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Saturday 11 February 2012

Are you you?

We, humans are social animals. We are spared two moments alone, once when we arrive at this theater and then again, when we depart for the adventures of afterlife. What we are surrounded by for the rest of the time (i.e. our entire lives!) is termed Society, a dogging binding force.

Binding, because every individual belonging to it adheres to a certain protocol, which ultimately becomes its existential identifier. Binding, because it ensures that no element in its set ever succeeds in getting away, in crossing its domain and declaring itself a different one. If ever succeeded, it tries its best to lure it to rejoin, to submit itself before the strong one, to condemn and disgrace it for its actions and finally break it, deny any reference (let alone equity) and refuse to believe its existence itself.

We, the members of this society, designed (and programmed) it to serve this purpose. And, we did so for all the good reasons: to blend in to avoid being exposed, to feel safe in not being unaccompanied, and to define ourselves.We create(d) this force for our defense, to conceal and befog our shortcomings, and enjoy being  the comfort of a second-hander. (A second-hander as Ayn Rand says places relations first, needs others to feed him. He is a parasite!)

Blending in
Being the first one, standing out, raising our own point, expressing our own views, standing up to ourselves do not occur naturally to us.(We are genetically programmed to surrender!) Even if we do try, we end up compromising and submitting before the majority, the society, the herd to avoid getting embarrassed, being declared lunatic, different or simply absurd.

We blend in to hide our inabilities and settle with the sub-standard class, exactly what our society is, the sub-standard version of the capabilities of each and every individual who is a part of it, created to be lived in avoiding the thoughts of what could be done. We "live in the time", "follow the trend" only to avoid being called "an old-fashioned out-of-the-game oddball".

We thrive to be different (from the rest), try to find how are we different or how can we be unlike others. But, we never wonder that the need would not have arisen in the first place had we followed our predilections and continued with what we originally were. (Now, here, if we blame to the fact that we didn't know since beginning about what we had an orientation for, then, we should leave ourselves nothing but repentance.)

Feeling Safe
How normal does it feel to be normal? How much okay it is if it's the case with every one? We let go off the will to fight, the desire to express the contrary once we acknowledge anything as a solidified norm, a product of the past, only to fend off the wrath of the religious outrage against self.

We instead feel safe to be a part of it. We feel safe to be a rat inside a giant cage crowded by many other rats breathing only each other. Those who can't breathe this air or refuse to, better be dead as this system does not let adversaries dwell. We feel safe, because we get to survive and we thus, never try to find any other way out. We reject to recognize the hand of history upon our shoulder.

Defining ourselves
Our life has our own objectives, set of goals. Our life, sometimes, even has a set of our own defined principles we live by. Really? Our own?

Are they not in compliance with the thought process of our society? Do they not fulfill what others expect? Do they not reflect the image of a false you you wish to pose before others? Were they not designed befitting the entire situation? Or, they just happened to do so? Are you now trying to convince yourself that that is not true? Or maybe finding the answers to:

What if it is true? Is that wrong? Why?

My friend, there was, is and will never be anything wrong so long as you don't find a need to justify yourself. Introspection is the name of the algorithm that yields answers!

Consider as an example:
L1: Is our society ever constructive? Is it possible to be self? Is it possible to avoid the probable?
If yes, when? how?
If no, jump back to L1.
Fix it! Get the answers!

With this, I conclude marking this as the beginning of a chapter where we answer the unusual and discover ourselves! I lift my pen now leaving you with a question to answer:

"Whose life is it that you are living?"

(Pardon me for any wrongdoings. Suggestions are always welcome. I could not help but include some terminologies from my Comp.Sc. background. Excuse me for that.)

15 comments:

  1. its jus amazing...keep up the good work!!..
    u'hv long way to go...
    i mus say u hav a deep insight and ur articulative :) All d best ...

    ReplyDelete
  2. thank u so much for those words di, I yam happy :D :D

    ReplyDelete
  3. Very very thought-provoking Jatin. I am very happy to have read this. Love to talk about this in person.

    Eagerly awaiting your next blog-up.

    ReplyDelete
  4. omg!! so happy to read those words sir! thanks for the encouragement! sorry for stealing your "genetically programmed" phrase.

    ReplyDelete
  5. great man...its highly professional...the standards of your writing are really good...theme was nice...

