A sophisticated mind

For a sophisticated person it doesn't matter if a fellow diner isn't using a fork and knife to eat

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A sophisticated mind. My kingdom for a sophisticated mind. It occurred to me the other day while reading the posts on a social networking site of one of the country's most successful financial leaders (someone educated at both the top showcase Indian educational colleges for engineering and management) that their communication reflected a staggering gaucheness. Could it be that under the glittering surface of their education, exposure and celebrated lifestyle, their worldview and refinement had not kept pace at all?

Or did the problem lie with their education, the excellent but narrow hot-houses they had attended that had propelled them in the direction of their professional success without giving them a broadbase of social, cultural and political reference points through which they could blossom? There is much to be said for the American liberal arts programmes where young minds are allowed the latitude to explore and imbibe a multitude of disciplines before honing in on their careers.

In England too, universities like Oxford offer courses like PPE (Politics, Philosophy and Economics), which though traditionally regarded as not being great career-starters, are acclaimed for the breadth of their instruction.

Of course, a sophisticated mind often has little to do with formal education. At the lowly start of my career in an ad agency, a colleague stood out right away for his insight and intelligence on a whole range of subjects that had little to do with the work at hand. It turned out that he went daily to a public library where he read a host of foreign newspapers (including The New York Times and Guardian) and magazines (including The New Yorker and The Economist). He would do this after work and before taking the train home to a far-flung suburb of the city.

But of course, being exposed to good reading material is not the only way to acquire a sophisticated mind. In the course of my work as a journalist, I have encountered many instances of refinement and elegance in places where they are least expected.

Unlettered villagers have delighted me with their elegance and their incisive perception; at airports, banks, hotels and malls, the enlightened response of anonymous service providers never ceases to amaze me. Often, if you want to see real worldliness and savoir-faire you have only to look at the way the servants in most Indian homes conduct themselves as they make allowances for the transgressions of their employers. Which is not to say that the rich and powerful and successful cannot be in possession of sophistication and polish. It's just that often, they feel the accruements of their life are easy substitutes for it.

Sophistication is not only owning an expensive cell-phone but also knowing that it is rude to speak loudly in to it if it disturbs others. Sophistication is not only the ability to appreciate a highly celebrated wine but also the ability to recognise how much of the hype it is that you've bought in to and are paying for. And of course, sophistication is not only driving a luxury car, but your behaviour in it: does your driving reflect poise and grace? Do you stop for pedestrians? Do you follow basic traffic rules? Do you demonstrate the same high value-system while driving it that has gone in to the making of your vehicle?

Yes, there are many ways to define a sophisticated mind. Here's mine: a sophisticated person is one who not only knows which fork and knife to pick up at a formal dinner but also knows that it doesn't really matter if one's fellow diner doesn't!

Malavika Sangghvi is a Mumbai-based writer malavikasangghvi@hotmail.com