Musings

A peom by Ryokan at Poet Seers says 'You Do Not Need Many Things' in life. I was impressed by the heading. If we do not need many things, how many things do we need in life and what are they? One thing I liked immensely in one of the pictures I had seen of late is that you learn about yourself perfectly in life when you see someone who is as crazy as you. The imperfections and competencies that you see in the other person who is almost 'you' helps you to correct or motivate yourself. I really dont know how much of this is true, but I do feel we learn a lot from other people.

Some of these are people we try to emulate, those whom we see and those whom we dont. Sometimes, people tend to idolise others than trying to learn the good out of them. Of course, this is not the right example I know but I am robbed of choices, trying to immolate oneself for the sake of Sonia Gandhi or XYZ is one example. Amateur footballers idolising their favorite forwards, or moviegoers praying matinee idols, I feel we are getting it all wrong there. No wrong in liking someone or trying to say that they are good at their business, but is the craze justified? The craze for Sonia Gandhi to the craze of a college student for Man U, we use celebrities and matters of public prominence as tools for disputes. This does seem peurile, sometimes!

People take sides of politicians, parties, celebrities, sports persons but all in the wrong sense. This is an oft repeated cliche I agree! But, my viewpoint is that why do we tend to attach ourselves to things we dont see? If the adage 'Seeing is Believing' is true, then why dont we want to see something before we take its side or go against it? Some party makes a statement in Delhi and clashes break out in Hyderabad. Some star makes a statement in Mumbai and Lucknow goes berserk. People have frustration rooting in themselves for many small things but don't feel like letting it out and when they see a plausibility of letting it all out on someone they dont know for some reason they are unsure of, they go ahead and unload it. The reason: The repercussions are not individualistic and not direct! Moreover, no personal grudges and when they are pointed out, they can definitely say they have been driven into it. I agree that this is the case, but then what has to be done so that we transcend all these small things? Education! If that was the answer, why do students and educated classes fight, ofcourse not physically, over matters as childish that even an uneducated person would think twice before reacting?

All this is probably because we are always on a look out for something to put our anger on. Thats the reason we choose unconventional things like someone we like, someone we pray or someone we follow to pick a fight over. When guys pick up fights over filmstars and football clubs, I feel they are being utterly childish. Things that need utmost concern, like those in a college, are of no priority to them but what happens in a football club is more important. I consider anything or any person I dont see or havent seen as intangible and see no point in fighting for them or it, if I havent met them or been a part of it. How good is it to idolise some other human like us so much that we go to the extent of fighting for that person, esp when the person is neither a friend nor a person whom you have ever met. The worse thing is that the person you are trying to defend doesnt even know that a person called u exists nor would care to know anything about you. Then why do we waste time and effort trying to take sides? Why do we have to idolise these intangible things? People ask me if i like something or someone, I do say I like Amitabh or whoever, but I refrain from taking sides. Why should I? Why should I defend some person whom I have never seen or whom I would never see or rather, why that person to whom I am nothing? May sound preposterous or paranoid or whatever, but I am like this I guess! Take me for what I am. I feels its always better to defend and fight for your friends than some star or a club you like.