Vast majority
of people are ideal followers. Ask them
what they are following and you will get blank looks. For example, ask a person why he believes in
his/her religion or why he/she votes for a particular party. I’m ready to bet that you won’t get
satisfactory answers unless some quotidian blah-blah is enough for you.
People want
other people. Not merely for
company. People want other people in
order to get on in life. From the simple
drinking water problem to the complex games that people play, everything
becomes much easier to deal with if you have other people to help you.
Other people
throw in support if you belong to their religion, political party or some such
group. Religious beliefs and political convictions
are not much more profound than that. If
you don’t believe me, probe a believer’s knowledge about his/her religion. In 9 cases out of 10, you will meet with ignorance.
Politics is likely to fare better.
Even if there
is awareness, probe a little further and you will be shocked by the lack of
conviction. That is, they may know that their religion teaches love and such
wonderful things but they are not convinced that all those wonderful things
will actually help much in the daily drudgery called life. Actual life has little to do with all those
wonderful things associated with one’s religion. Religion is good because I can get a job with
some powerful religious leader’s help, gain admission for my children in reputed
schools, or even get my plumbing done without much hassle.
It is much
better in politics. When I was constructing
my house last year, I got all the paper works done with the ease of wading
across a shallow river because my friend had at least one party associate in
every office I went to. Life is much
simple if you have political connections.
So I have become a follower now.
But I know what I’m following and how much it actually means to me. You can call me a super hypocrite.
I am yearning to see some fiction from you now. Since I am a follower of your stories.....:)
ReplyDeleteI don't choose to write stories, Sunaina. They happen. I'm waiting too for the next one to happen. :)
DeleteThis post reminds me of the quote, “The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.” Being normal is more useful in life. In your case, I think being a follower is good. I would do the same. We live in real world and have to be a part of real mess to get things done.
ReplyDeleteIt's not hypocrisy, it's street smartness.
There's no other way. The tragedy (or comedy, depending on how we look at it) is that if I had learnt this lesson earlier enough I would have been a roaring success in life :)
Deletevery much agree with your last line..."if i had learnt....success in life".
DeleteSome fools like me take a long time to learn the basics. :)
DeleteTrue, many are just followers, but they be aware whom they are following
ReplyDeleteDiplomacy is not same as awareness. Many follow for the sake of personal benefits.
DeleteNo harm since there's nothing more to most things followed 😀