koolhead17
Our society is crumbling and, technology is responsible: this was the theme of one clubhouse discussion.
Is society or technology alone responsible for this Dystopia? Or is it our greed, the want of being someone, something in the the rat race of likes, followers, or retweets or fundraising?
Are we even looking inside ourselves? We all want love, respect. How many of us strive for reciprocity?
I have been hearing from friends about losing their loved ones due to COVID19. Some friends were not very serious about it in the early days. A reason could be that it was not happening to them or their dear ones.
We don’t see the gravity of trouble unless it hits closer to us. Could that have been the reason why we took the pandemic so lightly: as an individual, government, or administration?
Boondi grew up in the Balangir district in Orrisa. Her father was a government school teacher. After finishing class five, she qualified for Navodaya Vidyalaya and studied at a government subsidy. She stood among the toppers throughout her schooling. During vacations, she would visit her home. News about people dying of hunger, surviving on eating grass was regular in Balangir, which also happens to be the poorest district in Orrisa.
After her senior secondary, Boondi appeared for IIT entrance and got a respectable rank. With an average income background, her father got a loan for engineering studies. She was sent with her cousin to Mumbai for her education.
During summer, which is too harsh for the Balangir district, Boondi’s mother got sick. Her father got few medicines from the nearby pharmacy. The pain and fever continued to rise and, after a week, Boondi’s mother passed away. Boondi could not attend the funeral or see the face of her departed mother.
Boondi was in trauma for some time and made peace with reality. She had her father to take care. She would try talking to him once a week, laugh, and share joy. In 3ed years of engineering, her father started sharing Ristas(bride) with her. It is nothing less of pride to a father getting marriage proposals in the flock for her daughter. Boondi always resisted all these conversations.
Boondi’s love and care for her father increased day by day. She ensured vising him even for a few days after her semester exams. On one such trip, she bought Ram, her boyfriend to meet her father: the poor man had a hard time, showed all the tantrums, and resisted. In India, caste, religion, and culture always precede love: but not this time. After all the drama, showdown, emotional outburst: Boondi’s father agreed to get them both married on a condition: Open a school to teach girl child, so many more Boondi’s could come from the backward district of Balangir. Also, ensure spending a month every year in Balangir.
It’s been over 15 years, Boondi/Ram with Richa(their daughter) continuing their promise to her father, who is no more.
The choice is ours; we are independent animals with rationality. Everything which is in our control has o be taken care of by us. We are masters of our destiny and in control of our thoughts. We know what our life is and, we have to govern it on our principles.
Most famous personalities like Van Gogh, Anton Chekov, Simone de Beauvoir, Beethoven went through pain, miseries, failures, and oppression in their life. It kept them going, fostered their creativity, and made them produce their masterpiece.
“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”
– Friedrich Nietzsche
Why do we have to keep the bitter past with us? The bad experience with a race, community, or organization. Will, this not make us biased throughout life?
Our life is as we see it. Why do we have to put ourselves in pain. Why does the past play such a role in our present or future?
We need to let our wounds and cut to heal. We can’t live life like this with disbelief, distrust. We are cutting ourselves with the better now.
Ask a toddler what he wants: it will be the company of his/her mother and some love. He would be delighted to get sweets or chocolates occasionally. Their want and need are simple.
Ask someone in the ’30s what they want most and what they need most. On most occasions, there will not be asymmetry. As we age, our persona gets shaped by societal pressure and expectations.
You will be dependent(at the mercy) on everyone: employees, future customers, or other vendors; when you are tiny(started recently) your startup. It’s how the world works: make best from the most vulnerable.
On the positive side, as a first-time founder: this is the best time of your companies journey to identify allies, friends, and long-time believers. When the ship is turbulent, about to sink: rats are the first to jump in the ocean.
As a leader, you have to evaluate the bottlenecks and work towards eliminating them. Sometimes it can arise due to expectation mismatch, while others for some other reasons. You have to understand you are resource-constrained and work towards feature requests which pay. What matters most is: delighting the initial set of believers, customers. It is about being focused, which should be the default virtue.
What is love for a divorcee or broken heart? Is it the same as sold to us by the advertisement industry, books, or media?What is the meaning of Christ, sermon, festival to an atheist? How much of his vice/virtue depends on the teaching of the Holi Bible?
Does this makes an atheist, divorcee, or broken heart an outlier or outcast. Are they are not part of society; do they have no voice or opinion? Do they have to go live in a cave and not share their opinion like everyone else?
Most of us see the world around us presented at its face value. The way society has guided us. But is it right? Is it the only perspective we have to carry? Does it not end up making us narrow-minded and too opinionated?
Social media has amplified our want for attention. We have become so isolated that random strangers comment, like, or appreciation are needed to uplift our mood.
Why do we have to seek outside for appreciation or for being love? Why are influenced by outsiders?
Have we surrendered our consciousness or, are we running for glitters? Are we comparing ourselves with others? One has to do hard work, make life better for others and contribute to society to earn love and respect.
When we were kids, we were more innocent. Our mind was more independent, free to think and, we were more fearless. As we grow, our thoughts get corrupted, we get more influenced by the external world. As a result, our needs change, the way we start seeing the world alters, and our happiness definition changes. We indulge more in the materialistic world. It all comes down to running on fulfilling a checklist and meeting the expectations of others.
What happened to our innocence? Did we transform ourselves into a headless chicken, running without finding real purpose for ourselves?