India has changed a lot from the time when I was a kid to the time when I have a kid now. The most disturbing change has been in the receptive nature of the society (or a certain section of the society) - the section which I now term as 'fanatics'.
The fanatics are on rise in the country. You can see them burning effigies of a person having a certain statue in their bathrooms or asking for summons against a certain person doing a customary public kiss - because it is indecent behavior in public (strange, in this country pissing in public is not indecent but kissing is!!!). You can see them vandalizing restaurants on the valentine's day. And you can see them throwing stones on cricketer's house when they fail to win the world cup - as if we have the whole sole right over winning the world cup. They are all over the place - in the newspapers and every other news channel (and those who follow the "Great Indian Circus TV" would know we have lots of them).
Most of the times when I see them, I feel how can somebody has so much time to go and act like this. And that too nearly every other day. Are they just attention seekers or frustrated people? Do they really care about the culture and national pride or they just want to be in front of a TV camera speaking whatever shit comes to their mind?
And what I feel is that it is a mix of all these traits which makes a "successful fanatic" and I feel pity about them. They have so little knowledge about our existence and history. India has survived several invaders because we were receptive - we accepted whatever came to us. Whether it was the Mughals (we learned their arts, architecture and poetry) or the British (we learned administration, education and industrialization). Then why have we become so less receptive now - the question always puzzles me...
Friday, May 4, 2007
Friday, April 20, 2007
Quarter Life Crisis
This is a nice read which I read somewhere else on the web.
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Mid Twenties...
They call it the "Quarter-life Crisis." It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.
You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.
You look at your job... and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you. You realize that where you saw your life path heading at high school graduation or even college has changed. We're not what we set out to be. Experience and "life" has altered our goals.
Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure.
Your parents have really become your best friends. Finally you are at a point in your life where you are "close" to the same level as them. You may have thought you were, when you were growing up but now you're starting to see eye to eye, using the same phrases as them, understanding the advice they had given you over the years and really enjoying their company.
You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.
You start to re-arrange your priorities. Family, good-friends, quality time are of utmost importance. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision.
You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender! What you may not realize is that everyone reading this relates to it.
We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out.
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Mid Twenties...
They call it the "Quarter-life Crisis." It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.
You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.
You look at your job... and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you. You realize that where you saw your life path heading at high school graduation or even college has changed. We're not what we set out to be. Experience and "life" has altered our goals.
Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure.
Your parents have really become your best friends. Finally you are at a point in your life where you are "close" to the same level as them. You may have thought you were, when you were growing up but now you're starting to see eye to eye, using the same phrases as them, understanding the advice they had given you over the years and really enjoying their company.
You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.
You start to re-arrange your priorities. Family, good-friends, quality time are of utmost importance. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision.
You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender! What you may not realize is that everyone reading this relates to it.
We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out.
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Why such a name?
Why Stochastic Bits?
I know this is the first question from everyone who hears about this blog. Sotchastic means randomness (non-deterministic) to some extent.
I just want to use this blog to put some of my random thoughts in writing. That is why I chose this rather unusual term for my blog. 'Stochastic Bits' is going to contain random bits about my life and my thoughts.
I know this is the first question from everyone who hears about this blog. Sotchastic means randomness (non-deterministic) to some extent.
I just want to use this blog to put some of my random thoughts in writing. That is why I chose this rather unusual term for my blog. 'Stochastic Bits' is going to contain random bits about my life and my thoughts.
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