REACT AND RESPONSE-THE COCKROACH THEORY

Dr Shraddha Verma, Dean, Faculty of Education

In a quaint little town, there lived a group of friends who often gathered at a local restaurant to share laughter and good times. Among them was a lady named Emma, known for her lively spirit and infectious joy.

One sunny afternoon, as they relished their delicious meals, an unexpected guest made its entrance – a cockroach. With wings fluttering, it landed on Emma’s shoulder, sending her into a frenzy of fear. She let out a piercing scream, swatting at the air and trying desperately to rid herself of the uninvited guest.

As Emma flailed about, the cockroach, seemingly unfazed, took flight once more. Fate, however, had a different plan. It landed on her friend, Michael, who, startled by the unexpected visitor, joined Emma in a symphony of shrieks and wild gestures.

Their commotion attracted the attention of a calm and composed waiter named David. With an air of serenity, David watched as the cockroach navigated its way across Michael’s shirt. Instead of succumbing to panic, David took a deep breath, his mindfulness shining through.

As if choreographed by fate, David swiftly and gracefully caught the cockroach in his hand. The friends, still caught in the whirlwind of their reactions, stared in awe at David’s calm demeanor. Without a word, David walked to the restaurant’s entrance and gently released the cockroach back into the wild.

Later, over a cup of calming tea, David explained the essence of what he called “The Cockroach Theory” to Emma and her friends. He emphasized that it wasn’t the cockroach itself that caused the chaos but rather the inability of those involved to manage the disturbance it created.

“The key,” David said, “is to shift from instinctive reactions to conscious responses. Mindfulness is a tool that allows us to pause, observe, and choose our response wisely.”

From that day forward, the friends embraced the wisdom of The Cockroach Theory. They learned to navigate life’s unexpected challenges with grace and mindfulness, realizing that it was not the circumstances but their reactions that defined the outcome. In the heart of their quaint town, a newfound sense of peace and serenity blossomed, much like the calm that follows the departure of an uninvited cockroach.

References

The Miracle of Mindfulness” by Thich Nhat Hanh

“Wherever You Go, There You Are” by Jon Kabat-Zinn

“The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle

Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Context: Past, Present, and Future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156.