    ReplyDelete
  6. thanks swamy, i am glad you put some time into it! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Absolutely true. There is a quote by Adlai E. Stevenson, which i think is relevant, "A free society is one where it is safe to be unpopular". Again, an utopian dream. I definitely don't want to be second-hander but then you are stuck by being one at times!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yes sir, this is what I wanted to express. Thank you for giving your time and sharing your views.

    ReplyDelete
  9. A person who suffers is the one who feels and bears his suffering all by himself. No one else except he himself will know what he undergoes and he is alone in his suffering but he is dwelling in this world as he has to abide by the rules of this world though he has to undergo his suffering all by himself. If he follows the rules of this world he will receive acceptance from the world but if he tries to follow his heart and mind he is discarded by the world. The irony of life is even when you follow the rules of this world you suffer alone and even when you do not follow the rules of this world you still suffer alone. But can one dwell without being a second hander? Osho had always followed his intellect and refused to be a second hander but he was discarded by society. So if normal people do not want to be second hander then they will either have to be like Osho or be their own true self and follow their intellect within their sphere or circle and be a second hander when they are with the parasites of society. Most of those who follow their intellect follow the latter principle in life because not all people who follow their intellect can be Osho.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very well said ma'am and thanks for some precious words I totally agree with. I, however, am facing trouble in digesting the suggestion about a puritan pretending to be a second hander when he is surrounded by the parasites. Why should he succumb to their level, I ask! Why should he 'have to' pretend or conform with them. But then, we will be back to Square one, won't we? Either isolate or bow! Are they the only options?
      Plus ma'am, I ask now to ponder upon other options to dwell without being a second hander! And, is it that puritans exist only in singles or can they exist in herd or group, is my doubt! Please shed some light.

      Delete
  10. Just awesome in Bitsian lingo...I felt like reading it on and on and Jatin you are bound to be a terrific writer I guess

    ReplyDelete
  11. umm!! o.O I am actually..... No! Wait! I am actually not....
    .
    .
    Aah! i don't know WHO ACTUALLY IS ME now!! :( :(

    A good read INDEED :)

    ReplyDelete

Saturday 11 February 2012

Are you you?

We, humans are social animals. We are spared two moments alone, once when we arrive at this theater and then again, when we depart for the adventures of afterlife. What we are surrounded by for the rest of the time (i.e. our entire lives!) is termed Society, a dogging binding force.

Binding, because every individual belonging to it adheres to a certain protocol, which ultimately becomes its existential identifier. Binding, because it ensures that no element in its set ever succeeds in getting away, in crossing its domain and declaring itself a different one. If ever succeeded, it tries its best to lure it to rejoin, to submit itself before the strong one, to condemn and disgrace it for its actions and finally break it, deny any reference (let alone equity) and refuse to believe its existence itself.

We, the members of this society, designed (and programmed) it to serve this purpose. And, we did so for all the good reasons: to blend in to avoid being exposed, to feel safe in not being unaccompanied, and to define ourselves.We create(d) this force for our defense, to conceal and befog our shortcomings, and enjoy being  the comfort of a second-hander. (A second-hander as Ayn Rand says places relations first, needs others to feed him. He is a parasite!)

Blending in
Being the first one, standing out, raising our own point, expressing our own views, standing up to ourselves do not occur naturally to us.(We are genetically programmed to surrender!) Even if we do try, we end up compromising and submitting before the majority, the society, the herd to avoid getting embarrassed, being declared lunatic, different or simply absurd.

We blend in to hide our inabilities and settle with the sub-standard class, exactly what our society is, the sub-standard version of the capabilities of each and every individual who is a part of it, created to be lived in avoiding the thoughts of what could be done. We "live in the time", "follow the trend" only to avoid being called "an old-fashioned out-of-the-game oddball".

We thrive to be different (from the rest), try to find how are we different or how can we be unlike others. But, we never wonder that the need would not have arisen in the first place had we followed our predilections and continued with what we originally were. (Now, here, if we blame to the fact that we didn't know since beginning about what we had an orientation for, then, we should leave ourselves nothing but repentance.)

Feeling Safe
How normal does it feel to be normal? How much okay it is if it's the case with every one? We let go off the will to fight, the desire to express the contrary once we acknowledge anything as a solidified norm, a product of the past, only to fend off the wrath of the religious outrage against self.

