Impact

We think that a newborn is innocent and it does not know anything and does not learn anything.  But the moment life is formed and the embryo develops into fetus, activity starts in the fetus.  Also the learning starts.  In conditions where nutrition is compromised, blood is diverted to brain optimally and the rest of the bodily growth is restricted.  This is the survival instinct of the fetus – nature.  

Every incident since birth will condition the mental development of the person.  The different behavioural patterns in a person can be traced to early childhood environment.   This is true for animals too.  An elephant tied by iron chains in its early day will never try to escape later in life even if tied with a simple rope.  This is because it is conditioned by the remembrance of its futile attempts to escape when tied with iron chains in early days. 

The effect of physical and mental trauma will change the character of person or animal forever.  This I felt when I saw Benny.  Benny is my brother-in-law’s (BIL) pet.  They have adopted it when it was two years old.  This beagle’s behaviour has saddened me, and for the few days I was with it, I tried to pamper it.  When I went to my BIL’s home for the first time, Benny was alone at home.  The moment Benny saw us, strangers, it looked so scared and tried to get into corner and be out of our direct vision.  I was surprised at its behaviour of avoiding human beings.  A day later when I questioned about this queer behaviour he told me that in its early days it was treated cruelly by the owners.  When they brought it home also, twice it tried to escape.  But they finally got it live with them in peace. 

It never looked straight into the face

Benny is never aggressive.  It is rather meek.  The moment its master comes it simply stands by the side.  Unless the master talks it doesn’t fall on him.  If he is doing his work it will simply sit beside him and wait for him to pamper.  If he is busy with his work it would walk and sit in its couch.  I stayed there for a week.   Whenever I was in the living room it would come to me and stand, I would touch it, stroke it and talk to it.  When I leave the living room to retire into my room it would follow me up to the room and then go down.  It never ate in front of us.  My BIL told he never saw it eating.  It would eat when no one is around. 

I really feel bad for Benny.  The dog which is taken for hunting has become so timid and is scared of human beings.  How cruel could have been his previous masters to change its basic nature.  Benny had made me to understand how anyone can become scarred for life because of cruelty.  Though we cannot shower love on all, we should at least not be cruel to anyone.  Physical or vocal cruelty in childhood can have everlasting impact on the mind and character. 

Childhood is the formative period of a person’s character.  Let us all try to be kind to all and children in particular.