Whether in matters of food and drinks or in matters of sex, it is people?s responsibility to exert or to put a ceiling to their desires. If they don?t, they have themselves to blame, haven?t they?

Our eating habits, our lifestyle play a part in our general health. This, we know only to well. But do we really care? Do we always wake up to the fact that our health is primarily our responsibility?

In spite of the attention given in the press to obesity and related diseases, we will have a staggering number of people with one health problem or another. Just look at what diabetes is doing.

The need to eat voraciously whatever comes our way, the failure to consider the importance of the quality of our foodstuff, immediate gratification, the tendency to come up with up with all sorts of excuses in order to exercise for a armful of minutes daily are factors playing against us.

Yet, if we decided to shake off our laziness and wake up early to take that essential morning walk, there would have occurred a considerable difference in our lives.

We are over-working, over-eating and eating badly, over-sleeping and we are not active enough in meaningful physical activities.

We have been brainwashed into believing that a party or get-together is nothing without sugary soft drinks. So we indulge. And we allow our children to do so. Isn?t it our responsibility to ban them or at least control the quantity and regularity with which we drink if they are not healthy?

Year in, year out, there are sensitisation campaigns to dissuade people from driving under the influence of alcohol. Unfortunately, we always have a number of drivers who flout the law and all the pieces of advice given throughout the year and du-ring the campaigns.

They stick to their drinks out of habit, out of the influence of friends, our of personal worries, out of the kick they get from them, out of joy, out of the need to please others as on special occasions, and they hope that the police won?t nab them when they are driving. Or, it may be out of sheer indifference. Or maybe, they think that the day they start respecting every single rule, every single advice, their lives will turn miserable. And there are those who perhaps believe that they are so strongly connected that it?s worth taking the risk. They think it?ll be easy to get out of trouble.

Some others might be the arrogant type. They need to show off when they are in their cars. They need to draw attention to themselves and give themselves an air of importance. They resent being told what to do. They are sure that they are extremely good at the wheel whether they are sober or not. However, in their arrogance, they are blinded to the fact that they are liable to make mistakes too ? mistakes that can cost lives.

Basics of persuasion

Let?s face it. It?s a lack of responsibility on the part of certain drivers that is basically the cause of tragic events each year. Other causes exist, of course. But irresponsibility must top the list.

It seems a bit strange and even funny that authorities should be constantly reminding adults to stay off the booze when they are in their driving seats when these adults are expected to know their duties, civic or other.

How many times do they need to be told the same thing for the message to hit home?

Imagine a situation where everyone is trying his best to be as responsible as possible. Wouldn?t life be easier? Wouldn?t there be less to worry about?

What will certain individuals not do in order to make money? They are ready to go to extremes and even use brutal means. But the smarter ones use their brains. They present themselves as ma-nagers, representatives, agents and so on. They drop in at appropriate moments, dress accor-dingly, know the basics of persuasion, communicate fluently and effectively, and they are past masters in the art of playing on your emotions to obtain what they want.

Isn?t it the responsibility of each of us to be wary of strangers? Ironically, a time has come when one even has to be wary of those close to us.

Take this one. Someone knocks on your door. Most probably he will not ring the bell so as not to publicise his visit. He introduces himself as the agent of a life insurance company or someone from a bank. What do you do? Believe him instantly? Invite him inside out of politeness? He shows an identity card. You take it at face value? He asks for a couple of documents and explains the purposes in the right number of words. There?s confidence and warmth in his tone. You tell him ?Please wait, I?ll fetch them.?

It?s your readiness to believe what you see and what you hear that opens the door to trouble. It?s your being gullible, your being naïve that exposes you to untold misery. It?s the trust that you immediately place in people that blinds you to the hassles ahead.

Can you blame the fellow if he disappears with your documents and fools around with your bank account when you have been so stupid in the first place?

It?s the responsibility of each person to be alert and keep his/her eyes open every second of the day. Fail in this, and there will always be someone somewhere to exploit you.

Suresh RAMPHUL