The HETU way 🤷

Confidence is a beautiful thing. It gets people to climb mountains, start companies, and ask their crush out at the wrong time. It also, historically, gets people to declare war on a superpower from their bedroom, jump off the Eiffel Tower in a homemade suit, and send the German Navy to its death via a toilet. This post is about that second kind. Four real stories. Four moments where someone looked at the situation, decided they had it completely figured out, and then reality did what reality does. I'm not making any of this up. History did not have to go this far. And yet. The Man Who Beat America (In His Own Head) Let's start with Idi Amin. If you don't know Idi Amin, here's the short version: he ruled Uganda from 1971 to 1979, and he gave himself the official title of "His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas." That title alone tells you everything about the man's relationship with r...

Let me tell you something my father has been saying for years, and something corporate India refuses to learn: there is a massive difference between activity and effectiveness.  Activity is the guy running laps in the office pantry. Effectiveness is the guy who actually closed the deal and went home at 5.  One of them is sweating. The other is sleeping well. The Great Reply-All Civilization Picture this. A company-wide email goes out. Minor update. Twelve slides. A footer nobody reads. Within the hour, forty-three people have hit Reply All with "Noted," "Thanks," "Received," and my personal favorite "Thank you for sharing this valuable insight." Nobody has done anything. But there has been tremendous activity . This is the corporate version of a chicken running after its head has been cut off. Lots of movement. Zero direction. Very loud. Meanwhile, the one person who actually needed to act on that email is on slide three, mildly confused, and wai...

 If you think modern politics is a messy circus of hypocrisy, grab a snack and take a seat. I’m about to tell you the story of Otto Skorzeny, a guy who proves that when the chips are down, hardcore ideologies are basically just bumper stickers you can peel off when a better deal comes along. Let’s set the scene. Otto Skorzeny was a 6-foot-4 Austrian SS officer with a massive dueling scar across his left cheek. If you asked an AI to generate "World War II Movie Villain," it would spit out Otto’s headshot. He was Hitler’s favorite commando, dubbed "the most dangerous man in Europe." (Below is an image from wikipedia) And yet, by the 1960s, this guy was running top-secret assassination missions for Mossad;  the intelligence agency of the State of Israel. Wait, what? A Nazi working for the Jewish state? Yeah. Put your brain in a blender, because we’re diving in. The Dictator Delivery Service Before he was a freelance mercenary, Otto was the golden boy of the Third Reich...

In the grand tapestry of human history and mythology, one truth stands out starkly: stories are rarely objective. They are crafted, molded, and often twisted by those who emerge victorious. This isn't just an ancient phenomenon it's alive in our daily lives, from political smear campaigns to viral social media takedowns. Let's dive into how the winners shape the narrative, using timeless examples from mythology and chilling lessons from modern history, to remind ourselves why skepticism is our greatest ally. Myths Reversed: Gods and Demons Across Cultures Consider the fascinating inversion in ancient mythologies. In Hindu lore, the devas are revered as benevolent gods, embodiments of order and righteousness, while the asuras are cast as malevolent demons, chaotic forces bent on disruption. Yet, travel westward to ancient Persia and Zoroastrianism, and the script flips dramatically. Here, Ahura Mazda reigns as the supreme god of wisdom and light, with the daevas (or deh...

Ever found yourself in a debate, armed with facts, logic, and a perfectly reasoned argument, only to feel like you're trying to nail jelly to a wall? You present a meticulously sourced piece of information, and your opponent counters with a wild, baseless claim that sounds vaguely plausible to the casual listener. You then spend ten times the effort debunking their nonsense than it took them to invent it. If this sounds like your last family dinner or that endless scroll through social media comments, then congratulations! You've just experienced Brandolini's Law in action. So, What in the Heck is Brandolini's Law? Also known as the "Bullshit Asymmetry Principle," Brandolini's Law states: "The amount of energy needed to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than to produce it." In plain English: It takes way, WAY more effort to debunk a false claim than it does to make one up. This isn't some ancient philosophical text or a deep s...

