The safety pin: the only DIY tool every Indian mom uses to solve all household problems.

While Apple has to release a new iPhone every year to stay relevant, the humble safety pin has remained unchanged since 1849.

Safety pins hold a special place in every Indian home. Indian moms would choose a safety pin over a Swiss Army knife any day. It’s not just a tool, it’s the foundation of Indian jugaad.

Jugaad is a colloquial Hindi term that loosely translates to a low-cost, creative workaround—a clever hack to solve a complex problem with limited resources.

I've seen safety pins used across every department of the Indian household—textile, health, education, even technology (ever used one to pop out a SIM card?). The list is endless.

The safety pin is a classic example of the Lindy Effect—the idea that the longer something has survived, the longer it’s likely to continue surviving.

What are the “Safety Pins” of Life?

These are the timeless principles that, like the safety pin, never go out of fashion:

1. Stupidity (Avoid it)
You’ll achieve a lot more in life by simply avoiding stupidity, rather than trying to be a genius.

2. Curiosity
Curiosity is the essence of being human. Like a child who never stops asking “why,” rediscover your own why—and follow it down the rabbit hole.

3. Consistency
Consistently doing simple things well, over a long time, delivers outsized results. Consistency always beats intensity.

4. Resilience
“Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” – Nelson Mandela. Nobody lives without failing. And if they have, they’ve failed by default.

5. Attention Span
A long attention span is a competitive advantage. "A focused fool can often achieve more than a distracted genius. It’s never been easier to succeed, but it’s never been easier to get distracted" - Unknown.

What are your safety pins?

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