Hello, the Internet! It's been a really, really long time since I posted. I have no valid excuses. I could say I've been busy with college and mid-sems and all that other stuff but considering the amount of time I spend on the web just re-reading comics and looking at posts on Distractify (of all things), I don't have the necessary hypocrisy.
Necessary Hypocrisy is an important quantity for people to possess. If Schindler hadn't been a hypocrite of necessity, he would never have been able to save all those Jews. It's cool to be the type of person who stands up for your beliefs no matter what and all that, but in certain situations it's also important to keep your head down and work quietly for the greater good. Like in the World War, people who were secretly decrypting intercepted enemy information were accused of being cowards for having cushy desk-jobs while the real men were out there on the battlefields, dying nobly for the glorious cause. So, the next time your touchy friend asks what you really think of her new tattoo, just smile, nod and continue life with both eardrums still functioning at optimal capacity.
Here is an example: I cut my hair short recently and it was a decision I'd been planning and talking about for a while prior to the actual deed. So much so that I started hearing things like: "Joanna, please. We're trying to discuss the situation in the Middle East, we don't care what your face shape is."
I eventually scheduled it for a particular time and told everyone I was finally going to get it done, For Reals ("Joanna, people are dying. To us, the information that assymetric bobs are last season is unadulterated bunkum. Also, we don't even like you, please stop hanging out with us all the time.") But at the last minute, the hairstylist was busy and the appointment was cancelled.
I met a friend the day after I was supposed to get the haircut and, because I'm a jerk and psychological warfare is good for healthy relationships, I said, "So, what d'yu think of the new look?"
He said, "Oh, yeah, totally, nice," without batting an eyelid.
Necessary hypocrisy, people! Of course in this situation it worked against its practitioner but, when not dealing with complete douches, it's usually a good idea.
Of course, 'Double Standards For Dummies' is not a course Indian children ever need to take. Usually hypocrisy is completely ingrained into the fibers of their being by the time they're eleven. ("That's not smoke you smell on me, ma, it's the sweet fragrance of culture!"). This is also why I find it hilarious when Indian parents bring up the whole "our values are so much better than western values" subject. We're not better people in India, we're just better liars.
Is a good society ideally constructed out of polite fiction? I don't know. All I do know is, when my grandmother asks whether I'm friends with any boys back in Bangalore, I answer immediately "Friends? With boys? I would have to be drawn and subjected to Chinese Water Torture before I brought such shame to my house and to you."
While this situation has its downsides, I don't feel that our public condemnation of the things we consider Not Indian Culture is the biggest problem we have right now. Poverty, lack of infrastructure and the drought of quality education are probably more serious issues we need to tackle sooner. However, when moral policing starts leading to abuse, either physical or verbal, it's getting out of hand. My greatest source of hope right now is the third generation - at this point they seem to be a bunch of logical, liberal young things, cheerfully waving aloft the bright banners of free speech, love and expression and shouting clever things like "just because we go clubbing, we're not terrorists, you bastards!". I don't know how deep this open-mindedness goes though. It could be that this is just another of our seemingly endless pretences.
For Dan only: (everybody else close your eyes) I'm updating Redbird soon, I promise. For serious. You just have to believe in me. (Okay, the rest of you can look again) Have a good week, all!
Necessary Hypocrisy is an important quantity for people to possess. If Schindler hadn't been a hypocrite of necessity, he would never have been able to save all those Jews. It's cool to be the type of person who stands up for your beliefs no matter what and all that, but in certain situations it's also important to keep your head down and work quietly for the greater good. Like in the World War, people who were secretly decrypting intercepted enemy information were accused of being cowards for having cushy desk-jobs while the real men were out there on the battlefields, dying nobly for the glorious cause. So, the next time your touchy friend asks what you really think of her new tattoo, just smile, nod and continue life with both eardrums still functioning at optimal capacity.
Here is an example: I cut my hair short recently and it was a decision I'd been planning and talking about for a while prior to the actual deed. So much so that I started hearing things like: "Joanna, please. We're trying to discuss the situation in the Middle East, we don't care what your face shape is."
I eventually scheduled it for a particular time and told everyone I was finally going to get it done, For Reals ("Joanna, people are dying. To us, the information that assymetric bobs are last season is unadulterated bunkum. Also, we don't even like you, please stop hanging out with us all the time.") But at the last minute, the hairstylist was busy and the appointment was cancelled.
I met a friend the day after I was supposed to get the haircut and, because I'm a jerk and psychological warfare is good for healthy relationships, I said, "So, what d'yu think of the new look?"
He said, "Oh, yeah, totally, nice," without batting an eyelid.
Necessary hypocrisy, people! Of course in this situation it worked against its practitioner but, when not dealing with complete douches, it's usually a good idea.
Of course, 'Double Standards For Dummies' is not a course Indian children ever need to take. Usually hypocrisy is completely ingrained into the fibers of their being by the time they're eleven. ("That's not smoke you smell on me, ma, it's the sweet fragrance of culture!"). This is also why I find it hilarious when Indian parents bring up the whole "our values are so much better than western values" subject. We're not better people in India, we're just better liars.
Is a good society ideally constructed out of polite fiction? I don't know. All I do know is, when my grandmother asks whether I'm friends with any boys back in Bangalore, I answer immediately "Friends? With boys? I would have to be drawn and subjected to Chinese Water Torture before I brought such shame to my house and to you."
While this situation has its downsides, I don't feel that our public condemnation of the things we consider Not Indian Culture is the biggest problem we have right now. Poverty, lack of infrastructure and the drought of quality education are probably more serious issues we need to tackle sooner. However, when moral policing starts leading to abuse, either physical or verbal, it's getting out of hand. My greatest source of hope right now is the third generation - at this point they seem to be a bunch of logical, liberal young things, cheerfully waving aloft the bright banners of free speech, love and expression and shouting clever things like "just because we go clubbing, we're not terrorists, you bastards!". I don't know how deep this open-mindedness goes though. It could be that this is just another of our seemingly endless pretences.
For Dan only: (everybody else close your eyes) I'm updating Redbird soon, I promise. For serious. You just have to believe in me. (Okay, the rest of you can look again) Have a good week, all!
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