When you think of dictators, the usual suspects; Hitler, Stalin, Mao steal the spotlight, twirling their mustaches (or not) and hogging all the infamy. But what about the underdogs of despotism? The guys who didn’t quite make the A-list of authoritarianism but still managed to ruin a few lives with their own brand of megalomaniacal flair? Thanks to a delightfully obscure YouTube video (shoutout to Top 10 Lesser-Known Dictators), we’re diving into three lesser-known tyrants who deserve a sarcastic slow clap for their efforts. Buckle up for a wild ride through the B-grade dictatorship. 1. Enver Hoxha: Albania’s Paranoid Bunker King First up, meet Enver Hoxha, the guy who turned Albania into a fortress of fear and concrete. Ruling from 1944 to 1985, Hoxha was the dictator equivalent of that friend who cancels plans because “someone’s probably out to get me.” His paranoia was legendary, he built 750,000 bunkers across Albania, one for every four citizens, because apparently, you can never ...

 If you’ve ever been to an Indian market, you’ve probably witnessed (or participated in) the age-old ritual of bargaining. Whether it’s haggling with an auto-rickshaw driver over ₹10, negotiating with a street vendor for an extra lemon, or convincing the shopkeeper to round down the price of bangles, we Indians love a good deal. It’s in our DNA; we take pride in securing the best price possible. But sometimes, just sometimes, it’s okay to pay a little extra for something you truly like. That ₹5, ₹10, or even ₹20 extra isn’t just about money; it’s about the value of joy. Because It Feels Right Imagine this: You’re at your favorite chai tapri, the kind that serves tea in earthen kulhads. You can get chai for ₹10 at the next stall, but this stall makes it just right kadak (strong), with the perfect balance of adrak and elaichi. The shopkeeper tells you it’s ₹15. Do you bargain, or do you simply hand over the extra ₹5 because this is the chai your heart wants ? Sometimes, that ext...

Imagine being torn between everything you've been taught and everything you've experienced. That’s exactly where Huck Finn finds himself in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . Society tells him that helping Jim, a runaway slave, is wrong sinful, even. Yet, every moment spent with Jim reveals a different truth: kindness, loyalty, and friendship that transcends race and social norms. Picture Huck holding a letter he’s written to Miss Watson, ready to betray Jim. But then he remembers the laughter they shared, the times Jim protected him, the genuine care in Jim’s eyes. And in that moment, Huck does something extraordinary. He tears up the letter and declares, “All right, then, I’ll go to hell!” This isn’t just a rebellious act; it's Huck’s way of saying, “I trust my heart more than the world around me.” It’s a moment we all can relate to—when we realize that what everyone else believes might not be what we believe. Think about it: How often do we find ourselves ...

In the magical world of Harry Potter, horcruxes are objects in which a dark wizard, Voldemort, concealed fragments of his soul to achieve immortality. These objects were his lifeline, allowing him to return even after his physical form was destroyed. But what if I told you that our friendships might just operate similarly? Picture this: You're a walking, talking, living horcrux! Sounds a bit odd, right? But think about it our lives are a collection of experiences, memories, and emotions, and when we bond with others, we share a part of ourselves with them. Each person in your life, whether family or friend, holds a distinct piece of your essence. Your mom might carry the piece that's your unbridled laughter, while your best friend holds the part that resonates with your passion for adventure. That one cousin might harbor your deepest secrets, and your sibling might carry the memories of your mischievous childhood escapades. It's fascinating how each relationship houses a un...

In the garden of dreams, a bloom unclaimed, A story untold, a heart softly named. Her presence, a melody, in the heart's quiet song, Yet love's path diverged, and I walked alone. Eyes like constellations, a universe untamed, A soul like a fire, forever unnamed. In secret glances, our worlds intertwined, Yet destiny whispered, and love was confined. Her laughter, a symphony, in the chambers of air, A fragrance of roses, delicate and rare. But fate's hand was gentle, in its gentle reprise, Two ships passing by, under separate skies. Yet still, in the echoes, her memory remains, A spark that ignites, a bittersweet pain. For love's not defined by the paths we don't take, But the beauty it brings, in each heartbeat's ache. - 28th June 2023 Thank you for reading, From, Hetansh Shah

I have lived with a fantasy You were my fairy tale. Half a love story remains With love that has gone stale. Angels told me you weren't worth it And maybe that fact is true. But I can't help feeling this way May be I was made for you. So if this tale is to be incomplete  If its not meant to be told. At least give me the crumpled pages And a day I can behold. You belong with him now Tonight I still walk your way. I will loose you to him, tomorrow  Let me give you my love today. I can't have you for a life time But a day I have surely earned. So many things I know of you  And so much I have yet to learn.  Let me have some moments   So I can tell my heart it's true.  That you were not my imagination  That grew out of the blue. I'll treasure the tale on the pages And all the feelings left unsaid. With all the truths I hid from you  And all the lies I told instead. The lies that said I'm over you The lies that said I love you no more. When here I ...

