually experienced in my life... I was in third standard when I pronounced something incorrectly and the whole class laughed at me... Trauma - is a relative term... For some it would be a loss of someone dear, for others it could be a harrowing experience... At the age of 10 years, the class laughing at me was traumatic for me... So, unconciously I placed a lot of importance on pronunciations in present... I would argue, go at lengths to find out the right pronounciation - which to a normal person seemed fanatical... But that was me, trying to be perfect in pronunciation - an 'anti-past' life in the present.... Similarly, different people have different ways of reacting to this case... Some will take learnings from a broken relationship in the past and do everything possible to do something contradictory in the new one... Some get ridiculed for say, thing A and result would be that you either know in-out about A or go so much away from A that it doent bother your life anymore...

At this point in time, I have seen or read about only these cases... Are there more ? - Certainly but I have not experienced them... But, what I do realise after seeing 3 cases is that you should try to not place so much importance on the past deeds... Goals that are missed, experiences that have resulted in loss - monetary, physical, emotional or status related... Consciously avoid it and definitely if it is having a -ve impact... All you need from the past is the learning - not a reason for your survival in the present, not something that you have to work on in present... Just a thot...

"Make each day count... Do not waste it on doing things from past but plan for the future and live for the PRESENT!!!!