We live in a land of cultures and values.
We have heard this statement almost the whole of our lives.
How far do you think this is true, or how far do you think people believe this? Or is it even true?
We see many people who complain about the society we live in, while themselves exacerbating the problem they whine about.
Truly, it’s weird how we complain about society, when we ourselves are a part of this society.
We are the society, and the society is us. We are formed by the society, and the society is formed by us. We cannot blame our society for being judgemental when we ourselves judge people. To change the way the society thinks, we have to change the way we think. This can be started right from our houses. We should not judge our mom who doesn’t know English, our dad who doesn’t know anything about technology, our brother who has many female friends, our sister who wears short clothes, or even ourselves for not being of ‘perfect size’.
We should follow our dreams, without restraining others from following theirs. We should wear clothes that are comfortable to us, without stopping anyone else from wearing what is comfortable for them. We should do what our heart tells us to, and encourage everyone else to do the same. We should be non-judgemental of each other’s past, and supportive of each other’s future.
The society can surely change. This is not possible when one person wishes to do so. This is only possible when most of the people in a society wish to do so. And I am pretty sure that society will change in the coming generation– because people are tired. They are tired of being judged, tired of the restrictions imposed on them, tired of being forbidden from doing what they feel is right, and tired of not being able to take their own decisions. Decisions that make them happy. Decisions that they feel are right for them.
This may take some years, or even decades together, as we are moulded by the society we live in, and sometimes we cannot change the way we think no matter how hard we try to. This is because we were brought up in that environment, and have always seen or learnt to be and act a particular way.
Be honest with yourself.
Most of the time, we dress up really well, but in the clothes that we feel uncomfortable in. This is because we dress up not for ourselves, but for others. We take certain decisions, just because we are worried what others will think about us, rather than prioritising what we feel about ourselves. Sometimes we give up on something that we wish to have, just because we are scared of the criticism we’ll be subjected to. Just for once, try to think about yourself before thinking about others. Dress for yourself, make decisions that make you happy, don’t give up on your dreams and ambitions, and moreover, think for yourself. If everyone starts doing this, we will soon be in a different environment than what we are at present.
~Purvaa Shah, New Baldwin International School (Banaswadi), Bangalore
Liked what you read? Share your thoughts in the comments down below, like this article, and share it with others!
6 Likes