If you were born before 1970 then this write up might seem blasphemous to you, but read on anyway. I say 1970, but I might be off by a few years. But the general idea of thinking about yourself before others not being considered selfish emerged only in the early 90’s. No, this is not one of those essays which will ‘intellectually’ conclude that this is the result of ‘imported western culture’ due to the opening of our economy.
In the Indian context, the identity of an individual is an emerging concept. Identity has always been based on a collective concept under religion, caste, creed and family name. The protective umbrella provided comfort and respect which quelled the need to express individuality. As families disintegrated due to space constraints in our cities, the protective umbrella cover has withdrawn. To a large extent, it forced people to discover their individuality. As a result, this has opened a whole new emphasis on focusing on yourself. The collective needs of a group are no longer unequivocally greater than an individual.
It has been a gradual shift, but it is systemic and real. In India it is developing into a revolution which will eventually engulf the country. As a result of this emerging revolution there is some stress in the old and new ideologies. One of the points of contention is the ‘giving of respect’. The idea of respect being earned and not a right because of the tag he wears creates friction in both parties. I will refrain from taking sides.
It seems sensible to understand what ‘you’ want. After all it is ‘your’ life. It is not greed or selfishness; it is a simple emphasis on self. And there seems nothing wrong if you are not hurting others in achieving it.
PS – Sorry I abused the inverted quotes and used some awesome cliches!
In the Indian context, the identity of an individual is an emerging concept. Identity has always been based on a collective concept under religion, caste, creed and family name. The protective umbrella provided comfort and respect which quelled the need to express individuality. As families disintegrated due to space constraints in our cities, the protective umbrella cover has withdrawn. To a large extent, it forced people to discover their individuality. As a result, this has opened a whole new emphasis on focusing on yourself. The collective needs of a group are no longer unequivocally greater than an individual.
It has been a gradual shift, but it is systemic and real. In India it is developing into a revolution which will eventually engulf the country. As a result of this emerging revolution there is some stress in the old and new ideologies. One of the points of contention is the ‘giving of respect’. The idea of respect being earned and not a right because of the tag he wears creates friction in both parties. I will refrain from taking sides.
It seems sensible to understand what ‘you’ want. After all it is ‘your’ life. It is not greed or selfishness; it is a simple emphasis on self. And there seems nothing wrong if you are not hurting others in achieving it.
PS – Sorry I abused the inverted quotes and used some awesome cliches!
2 comments:
I'm with the revolution and I don't mind the quotes or cliches but the post is late, don't you think? Ayn Rand made the 'general idea of thinking about yourself before others' famous in 1943!
Revolutions happen over an over again, as regimes tend to move back towards their comfort zones..
thanks for appreciating the cliches!!
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