Why does it happen, that you believe something is right but you still can’t convince yourself to do it. Does your brain repel the discomfort that the right thing can/will cause if you do it? Is that the reason? Or does the reason lie in a deeper Zen?
My wife was forcing me for more than a month to go and watch “Rang de Basanti”, well I was aware of the reviews that were in the air, some of my so called same bandwidth sharing friends also gave some seriously high ratings and I was very sure of what I would be getting to see on the screen.
So, the day came, today and we went for the movie, this was the second time for my wife (now I know why).
This movie moved me, I felt different. This was not the first time something moved me I have had this feeling many a time, while watching seriously good movies, playing seriously good games, listing seriously good music, but this good feeling also had some not so good about it.
I got the message in the movie loud and clear and I know it’s correct. I consider myself above average in connections, deductions and conclusions. My mind can extrapolate, differentiate and statistical figure out problems. But after watching this movie and giving it some serious thought on the drive back home I cannot stop questioning myself as what can I do as an individual for my country. (Or is it really just about my country, my home, my continent or my earth or my universe, or is it just about me?)
Okay seriously, coming back to the country thing, I am not talking about any killing or going against anything and all that.
I am talking about just myself and my country as a place, what can I do about it?
Do you feel guilty (ever) when you throw an empty Pepsi/coke glass on the road? Well I do feel guilty quite often, but then I think “What the hell”, who cares and why should it matter.
If my grandfather reads this he would say, “Yes it matters, if everyone stops doing this we will have a cleaner place”. My mind computes the logic but does not respond to this statement emotionally well.
When one thinks, “hell no one will stop doing this’ - OR – you might think “most of the people will not stop doing this”. Both of these thoughts are correct but the deduction is wrong.
What deduction?
Hell no one will stop doing this - OR - most of the people will not stop doing this, therefore what difference it makes if I just throw the damn glass here.
Will you see the place cleaner if you don’t, will you see the place dirtier if you do?
The answer is we don’t care, its SEP (Somebody else’s problem). Its invisible to us, till the time it becomes so much that you start noticing it and start hating it and then you say “this place stinks man, is desh ka kuch nahi hosakta hai”
I don’t know what the solution is and neither am I looking for someone to give me a solution. Or for that mater if there is a genuine problem for which I need a solution
All I know that the tag line of the Movie “a Generation awakens”.
…..Is true…It’s true for me.
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8 comments:
Okay, first a confession. I haven't seen the movie. And I probably won't because I'm saving my Indian-movie-to-watch-this-year space for Being Cyrus.
Nevertheless, I hear what you are saying, and I agree. And disagree. I agree in the "one wrapper less will leave the place cleaner" bit. I don't agree with the returning to the country bit. So though I keep empty cigarette packets and coke cans in my car until I throw them in a bin, I still break traffic rules sometimes. It's basically about me.
There are certain things that can only be enforced. And even if these things are good for the people (remember the helmet fiasco in Pune?), one cannot help feel sorry for those who are affected by it.
It is all pointless basically. Democracy in India means freedom. We're still in that stage, because it's not even 60 years old. Wait for another 140. It takes generations of fools before a generation of intellectuals are born.
P.S. Reply to your comment is on my blog.
Hmmm i agree but first thing first
Watch the movie..
well kerry, im not sure but i think the awakening is for self and has nothing to do with anyone else. Whats your opinion?
Few things to be thought off,
We (Indian) are THE youngest and THE largest democracy in the world.
700 million people are below the age of 35 in India.
35% percent of Indian population is below the age 15.
The point that I am making is that in next 30 years, we will have today’s children leading our country. So if today’s young parents awaken, tomorrows leaders will have a better chance.
The problem here is simple, as human brain works "I made an effort to do something, therefore I need to see, witness and consume its resultant".