We instead feel safe to be a part of it. We feel safe to be a rat inside a giant cage crowded by many other rats breathing only each other. Those who can't breathe this air or refuse to, better be dead as this system does not let adversaries dwell. We feel safe, because we get to survive and we thus, never try to find any other way out. We reject to recognize the hand of history upon our shoulder.

Defining ourselves
Our life has our own objectives, set of goals. Our life, sometimes, even has a set of our own defined principles we live by. Really? Our own?

Are they not in compliance with the thought process of our society? Do they not fulfill what others expect? Do they not reflect the image of a false you you wish to pose before others? Were they not designed befitting the entire situation? Or, they just happened to do so? Are you now trying to convince yourself that that is not true? Or maybe finding the answers to:

What if it is true? Is that wrong? Why?

My friend, there was, is and will never be anything wrong so long as you don't find a need to justify yourself. Introspection is the name of the algorithm that yields answers!

Consider as an example:
L1: Is our society ever constructive? Is it possible to be self? Is it possible to avoid the probable?
If yes, when? how?
If no, jump back to L1.
Fix it! Get the answers!

With this, I conclude marking this as the beginning of a chapter where we answer the unusual and discover ourselves! I lift my pen now leaving you with a question to answer:

"Whose life is it that you are living?"

(Pardon me for any wrongdoings. Suggestions are always welcome. I could not help but include some terminologies from my Comp.Sc. background. Excuse me for that.)

15 comments:

  1. its jus amazing...keep up the good work!!..
    u'hv long way to go...
    i mus say u hav a deep insight and ur articulative :) All d best ...

    ReplyDelete
  2. thank u so much for those words di, I yam happy :D :D

    ReplyDelete
  3. Very very thought-provoking Jatin. I am very happy to have read this. Love to talk about this in person.

    Eagerly awaiting your next blog-up.

    ReplyDelete
  4. omg!! so happy to read those words sir! thanks for the encouragement! sorry for stealing your "genetically programmed" phrase.

    ReplyDelete
  5. great man...its highly professional...the standards of your writing are really good...theme was nice...

    ReplyDelete
  6. thanks swamy, i am glad you put some time into it! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Absolutely true. There is a quote by Adlai E. Stevenson, which i think is relevant, "A free society is one where it is safe to be unpopular". Again, an utopian dream. I definitely don't want to be second-hander but then you are stuck by being one at times!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yes sir, this is what I wanted to express. Thank you for giving your time and sharing your views.

    ReplyDelete
  9. A person who suffers is the one who feels and bears his suffering all by himself. No one else except he himself will know what he undergoes and he is alone in his suffering but he is dwelling in this world as he has to abide by the rules of this world though he has to undergo his suffering all by himself. If he follows the rules of this world he will receive acceptance from the world but if he tries to follow his heart and mind he is discarded by the world. The irony of life is even when you follow the rules of this world you suffer alone and even when you do not follow the rules of this world you still suffer alone. But can one dwell without being a second hander? Osho had always followed his intellect and refused to be a second hander but he was discarded by society. So if normal people do not want to be second hander then they will either have to be like Osho or be their own true self and follow their intellect within their sphere or circle and be a second hander when they are with the parasites of society. Most of those who follow their intellect follow the latter principle in life because not all people who follow their intellect can be Osho.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very well said ma'am and thanks for some precious words I totally agree with. I, however, am facing trouble in digesting the suggestion about a puritan pretending to be a second hander when he is surrounded by the parasites. Why should he succumb to their level, I ask! Why should he 'have to' pretend or conform with them. But then, we will be back to Square one, won't we? Either isolate or bow! Are they the only options?
      Plus ma'am, I ask now to ponder upon other options to dwell without being a second hander! And, is it that puritans exist only in singles or can they exist in herd or group, is my doubt! Please shed some light.

      Delete
  10. Just awesome in Bitsian lingo...I felt like reading it on and on and Jatin you are bound to be a terrific writer I guess

    ReplyDelete
  11. umm!! o.O I am actually..... No! Wait! I am actually not....
    .
    .
    Aah! i don't know WHO ACTUALLY IS ME now!! :( :(

    A good read INDEED :)

    ReplyDelete