“What will people think?”
This is a common refrain of most people when asked to do something out of the normal. We all want to be perceived in our own ideal image. We buy a car, not because it is convenient, but because we want it to reflect our image. I know of a person who bought a gigantic house, not because she needed it, but because it went with her image.
“You cannot blame Mr. X, because he was intoxicated at that time. This was not Mr. X’s real personality; it was the liquor that was talking.”
Excuse me, I beg to differ. Strong liquor or drugs tend to drop the barriers that we have acquired over the years. We adopt a veneer of culture and suavity, because we want our neighbors to look at us in a particular way. We live for what people think about us, even though they may not be giving us a second of their time; we just think they do. When the fear of people not recognizing us for what we are banishes, our true selves come out.
Remember when the lights went out in New York, a few years back? People of all walks of life: young, old, middle class, poor—all breaking into stores; all carrying away anything that they could. At that time and place, morality was on temporary suspension; religion on hold; and decency on the back burner. There was only the moment, and a time to get whatever you could lay your hands, because nobody was watching. Law was temporarily suspended, and under the cloak of darkness, people allowed the beast, ever lurking under the surface, come charging to the forefront.
In the United States, and indeed the word over, on a regular basis, people will go to their places of worship; they will read their prescribed book of worship, but do they really believe? Are we just feral creatures that need the strong hand of the law to keep us in check? Do we just keep up with appearances, or do we have an inbuilt sense of decency? Events all over the world would dispute this; when in a mob mode, like jackals, we will howl for blood, without reason, without a real sense of justice. What do you think?
Am I crazy, or is the world wacky? Talk to me!!
Riaz Sahibzada
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No you're not crazy. But I believe as a species with a soul we have an inbred goodness. But that goodness needs to be nurtured and allowed to grow or it well wither and die.When a group of our peers or an unruly mob gets together that goodness literally and figuratively gets trampled. It takes work to let our better selves rule our actions and sometimes we just get lazy. There are always two sides and the "news" wants to be where the action is. So we don't see the stories of neighbors helping each other of people trapped in elevators encouraging fellow workers to stay calm. Then there is the urban legend of the birth rate going up, we want to believe in the goodness of mankind and ourselves, and cage those wolves inside us crying to get out.
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly agree that the devil didn't make him or her do it, or that it was the drink talking. NO, it was him or her talking, him or her acting - the real person showing their true colors! Whether sober or under the influence, clothed or unclothed, smiling for the camera or ranting obsenities behind the scenes, what people do when they don't think anyone is is watching and/or listening is the fiber of who they are and we would all do well to take heed!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, what do we say to ourselves about our personal value if we must put on a mask and act a part around others? Who are we kidding - others or ourselves? Are we saying we don't believe that we are good enough to be liked by others? Do we believe we are not worthy enough to be where we are and/or who we're with? Are we saying we want to be someone else? If so, work on yourself. Become the best person you can be and then reveal yourself to anyone and everyone. At least if they dont' like you you'll know who it is they don't like and really, what does it matter anywat? Find other people who do like you for exactly who you are! But PLEASE, don't give me that BS that it was the substance you were on at the time or your stress level or the crowd you were hanging with that made you act the way you did. Wo/man-up and admit it was ALL YOU - being honest with yourself is the first step to becoming the person you should be whether the lights are on or off!