Example, assume you are giving your class 12th exams and the rule says you will get your results after 75 years. Will you take your exam seriously? (98 out of 100 will not), ever wondered why? (Results is meaningless)
Now if the Rule said, your grand child will get 15% of what you score. (92 out of 100 will not)
If the rule said, 25 years later the results and good results mean scholarship to your child. (70 out of 100 will not).
If the rule said, 5 year later a Trip to Goa. (99 out of 100 will take it seriously)
We as human work well or hard only if we see evidently a gained fruit.
When we don’ see a direct gain out of a task, our brain sends a “f**k it” signal.
And IMHO this is the root cause of society failures. Since I am society myself, I need to prevent these ill signals.
So the next time you see something to be done is a waste of time and energy, just try to extrapolate and see ahead in future. I am no good in this either but the more I think the more I feel it makes sense. More later, my hand is beginning to ache.
well, i have seen the movie, but instead of commenting on it, i'll say more on what you've written.
to start with, if the 'pepsi glass' thing you wrote is to be taken literally, then i must say i agree, and i myself follow it. i hate littering around, and i am extra conscious of the fact. no bragging about it, that i feel is a basic responsibility.
but the 'pepsi glass' thing i feel is what you have used symbolically. as you mentioned about democracy and a few statistics in one of your comments above, there is one thing you assumed. and it happens to be wrong. that the children of today would be tomorrow's future politicians. that sadly isnt the truth.
its our generation or even those who are 5 - 10 years elder than us, would be in power. the problem here lies in you and I watching all proceeding safely from the other side of the fence. we just don't want to get our hands dirty. there are other root causes too, but this cause is what i feel the movie tries to propogate, what is happening, and nothing won't change in this case.
Hi ankit,
I see where you miss understand my intention. Infact now I realize what I should have made few things clearer in my original post.
One does not need to be a politician to change things.
Why do you think that you get power when power is bestowed upon you?
I mean do we need to knight some one so that he takes on this responsibility.
Coming back to S.E.P (hitchhikers)
I am a developer, testing is not my responsibility.
I am not a politician therefore XYZ is not my responsibility.
Correct it is not a responsibility but should that mean you stop caring.
Manjit says
""There are certain things that can only be enforced. ""
This is because we think that the certain thing does not affect us so why should we care. Hence to have that thing done somebody needs to force them onto us.
What we fail is at some point of time it will affect us (us or our children) but we fail to see it (me included, I am no pandit in this) Bu by the time this something stars effecting us we have already fallen victim of our own habits.
Manjit breaks a signal and this is the way he is, was he born like this, off course not.
He does not break it every time, sometimes his brain understands that "there will be some effect (cop, probable risk, not in a hurry etc) if I break it"
So my point is simple, we do things looking at some direct effect, when we don’t see a direct effect we tend not to do it.
And all that I am saying, if we try to think about this while we are doing something (jumping the light, throwing a can, spitting on the wall), this thought it self is an awakening. This is the start.
It’s a two step theory
Pausing and thinking for a second before we do
And realizing it can or might affect us
And I think this is good enough an awakening.
Just for the record... I never break signals. Never. Ok, maybe the left turn ones I break, but those are a judgement call anyways ;). I might overtake from the left quite often though, and that is what I was talking about when I said, "It's basically about me". If I didn't do that, I'd probably never get to office. Another traffic offence? Driving after drinking. See, the difference is that throwing trash in the bin is never serious inconvenience.
The SEP field analogy is actually perfect.
But the main reason I'm making this comment is to say that I don't break signals.
well yes, it is most certainly not necessary to be in power to change things. if every individual thought and acted instead of acting without thinking (as it usually happens), then lot of things would indeed change. i do accept this and see the merit part of it.
in fact, what you had mentioned about extrapolation makes complete sense. that's when the generation that extrapolates will reap the benefits of what the sow by not thinking of what they directly gain by doing or not doing something.
till one lets go of immediate gains, one will never progress. at least in the wake of society.
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