Not everything cool is cool
100 years ago, most of the people in the world couldn’t wrap their heads around the possibility of the decline of empires, be it British or Ottoman or Austro-Hungarian. People couldn’t grasp a society which wouldn’t have a king or a queen to bow in front of. But then, World War 1 set into motion the initial wheel of a greater change. By the end of World War 2, commoners realized that it wasn’t very difficult to say goodbye to the monarchies. Over the last seven decades or so have been an exhaustive exercise in the settling of the New World Order; a place where humanity and individualism rule supreme. As we head towards 2020, it’s worth acknowledging that our species has come a long way and if any of us thinks that we are doomed, then they are being too hopeful. The trouble isn’t that the world is ending. The trouble is that it’s turning into something we aren’t familiar with.
If you are as clued in on social media as I am — although I’ve mastered the art of tuning out on whim with minimal psychological damage — you’d be aware of the standards there. It’s a strange development with stranger ramifications; being good isn’t enough anymore. A person on the internet is supposed to be better than the best. Even the slightest of crack will let the darkness in. This constant public scrutiny didn’t happen overnight. We arrived at this point after years of perfecting our words, images and sounds. We curated our personalities — thanks to Backspace button and Filter options — to such an extent that we’ve become online creatures of perfection. A tweet can’t have a typo. An image can’t be asymmetrical. An AV clip can’t have noise. In our relentless pursuit of editing our work, we didn’t realize when exactly did we become our profile.
What happens when we have a difference of opinion? The answer is ideal but simple: we either learn or unlearn. Those who refuse to do either are being foolish or foolhardy. Apart from the arena of established facts, there is not much one shouldn’t parry at an intellectual level. Everything out there falls under the purview of criticism. Everything. Yet, clashing opinions aren’t pushing the cartwheel of our civilization — specific to the great land of India, obviously — ahead. On the contrary, we are witnessing the decay of thoughts. Instead of nudging the masses towards thinking (for themselves), the opinion-makers are busy pushing them towards nodding (to others). What’s the use of our brains when opinions are supposed to be the private property of a select few?
Some of us romanticize change, not because it’s romantic, but because we don’t fully understand how things are changing in the first place. 10 years ago, ‘gig economy’ would be college students dropping out to form successful music bands. Today, it translates into opportunity for those who don’t know how to write their names in English but have learnt how to use an app to run their homes. So, in a nutshell, change quickly happens at a slow rate. Although the chasm between the rural and urban landscapes are glaring, it’s only a matter of time before we appreciate what drives those TikTok stars with humble backgrounds. What do they think of us? Do our views about them matter anymore or is it a blip in the millions of likes they reap for their creative outputs? Perhaps they understand change better than we urban-dwellers who are better at guessing than thinking.
Wherever we are and whatever we do, we must stand for the oppressed. It’s the only bare thread separating us from what we call ‘animal’ or ‘wild’. An Asiatic elephant doesn’t care about its cousins in Africa. The unity of species present in humans can’t be underestimated. Whether a person is black or brown, straight or queer, businessman or janitor, our hearts must ring for those who are suffering, particularly those whose stories never reach our orbit. If sharing an IG story or tweeting is the most you can do to raise awareness, so be it. But if you can do more, you must explore options. The worst thing that can happen to us is the painful unraveling of our indifference that masqueraded as ignorance.
Most of the time, I continue to wonder whether I am a good person or not. As I am growing older, I want to be doubly sure about certain things in life. What if I die in the Gurgaon fog tomorrow, what will be left of me? Such questions trouble me. Of course, I want to be on the right side of humanity as I care about it. For the record, morality doesn’t intrigue me as I simply don’t care about it. Why? Because the SI units of humanity haven’t changed for thousands of years whereas our moral compass keeps evolving. Besides, in today’s world of checks and balances, there is nothing as right or wrong. Just a matter of relevance or irrelevance.
Those who can see clearly have been frustrated with this government for over five years now. But then, we live in a democracy and there are rules even for those who don’t seem to believe in the fine tenets of our constitution. Throughout the year, we see the carnival of elections unfold in different geographies of India and each result reminds us how little we get our country as we talk a lot and don’t care to listen. Since 2014, two factors have overplayed their prominence. Firstly, the government is built on the face of one shrewd man. Two, a mandate is a mild synonym for constitutional bullying. Both these revelations are detrimental to a functional democracy like ours. However, as we near 2020, we can notice the third factor as well: there continues to be no Opposition because it accepted defeat even in its victories as it bets too much on the relevance of ethics.
