Valli, I am happy you took the example of a physical balance, cause you will never get the same result everytime. You have to notice it, analyse it before you get an answer, which then is an approximate weight. You might a different result from the person next to you. It is upto to the individual to weigh up the balance between the past and the present. And remember the physical balance is supposed to be free from any external influence, whereas life isn't. Hey what about the future, which was the main reason behind this discussion. One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden, either in our past or in our future - instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today. Fear not for the future, and weep not for the past. The magical and mythical rose garden will remain in our dream, not in reality. Everyone knows that things change. There is a Latin proverb, "Tempora muntantor et nos in illis" meaning "Times change and we with them." The question is what do we change, ourselves, our traditions, our ethos. The only thing we can give to our future generations is life. Because that is the only greatest thing that could presented to anyone in the world, the gift of life. All other things like tradition, culture have undergone changes like I have said before and will definitely undergo changes. Change is not merely necessary to life, it is life itself. more later, Salman Rushdie: Reality is a question of perspective; the further you get from the past, the more concrete and plausible it seems -- but as you approach the present, it inevitably seems incredible.