The dogs and the tails

Very often we house ourselves comfortably in the security of our thoughts and our ideas that we think are right. And just because we think they are right for us, (somehow implies) we think, they are right for others too. One needs to understand there is no one right for everyone. Following populist culture may give you safety from the pain of thinking for yourself, rationalizing and questioning your beliefs but in the long run if life loves you and it courts you, it will force you to leave those crutches of borrowed thoughts and will lead you to situations where you will need to think on your own where you will question some of your beliefs, will notice the clay feet- but only if life loves you enough to court you.

If not there is a distinct possibility that you will live your whole life on borrowed ideas, borrowed thoughts as a part of the herd that has its economical, social , hierarchical unspoken rules and your existence will then depend on them. Those unspoken rules, beliefs`, prejudices are then handed over to the next generation and if unquestioned, they become the laws for the people who are endoctrined to repose their faith in them. For their safety and to escape from thinking independently, many a men imprison themselves with archaic rules of the tribe for life. How ironic is that!


What ever is not profitable to us, whatever we don’t like, generally, just because it doesn’t conform to the way we have presupposed how all things in this world should be, even if it has its own merit and virtues - is not acceptable to us. We feel threatened by difference, be it of opinions or lifestyle;instead of celebrating the difference and accepting it. In this age of instant gratification we do not have time to observe things, analyze facts and derive our own conclusions. It is too cumbersome for us. Instead we thrive on populist culture, travel on a mainstream highway with signboards and ready clues appearing at regular interval to keep us conformed and informed; where markets and populist culture decide how we should dress, which kind of house we should live in, what car should we buy. Boon for advertisers actually - create hype and the bees will come for the honey. Who is creating the hype? Why? We hardly bother. In this age of paid reviews, viral marketing and comments on discussion forums, do we honestly believe that the posts and comments about a product or service are being posted by genuine users? How naïve!

To be truly alive let's nurture our curiosity, the questioning self of personality, the scientific bend, with which we were born, but managed to silence it somehow. Let us free our intrinsic curiosity; let us dare to think our own thoughts, let us attempt to leave the main highway, sometimes, and let's try to take a walk on unfamiliar roads, to have our own thoughts, questions and conclusive answers derived on the basis of our own personal brand of rationalism and verifiable evidence and let's try to decide things on merit.

My latest read “How we think’ by John Dewey is interesting. I quote a paragraph..

"That which is inconsistent with our principles is so far from passing for probable with us that it will not be allowed possible. The reverence borne to these principles is so great, and their authority so paramount to all other, that the testimony, not only of other men,but the evidence of our own senses are often rejected, when they offer to vouch anything contrary to these established rules.’

Point to ponder. How comfortable are you, with people who are not like you? Are you strong enough to accept the evidence brought forth by your intellect and senses? Or would you rather stay as a category, a predictable mass of people, categorized by the markets as a static sample with predictable behavior pattern, convenient set, driven by populist culture, behavior tamed by markets as per their demographic and target group requirements? Are the markets thinking for you ? Are YOU there in you? Or is it the tail that is wagging the dog?