Dr Asangba Tzudir
Today, the very understanding of ‘success’ in life is such that it finds increasingly measured by wealth and assets, status, and outward polish. This understanding may not change overnight or not even for the times to come especially for a status driven society. However, it is also good to remind us of the moral compass and the need for a reexamination of the kind of society we have created. Here is a quiet story of a plumber who works with broken and worn out tools, and which offers an unsettling mirror to our moral condition. The story focuses on the moral principle of a simple plumber who works with worn-out instruments but completes his work with precision. Yet he refuses excess payment. And this invites us to delve into a deeper ethical lesson and examine the moral compass of our society today.
Here we have a plumber whose tools were visibly damaged to such a degree that by modern standards that seeks affectivity and efficiency is inadequate to use. In a society that goes by the understanding of appearance driven success, we tend to equate quality with newness, efficiency defined by sophistication, and competence and success with material possession. But the plumber here challenges this logic. The plumber’s work is flawless, and obviously not because of the worn out tools which he holds in his hands, but because of what he brings from within which includes his skill, patience, and integrity. In doing so, he quietly dismantles an illusion that excellence is subject to external resources rather than talent and inner discipline.
This lesson bears a striking relevance to our contemporary society. We find ourselves increasingly caught in a culture of comparison, consumption and display. From social media displays to rising material aspirations, the measure of a person often tilts toward what they own and also display rather than who they are. The tragedy lies not in the wealth, but in the gradual erosion of values that once braided the fabric of community life built on values of honesty, humility, and contentment.
In the story, the plumber refuses extra money for his service, and perhaps this is the most important take-away. In a world where we put more value on “more” and often equated with “better,” his decision challenges how having in excess is normalized. He gives us a very foundational principle, a truth that modern society often ignores, that, taking more than what is fair or what one ought to get disrupts not just the economy, but inner peace. Contentment lies not in accumulation but in restraint, and this is in sharp contrast to a growing tendency in our society to trespass ethical boundaries for personal gain whether in small daily transactions or larger institutional practices.
Now, equally profound is his reflection on tools and aging. Now who would want to work with worn out tools? Or who would even want to hire anyone who works with worn out tools? His doggedness with worn-out tools speaks of a broader cultural angst about usefulness and worthiness. In many communities today, there is a noticeable shift in how we value experience. Elders, once revered as repositories of wisdom and knowledge, are increasingly sidelined in a fast-moving, youth-centric world. The plumber’s insistence with worn out tools reminds us that wear and tear do not diminish value, rather, they attest to endurance and experience.
Beyond the plumbing, it calls a reflection upon our character asking uncomfortable questions: Are we fair in our dealings? Do we take only what we deserve, or do we justify the excess accumulation? Have we begun to value tools over talent and appearance over authenticity? Most importantly, it also helps us question whether we are still guided by the quiet virtues that sustain a just society.
For the Nagas, whose cultural identity has long been rooted in community ethics, mutual respect, and dignity of labor, this is a timely reflection. Changing times, of modernization and aligned aspirations are not problematic, but when they come at the cost of our moral clarity, they hollow out the very fabric of society. The right tools of life are not material possessions but ethical virtues. Honesty, hard work, gratitude, and contentment are not outdated ideals but form the basis for a meaningful and balanced life. When these are intact, even broken tools can create something whole and perfect. The question, then, is not whether our tools are new or old, but whether our values are still intact.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir contributes a weekly guest editorial for The Morung Express. Comments can be emailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
