Why should one not demand for external peace and quiet? Is there some corelation between the noise and stress, and the thriving within chaos as a style of productivity that doesn't allow for silence as a common practice? And lastly, as a people, are Indians uncomfortable with, or worse, afraid of silence?
I'm going to tackle this backward. A community, proud of its rich traditions and family life, has it's foundations sown in the heart of the joint family. Whether tradition, or a modern day reality arising from financial restrictions, the happy every day table sit down dinners, and the doing-everything-together mentality still exists within today's people. Lending itself, to what I believe, is an individual who may be independent thinking, but is innately co dependent on people for everyday activities and living. Whether it is sitting alone and reading in a cafe, or shopping alone, or simply sitting and staring,alone, in a public place. Looked up as lonely and strange, possibly wierd and friendless, there is an instant distrust of peace and quiet this lone individual stands for.
Taking this and putting it into a broader perspective, I've often wondered why people stuck in long lines of traffic keep honking? It's not simply impatience to get to the destination, for surely they don't believe that honking is a force that will propel the traffic line forward. I truly doubt that they think the cars up ahead are not moving at the first possible chance to inch ahead. Is the impatience displayed here, and in so many other every day situations, a discomfort with stillness, peace - with silence?
While the mind races with a million thoughts, the tounge connected with the mind in some way, works very hard to catch up. Just like the urge to pointless honk, we have an incessant need to chatter. Put together all the chatter, the impatient honking, the loud music - and there it is, cacophony and chaos.
We simply thrive in chaos! Apparently. Chaos creates the need for bringing about a state of stability, which by nature of the world we live in, is ephemeral. It also creates stress (not limited to a person), which in turn needs to be managed. Whenever there is a need for something to be managed, people come to the forefront to do so. Chaos creates competition, leaders, innovation, and possibly generates money. Stress drives people to achieve more, to act sooner and to respond faster. And my question is, does it really? Do we truly believe we thrive in this state of disharmony?
Put it all together and it therefore seems unnatural and unrealistic to want some peace and silence. It seems to defy productivity. Maybe that's why developing nations don't allow you to demand this as a right, because it'll affect the stress, the drive, the ambition and eventually the economic growth, which is today the only way to figure wether a country and it's people will continue to survive.
Happiness is another story. I found mine in the silent 30 min I took to write this. Momentarily, until the car behind me started to honk.
No comments:
Post a Comment