I am an adult. I am a 20-year old grown up person and don’t know what this writing will head to or even why I started it this way.
I know one thing. I am different, only for others, only for those who expect me to be like something they have been well-acquainted with or they think is "usually acceptable" in the virtual social protocols they have developed for themselves.
Virtual Protocols, yes, they are virtual, because people have not been handed over by some divine power any script of the universally acclaimed and accepted protocols that would make their lives a cakewalk :))
They are, in fact, in many senses subjective and cannot be relied upon for a smooth life wherever they go. Number two, even if one thinks that we live in a society that is based on tolerance and cultured participation, I would rather want to point out that it still, is not (and will never be) any universal set of people living together, and that it’s about the size of set you choose to look upon rather than just living with your stupid protocols in your illusionary world.
For example, I would not listen to Metallica just because 4 others around me are listening to it; purchase some expensive gadgets such as apple i-Phones for no special purpose except just for its sake; or ,going on to some serious talking, even take up some career decisions by looking around the crowd and the trends around me.
For there may be another band with even more entertaining and comforting music, as it would be felt by me. Similarly, I can manage well in a moderately priced multimedia cellphone or maybe an iPod instead of the iPhone :)
And as many people would most probably (and thankfully) agree on this, some field other than that followed by the masses may be more fruitful to me.
The last case, very interestingly, and safely enough, may be said to be working out completely other way round these days, i.e. what masses choose to do, is normally less probable to turn out fruitful for a particular person. We have numerous examples of outstanding personalities with almost all having one thing in common- their thoughts were different from what their societies normally thought.
Now, I am not aiming to go on and become the next Steve Jobs, neither do I say that I don’t believe in any of the methods propounded by most of the successful people in this world. What do I say then? I say that the different clusters of societies we live in today have become too much corrupted, or better to say, have corrupted many brains and led them to dance on their virtual protocols. These protocols, such as, having a facebook profile since the age of 11 and having a girlfriend/boyfriend since 14, may be very well suited to certain sections of these societies, but surely the ratio of no. of people actually suited to these protocols, to the no. of people actually practising them is way less than one. The reason for this seems to be the blind copying of the West. Now, the people in the West seem to be, surprisingly, doing very well with these protocols only, because other compulsory protocols like upbringing, education, politics, etc. are designed to work compatibly with them, whereas in our country, such a conflict always crops up!
I heard somewhere, “Don’t copy if you can’t paste." When you are stuck in two worlds is the time when you cannot think rationally, for you have all the contradicting notions hovering over you from either of your sides. And to avoid this sticking in two worlds, in my opinion, one needs to develop what I choose to call, a self-made protocol.
The focus, as can be seen, is now reduced again to the individual level. The broad social view and the India-West distinction were just made to create an analogy with the dire consequences of conflicting protocols between individuals also.
It’s here when I think I have a little advantage, when I do not copy the masses around me; I question everything, I have my own stand on everything, and even if I end up a being a little late in my actions and apparently even succumbing to the social protocols around me, I have the self-satisfaction and more importantly, the assurance of self-scrutinized actions that I would least likely regret any time in the future. :)
-Vaibhav Dwivedi
I know one thing. I am different, only for others, only for those who expect me to be like something they have been well-acquainted with or they think is "usually acceptable" in the virtual social protocols they have developed for themselves.
Virtual Protocols, yes, they are virtual, because people have not been handed over by some divine power any script of the universally acclaimed and accepted protocols that would make their lives a cakewalk :))
They are, in fact, in many senses subjective and cannot be relied upon for a smooth life wherever they go. Number two, even if one thinks that we live in a society that is based on tolerance and cultured participation, I would rather want to point out that it still, is not (and will never be) any universal set of people living together, and that it’s about the size of set you choose to look upon rather than just living with your stupid protocols in your illusionary world.
For example, I would not listen to Metallica just because 4 others around me are listening to it; purchase some expensive gadgets such as apple i-Phones for no special purpose except just for its sake; or ,going on to some serious talking, even take up some career decisions by looking around the crowd and the trends around me.
For there may be another band with even more entertaining and comforting music, as it would be felt by me. Similarly, I can manage well in a moderately priced multimedia cellphone or maybe an iPod instead of the iPhone :)
And as many people would most probably (and thankfully) agree on this, some field other than that followed by the masses may be more fruitful to me.
The last case, very interestingly, and safely enough, may be said to be working out completely other way round these days, i.e. what masses choose to do, is normally less probable to turn out fruitful for a particular person. We have numerous examples of outstanding personalities with almost all having one thing in common- their thoughts were different from what their societies normally thought.
Now, I am not aiming to go on and become the next Steve Jobs, neither do I say that I don’t believe in any of the methods propounded by most of the successful people in this world. What do I say then? I say that the different clusters of societies we live in today have become too much corrupted, or better to say, have corrupted many brains and led them to dance on their virtual protocols. These protocols, such as, having a facebook profile since the age of 11 and having a girlfriend/boyfriend since 14, may be very well suited to certain sections of these societies, but surely the ratio of no. of people actually suited to these protocols, to the no. of people actually practising them is way less than one. The reason for this seems to be the blind copying of the West. Now, the people in the West seem to be, surprisingly, doing very well with these protocols only, because other compulsory protocols like upbringing, education, politics, etc. are designed to work compatibly with them, whereas in our country, such a conflict always crops up!
I heard somewhere, “Don’t copy if you can’t paste." When you are stuck in two worlds is the time when you cannot think rationally, for you have all the contradicting notions hovering over you from either of your sides. And to avoid this sticking in two worlds, in my opinion, one needs to develop what I choose to call, a self-made protocol.
The focus, as can be seen, is now reduced again to the individual level. The broad social view and the India-West distinction were just made to create an analogy with the dire consequences of conflicting protocols between individuals also.
It’s here when I think I have a little advantage, when I do not copy the masses around me; I question everything, I have my own stand on everything, and even if I end up a being a little late in my actions and apparently even succumbing to the social protocols around me, I have the self-satisfaction and more importantly, the assurance of self-scrutinized actions that I would least likely regret any time in the future. :)
-Vaibhav Dwivedi
EPIC.
ReplyDeleteExactly hits at the point where it was needed most. Indians and their plagiarist approach towards everything is a matter of concern. Relating the nation with your life further clears your aim."You need not to make any apologies". To love others you have to love yourself. You weaved it b'fuly vaibhav.
ReplyDeleteGOD has given us d one life ... live it to d full ... dont be ever apolized wat u have done ... but have a one thing in mind always ki " copy paste vaha se karo , jaha se kisi ko kuch pta na chale " .. :p
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely right yaar...actually it takes time to realize our dreams and what we want from our life emotionally,academically and socially........and when we recognize it,then a significant threshold energy is required.......i hope we could follow our own dreams,........
ReplyDelete@Jalan:Hey thanks!
ReplyDelete@ajay: thanks brother..
@shubham :P