You never forget the first time you watch Titanic (1997). Well, I didn’t. It ‘premiered’ on the eve of 2000 and Star Movies was my favourite channel back then. Although I was barely 13, while watching the movie, I couldn’t help noticing how decent Leonardo DiCaprio was. The guy doesn’t do anything wrong. In the end, he even sacrifices himself for his sweetheart. But not before breathing cold, cold vapour while hanging onto the edge of that furniture. Remember? You could not only feel his misery in the freezing sea but also admire how ‘cool’ it seemed on TV. From that moment on, I wanted to breathe fog too. Had to say hello to one logistic problem: We lived in Bombay where winter is shorter than a sneeze. 19 years later, I am in Gurgaon with its 4 degrees December where I dread to touch water and shiver while brushing, blowing EBC (Exhaled Breath Condensate) everywhere. Lessons learned: Not everything that seems cool is cool and be careful what you wish for.
Religion shouldn’t have a place at the table in the 21st century. But unfortunately, it does. And there is nothing we can do about it. Maybe, a few generations down the line, we’ll reach a mature stage and stop kowtowing to convoluted scriptures. Until then, it’s safe to suggest that we must uphold every individual’s right to their respective belief system. If a person wants to believe in the supreme power of one god, amen to that. If a person wants to hallelujah the hell out of a room, join the crowd. If a person likes to think that there is god in the smallest of living beings, don’t jainx it. If a person observes celestial beauty in the heavenly bodies, praise the universe. When all belief systems are filled with loopholes, then how does it matter which one is correct? All of them need to be tolerated without conditions. Think of it as a manifestation of our deepest desire to seek the truth. After all, there is as little point in breaking an idol as it is in praying to one but people do it for personal reasons.
Is it just me or does everybody think of somebody they have only read about and that too very faintly? I have a character stuck in my mind since school days. I read about him in India Today magazine and he is yet to leave my memory hall. Apparently, there was a fellow from Andhra Pradesh who completed 100m sprint in less than 9 seconds during a recruitment drive for Army (or maybe it was for Police, I am not sure) and he startled everyone during the drill. We are talking about an era when Maurice Greene was the fastest man on earth, whose record stood at 9.7 seconds, only to later come out as a drug cheat. Anyway, I never heard again about our man from a village who just wanted to get a job and reportedly ran like wind that day. If only I could know more about what happened to him.
Isn’t it amazing that none of the popular TV series feature people actually doing some work? There are bits and pieces thrown in for authenticity’s sake but we all know that we are never going to know how they survive in an expensive city without working hard (or smart). For instance, in all the 9 seasons, Jerry Seinfeld is never shown writing jokes in any of the episodes. In fact, he is doing everything apart from working hard. Which is why I appreciate The Office because it shows people at work. The only problem is the petty boss here does everything possible to make sure his employees don’t work. An amazing paradox.
Speaking of shows that are rooted in unrealness, I thoroughly enjoyed the second season of You on Netflix. It teaches you a lot about love and madness through the lens of a psychotic man. Also, after years of research, I’ve finally arrived at the conclusion that love is not the answer. It is a terrible question. The more we hope to understand it, the less we are able to experience it. At least that’s what You is all about. No spoilers but think of it as a modern Shakespearean adaptation where instead of killing themselves like idiots, Romeo and Juliet murder others for love.
George Bernard Shaw, one of my favourite philosophers who walked the talk — most philosophers neither knew what they were talking about nor saw where they were walking into — once said that a true philosopher is somebody who finds a topic more interesting than sex. I am no philosopher but I find sex the least enticing subject, especially when it pertains to our species. Which is also why I write very little about it. Yet, it’s incredible how almost every person is either thinking about sex or marveling about things that eventually lead to sex. So, what is it about The Big S that is so fascinating? My two cents may not hold water to the burning candle of passion but I believe sex (the act as well as the notion) is filled with possibilities and humans are optimistic by nature no matter how cynical they pretend to be.
Disciple: “What is the appropriate amount of privilege?”
Master: “An inert existence.”
Disciple: “And how do we quantify that?”
Master: “We can’t. A person who can’t bear this winter looks at a person who is walking steadily at 6 in the morning. He ponders about his own weaknesses but doesn’t acknowledge that his sheltered existence is to be blamed here. He doesn’t see his privilege just like the steady labourer doesn’t feel the cold.”
We are dangerously close to living in the Narcissism Age. For example, if you create a year-ender list of the finest movies you watched from each of the last 10 years, people will give you inputs on which movie should have made the list. What’s stupendously interesting is they invite themselves into the making of a list that has nothing to do with them. You selected XYZ for 2013 and they think PQR deserved to be there, completely forgetting that this list is a very subjective exercise. If they want PQR to be in a list, maybe they should create one of their own. This basic differentiation is also amiss on those who throw mighty shades at the Academies and the Nobel Committees of our world. The members who select the eventual winners don’t care about our opinion. It’s a private club and we are gnawing at their doors to feel good about ourselves. Seriously, who’s going to save us from us?
