Understanding self ultimate bliss

"Hey! How are you doing?" Shoot this question to your friend. Don't be surprised with the reply. If you reply to this question from any of your friends: Awesome! They would be left in a shock. Is it not normal to be happy? This leads to stress, the most abused concept. Are people more stressed now than their parents, and their parents? What could be the reasons? As generations progress, stress is a factor that is growing in greater promotions? This is all about how you feel and respond to situations.

With the understanding that self-understanding brings, problems can dissolve, believes Manoj Krishna, founder of the Human Wisdom Project. Manoj Krishna, who left a busy career as a spine surgeon to set up the Human Wisdom Project, says: "Understanding ourselves and the way our minds work brings wisdom, compassion and freedom from stress. Throughout our education we are taught about the world around us, but not ourselves, and this is the root cause of our own problems. Human Wisdom helps to find out for yourself."

Living in abundance of happiness or understanding, and managing stress. Which is better?

To live in abundance of happiness one needs wisdom – so we can understand the many hidden patterns of thinking that get in the way of doing that. For example, our mind takes what it has for granted and focuses on what it does not have. Seeing this clearly allows us to respond with wisdom and be grateful for what we have – which can make us happy as well.

HumanWisdom overflows in all aspects of life. Am I right?

Yes – this deeper self-knowledge allows us to live with wisdom which can impact every area of our life. We can be mentally healthy, meet life's challenges with calm, have fulfilling relationships without conflict, avoid the perils of addiction, live with integrity, and be at peace. If we live with this wisdom it can not only transform our own lives but also make the world a better place.

How does HumanWisdom address the spectrum of stress?

If we observe our own stress, we can see clearly that it is a reaction from our thinking to the events around us – though the mind assumes it is being caused by external events. This is not easy to see, or accept – but once we do, we can begin our journey inwards to understand where our reactions come from – and we explore that in detail in the app.

Why is it that you have focussed on students?

Students are the future of humanity – if they can live with wisdom it can not only transform their own lives, but also make the world a better place. Having said that, our app is also targeted at adults, and children.

Even youngsters, middle-aged and seniors are victims of all kinds of pressures.

Yes – we all face challenges in life – but living with this wisdom is like learning to swim – so when the challenges of life come – we do not drown – but can swim right through them.

Students are hooked on OTTs and social media platforms. How does HW capture their attention?

By making it relevant to their lives – they want to be successful, have great relationships, and not be stressed and anxious – and HW can help with all of this. We need to create an army of student ambassadors who can help us promote this.

How much does students have to share their pocket money for HW subscription?

We have tried to price it at 2 coffees a month – Rs 500/month if paid monthly – or Rs 4500 if paid annually. For something that can potentially be life-changing, and considering what they spend on eating out, and their education in general – it's a fair price.

Youngsters may be willing to upgrade to a premium mobile, but will think twice before subscribing to HW. How do you handle it?

There is a lot of free content on the app for them to browse before they buy – so there is no obligation to subscribe first.

How does HW look at India given the huge intellectual human potential?

Wisdom, like compassion, knows no boundaries and transcends all identities – national, religious, caste, gender and so on. Our offering is to all of humanity – to help each person live their best lives – in peace with themselves, others, and the earth. If enough of us lived with this wisdom, we could also change the future of humanity – and address challenges like war, violence, climate change, divisions, and addiction.

Is HumanWisdom a precursor to book 'Stress Free' or an independent entity?

The two are independent but the same person was instrumental in developing HumanWisdom and writing the two books – Understanding Me Understanding You, and Stress Free.