"...this man is fake and scandalous. Why do you watch his videos...?"

"...this man is fake and scandalous. Why do you watch his videos...?"

...I asked my mom one day, a few years back, as she was watching a video on youtube. 

Mom has always been a learner all her life. A decade back, in her mid 60s, she had enrolled for a Mumbai university course on a topic close to her heart for which she had to study hard & attend classes on the university campus every weekend. A master of philosophy by qualification, she has always seen the bright side of life and never stopped learning. After she successfully completed that course & earned a certificate, smartphones had taken over the world. So I taught her how to use youtube to access videos on her topic of interest. She started listening to talks given by learned gurus/individuals, some of whom she held in high regards. She always keeps a notebook & pen handy to make notes about points she likes while listening.

On one such occasion she was listening to someone & taking notes. I realised this person was in the news recently for his involvement in a financial scandal. I told mom about it & told her how some of the known babas/sadhus/gurus were not as saint-like as they projected themselves to be.

"Some of them have been involved in bad practices & scams, they aren't good people" I told her. "I know" she responded, calmly. "Then why do you still listen to them knowing they are frauds?" I asked, curiously. "But I am not paying them. It is free. Knowledge is free." she said. Looking at my raised eyebrow, she continued, "I neither know them personally, nor do I pay to see/listen to them. They may have done things in their personal lives but that doesn't change the fact that they are learned & talk about a subject that I love. Listening to them is enlightening for me as I gain valuable insights & knowledge. If I am gaining so much sitting at home without having to pay even a penny, how does it matter as to what they do in their personal lives to amass wealth?" 

The master of philosophy had just made a very pertinent point. The content was out there. All she had to do was access it for free & enhance her knowledge. Maybe the guy was earning from the followers who made generous donations to his cause. That was immaterial for mom as a consumer.

The reason this memory came to my mind today is because one of the learned men mom follows passed away a couple of days back. But he wasn't the tainted guy I was referring to in this post. I am thankful to him for creating content that kept my mom engaged and aided her learning.

The same principle probably applies to all of us in general. When it comes to friends/colleagues/managers/leaders/influencers, we come across ones who we look up to. But we also come across ones who we feel are not ideal. It is then up to us to decide if we want to banish them in their entirety or absorb the good that they have to offer.

The finest of diamonds are probably found in the deepest darkest mines. All it needs is a good miner's mindset to find them.