Recent events have been very disturbing, the shooting at a Connecticut school and gang rape in Delhi. World seems to be heading towards more uncivilized and more evil destination than towards a civilized, mature and a better world. Why are such events happening around the world? I was wondering what would make this world a better world. The world where there is a constant progress, a constant growth, a constant betterment. I'm not talking about the economy of a country. I'm talking about 'the person' in people.
On second thoughts what about the person in me? When I see the event objectively I say such events have been happening every day. People get killed everyday, someone or the other is abused everyday. But a shooting in a school or a girl been beaten inhumanly after physically abusing her would disturb me more because I can relate to the victim. I think that girl could have been Me, that school could be where my kid or any kid i know is studying. This reminds me of Joker's dialog from the movie 'Nobody panics when things go according to plan. Even if the plan is horrifying. If tomorrow I tell the press that like a gang banger, will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics, because it’s all, part of the plan. But when I say that one, little old mayor will die, well then everyone loses their minds!'. Is this true? Is a solider at border meant to be shot, is he there to die? is a teenager who is riding fast meant to get killed? Yes he should not ride fast but does that justify my indifference towards his death or make it easy for his parents to deal with the tragedy? If I hear a news tomorrow that a group of soldiers were blown up I'm sure it wont be stuck in my head all day. But if i hear a news of lady killed by her husband say who is from IT it would remain in my head all day questioning how could he do that. I'm not sure if this is the case with all of you but that is how i am affected. Affected to different extent by different events when both result to death. I wonder why? Why is that i don't feel anything when i hear about the soldiers. Am i so insensitive? Am i biased to these events? A Life is a Life isn't it? It should not matter what gender, age, reason for death, a life, a person is no more. If that girl is some one's mom, sister or wife, so is the man at the border some one's husband, son or a friend. Then why is that i don't feel anything towards this man. Why is that I'm inhuman towards him? Why?
Isaiah 1: 17- learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.
On second thoughts what about the person in me? When I see the event objectively I say such events have been happening every day. People get killed everyday, someone or the other is abused everyday. But a shooting in a school or a girl been beaten inhumanly after physically abusing her would disturb me more because I can relate to the victim. I think that girl could have been Me, that school could be where my kid or any kid i know is studying. This reminds me of Joker's dialog from the movie 'Nobody panics when things go according to plan. Even if the plan is horrifying. If tomorrow I tell the press that like a gang banger, will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics, because it’s all, part of the plan. But when I say that one, little old mayor will die, well then everyone loses their minds!'. Is this true? Is a solider at border meant to be shot, is he there to die? is a teenager who is riding fast meant to get killed? Yes he should not ride fast but does that justify my indifference towards his death or make it easy for his parents to deal with the tragedy? If I hear a news tomorrow that a group of soldiers were blown up I'm sure it wont be stuck in my head all day. But if i hear a news of lady killed by her husband say who is from IT it would remain in my head all day questioning how could he do that. I'm not sure if this is the case with all of you but that is how i am affected. Affected to different extent by different events when both result to death. I wonder why? Why is that i don't feel anything when i hear about the soldiers. Am i so insensitive? Am i biased to these events? A Life is a Life isn't it? It should not matter what gender, age, reason for death, a life, a person is no more. If that girl is some one's mom, sister or wife, so is the man at the border some one's husband, son or a friend. Then why is that i don't feel anything towards this man. Why is that I'm inhuman towards him? Why?
Isaiah 1: 17- learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.
An even more disturbing thought is that people worry only when something happens to their ownself. Even a tragedy as brutal as the conecticut shooting/ Delhi rape case might rattle you only for a few days; it's easily forgotten with time. Unless something strikes one, the one is never affected deeply. That's some kind of human behavior. Perhaps, with time we as a human race are becoming more insensitive. May be our ancestors were more closely bound to each other. Anyways nice write-up to ponder about.
ReplyDeleteThere is not much to ponder upon in this to be frank.. Nothing in life is measured in absolute quantities, everything is relative.. When we say a person is rich it means he/she is rich in comparison to most people.. Similarly, sensitivity to atrocities..
ReplyDeleteLet me start with an example, people in general would be jealous of a rich friend or a really good looking buddy but wouldn't be jealous of Bill Gates or Kim Kardashian.. Why? Because we form a small world around ourselves in spite of living in the larger one. We classify all the people in the world into different bubbles each inside the other with us as the nucleus.. We are most affected by the events that affect(or in relation to) us and then the people closest to us and so on until a point where we just don't care. The events that affect people in the outer bubbles just doesn't impact us as much.. It isn't inhumanity, it is just that you can only care to a certain extent because we have our own stuff going on..
I agree with the bubble theory and i know that's how we work. Or that is how we have been working for so many generations that it is now 'Normal' to Not care about the outer bubble. But my point is we shouldn't be like that. We should not be at a point where we say 'I don't care' for another human being. I don't expect us to be low all day but work towards bringing justice and be empathetic to the other human.
DeleteThis is a classic case of Reality Vs Ideal Behavior. True, we should be empathetic; true, we should care for other human beings; but, people are stuck in their own chores, problems and life situations. For most of us, 'Me' always comes before 'We' and that is where the entire equation changes and considering it isn't unethical to do that, we call it reality and are happy to live by it. Again working towards that ideal behavior is a personal choice and when left it to choice no one is willing to go the extra mile for someone else.
DeleteAs to the point whether the person in people is developing, is something that has to be left for self-introspection and the will to accept, repent and change. Most people lack the will to do it and this is where religion comes into play. If done right it can help like no other BUT who is seeking change? Before I digress, I'd like to add that I love the verse you have picked for this but I can't help but think 'If only that were the case, If only'
ReplyDelete