Contrasts

Whether we like it or not, the world always operates in binaries. Everything has two aspects. There are good times, and bad times. In every person there is a Dr. Jekyll side as well as a Mr. Hyde side. You might now start to wonder what I am trying to tackle this time. This article is about doing what is not done, thinking what is not thought of, and dreaming what is not dreamt of. Simply, it is to look at the contrasts in life. And as you read on, you will, I sincerely hope you will realize that these simple contrasts are more worth of than huge civil movements or radical up-rises.

With regard to actions, we all restrict ourselves to predetermined codes of conduct; sometimes imposed by tradition, sometimes by heredity, sometimes by fear. Now, this is not about breaking or disregarding traditional values. While abiding by traditions, this is to expand beyond those set limits, in a more humane manner. Strict tradition and fear of social criticism have made us to turn a blind eye on a lot of simple humane acts that we can do. For an example, in India, the lowest caste group cannot even touch a dignified caste’s member. They cannot share the same well. Even if a lowest caste member is dying by a roadside, people wouldn’t even come near them. It is a result of age old valueless values about caste. However, to help these un-helped people would be of great value.

Think of Mother Theresa. While ordinary people ran away from leprosy patients, she walked towards them. Imagine what a beautiful contrast lays there! While all the well-educated degree clad teachers apply for schools in towns, in developed places with high class students, there might be a teacher who would apply to teach mentally retarded students, or to teach at a very rural small school. We all talk of such social reforms, but how many of us would dare to walk the talk? We discuss day and night, argue back and forth about equality. But when it comes to real occasions to raise the issue, hardly anyone will voice it. When a normal couple breaks up, there are so many people to console them. But tradition and social restriction does not allow same empathy towards a homosexual couple. People shy away from them. Imagine the peace, the happiness they would feel if everyone accepts them for who they are, and include them in the society, without excluding them…

Now let us turn towards our thoughts. We all seem to think only in one direction. We seem to forget the binary programming of the world. Let us do this little test. “A fifteen year old son who killed his father”. The instant thought that must have entered your head is how shocking that is, and what a rotten thing he has done. But if we stop and re think, what do we know about his reasons? What if the father tried to sexually harass the son? What if, the son got sick of the daily abuse and hitting targeting his mother, that his sudden anger made him do this? We often fail to think these ways. Still there are teachers who think that the student who comes last in the class will be a forever loser. But the unthinkable can happen. He might end up being a top class businessman. Bill Gates did not graduate. But he hired his graduate friend to work at Microsoft.

We think that the best clad businessmen are all gentlemen. History’s most awful law breakers- serial killers, drug dealers; had really wonderful appearances. Yet, even a prisoner might have some humane quality that you don’t have. The world is black and white. There is good in people tagged as bad, and bad in whom we believe to be good. What we have to do is to look beyond the box, and discover what is hidden in people, and places. Real revolutions will happen when we help disregarded people, embrace locked out people, and value the tiniest amount of good in bad people.