Roots in Simplicity

 

I was born in a small village—a place without a school, without a map marker, without noise.

My first lessons came from old men under neem trees, not blackboards.

I grew up in the rhythm of the earth—sowing, waiting, enduring, harvesting.

 

There was no clear path, only a deep hunger to learn, to rise, to understand.

In time, I became a doctor. But that was not the destination—just one step in a longer journey of struggle and discovery, of walking alone and in groups, of falling, rising, and moving forward again.

 

A Defining Moment

 

I still remember one night in the emergency ward. A young boy had been brought in after an accident. The family stood outside weeping, and the nurses looked to me for a decision. It was the first time I felt the full weight of responsibility—that a single choice I made could mean life or death. In that moment, I understood that knowledge alone was not enough. What mattered was courage, clarity, and a moral compass to act.

 

Patterns I Saw

 

Through years of service, study, and reflection, I noticed patterns:

People rise, then forget fairness.

Some speak truth, but without wisdom.

Some lead, but lose their soul.

And some live simply—and remain strong.

 

The JAT Life

 

From these reflections emerged a way of life, one that strong and successful people live quietly, yet powerfully.

I call it the JAT Life—guided by:

Justice. Autonomy. Truth. Fraternity. Fidelity. Simplicity.

For ease, I will refer to these values as JATFFS.

 

These are not theories, but tools—carved in fire, polished in silence.

I offer them not as commandments, but as companions.

 

When Values Collide

 

Yet JATFFS values are not new. The real challenge is when they collide—because following one can harm another.

 

Picture this: a mobster demands to know where a girl is hiding. If I tell the truth, I betray her trust, destroy her autonomy, and put her life at risk. If I stay silent or mislead, I bend truth—but I protect justice, fidelity, and fraternity.

 

You may not face a mobster, but you’ve faced the same dilemma in smaller ways. A friend asks for your honest opinion, but you know blunt truth will wound them. Or you’ve had to choose between loyalty to a colleague and fairness to the team. In those moments, values pull in different directions.

 

This is the heart of the struggle—not whether values exist, but how we balance them when they stand against each other. And this book is written to help you with that very balance.

 

The Journey Ahead

 

This book offers insight into that balance—how to live with strength, fairness, and clarity when choices are not simple.

 

This is the first in a series introducing The JAT Policy—a framework to help you face life’s hardest choices with balance.

​

— VS Dilbag