We often declare the best player in a sports side as the captain. Be it cricket, football or any team sports. We feel that good performance should be rewarded with leadership as leadership is prestigious. And why should we not, they have tremendous experience about the field they are in to excel it to such extent. But the skills you need to be the best player are different from the skills that you need to be a leader. When you are the best player, the game comes a certain way to you, you find gaps (cricket)  where other people don't see them. You know, they say talent is about hitting the goal that no one else can hit, but genius is about hitting the goals that no one else can see. And so very often when you've got the best player as a leader, the player tends to weigh everybody else in the scales  that he weighs himself or herself in. And as a result, most people tend to fall short.  The other thing with leadership also is, can you understand the people working for you? ...

The days get more and more familiar The nights get longer The waves get louder And the winds grow colder. The growing discomfort stabs the chest. The eyes always tired, command rest. But this numbness never goes away. This numbness, year on year, is here to stay. The excitement for newness is walking out. With a scarf around its neck, it turns around  And I stare at it right in the face And I ask if that's all it takes To forget and leave everything behind Like snapping your fingers and resetting your mind. And it tells me in a seemingly bitter tone That everyone is bound to end up alone. What's good about growing older? The fears get real And the thoughts that appear Sear through my chest like a blunt blade, Forcibly, slowly, till the vision fades. Life is either entangling or detangling before my eyes. Trying to know which one it is, my time flies Everyday, what is it that I should do to fight The fastening of the clock, the darkness turning to light. As I grow older, year by...

The rise of Covid-19 cases in India has shocked the world. We are completely unprepared and cornered. We do get guidelines almost everyday regarding what procedure and protocols should be followed to maintain social distancing. But how well do the political leaders in India who lay out these guidelines follow them, themselves? Norwegian police said on Friday (9th April 2021) they have fined Prime Minister Erna Solberg for breaking Covid-19 social distancing rules when organizing a family gathering to celebrate her birthday. The fine is for 20,000 Norwegian crowns ($2,352). The two-term prime minister apologized last month for organizing an event to celebrate her 60th birthday with  13 family members  at a mountain resort in late February, despite a government ban on events attended by more than 10 people . Solberg herself had not attended  the dinner as she needed to go to the hospital to deal with eye issues, but police still hel...

Nepotism is everyone’s favorite topic these days and I was like why not … I read an article of Mr. Sunil Shetty saying “Is my son or daughter not allowed to dream of becoming an actor just because their father is an actor” and it hit me. We all at one point of our life want to be our like our father/mother. They are our first point of contact when asked what you want to do in life. Maybe someone will say a businessman like my father/mother, maybe a doctor, teacher anything. But those are the very first lines I am sure most of you would have thought of at one point.   Naturally when their offspring want to follow their father/mothers footstep into same industry whichever it may be, every parent tries to help them, guide them. It’s completely normal and fair. Outsiders who are trying to make it all by themselves will have it tough with no such privilege and guidance. Again, I would like to point out, IN ANY FIELD. If my father has a family business and its going well, and if I ...

"Hey, any patient for me or I can leave for the day?" "Just one patient doc, waiting for you at examination room 710." Being an on call doctor at Ambani Hospital sure is very exhausting. For one, you have go to all sorts of different floors for all patients and only specific elevators take you to that specific floors. I go in to the room 710 and the patient is waiting there with her baby. We formally greet each other. Apparently she is having trouble in feeding her baby and some doctor recommended her to me, a lactation consultant. I helped her with the positions and explained all sorts of techniques in local dialect so she can easily understand. At the end of the session, she asks me whether she can go to work from next week. "But, you have just had your baby 2 months ago. Every company gives maternity leave for atleast 6 months I am sure." She was bit hesitant but later smiled and said," Doctor, I work in Red Light Area. I won...