I wish I was okay with a whole lot of things – I would probably be happier, much like many of them I see around me.
If you’re okay with things around, you’re probably normal and a part of the mainstream population that have apparently grown up learning conformity as the best policy.
I’m not different because I see the exact same problems that you see; I’m different because I feel disturbed and revolted by the problems rather than just accept them move on.
I went to the police station deciding not to pay them any bribes, and came out feeling ostracised. My mom was concerned about my behaviour because I was NOT acting normal. “Policemen are criminals and gundas; they won’t let you rest in peace if you’re going to challenge them for what they have been doing since eternity”, she said.
Perhaps, it would have been ‘okay’ if I had just entered the police station, and surreptitiously handed over a 100 rupee note with a smile.
Our society is an awful parent – it teaches you how to take the shit lying down, instead of fighting against it. It teaches you how to comply with the status quo rather than challenge it. Perhaps, that’s why we are okay with the mediocre governance chosen by a mediocre voting population.
We have been conditioned to ‘being okay’ with things since our childhood rather than question and rebel against them when they seem unjust and unfair. We have been conditioned to jump to the conclusions and follow the herd rather than deconstruct things on their merit and allow the truth to prevail. We have been conditioned to react to situations emotionally too quickly and then allow them to pale into insignificance and oblivion afterwards. We have been conditioned to accept situations, give up on them without a fight and move on. We are not educated enough to form our own informed and unbiased opinions; we’d rather allow ourselves to be imprisoned by the vested interested, venal media and our very own age-old biases. We have allowed emotions to run amok , crushing the reason to death under their feet.
It’s utterly disgusting so see so many of us being okay with the status quo rather than having the urge to challenge it. There are too many things that we are okay with.
Did You Know: it’s ‘okay’ to…
#1: Break the Traffic Rules
Break the traffic rules or at least bend them using your influences. They say that make you look smart. But if you follow the traffic rules completely and reach your destination a little late, you’re dumb. The next time you’re caught without wearing a helmet, call up all the influential people you have on your contact list so you can avoid having to pay the fine and walk away feeling ‘smart & proud’.
#2: Pay Bribes
Pay bribes to anyone and everyone who is likely to help you cut corners and get your job done in a hassle-free manner. Not only does it make you look ‘cool, smart & sophisticated’ but it saves your valuable time and strengthens your network with the bribe-mangers including chaprasis, clerks and babus. The next time you’re at their office, they will smile at you and treat you like your were their platinum customer. Sometimes you can even get your job done over a phone call – they understand the needs of their special customers and value their time.
Here are some places where you need to pay bribes more often than not: Tehsildar Office, Passport Office, Municipality, Police Station, Police Commsionerate, Secretariat, Electricity Office, University, etc.
#3: Abuse Your Privileges
Whenever and wherever you have access to free things, overuse them and even abuse them. If you’re using a public toilet, and it stinks badly, don’t complain and just ignore it. If you’re at a park, and see other visitors litter, keep mum. It saves your ass much trouble. Don’t worry about saving water or electrify, especially when it comes free.
It’s uncool to use public transport – so avoid it at all times. If you have a car, drive it. Plus, make sure the AC is on because the natural air will make you feel sick in your stomach. Honk the horns as often as you can because you don’t have time to wait for anything and inspire every other car driver to do the same so it creates symphony and adds to the noise pollution. Overtake other vehicles and change lanes as per your whims and fancies. It’s fun. And more importantly, it’s okay.
#4: Cheat on Others
Cheat on others because it’s a smart short-cut to reach the zenith of success. At the same time, support a cause because your friends are doing and it makes you ‘acceptable’ to others. If you’re on Facebook, like & share dumb memes because your friends have done this already and you don’t want to be left behind.
Avoid going into the details and buy whatever shit you’re being offered on social media. Avoid reading stuff for knowledge and truth because it seems too complex for your comprehensibility, and read and share cheap texts shared by your Facebook friends. Follow Facebook Pages that feed you enough content so you can jump to conclusions, be judgemental laugh at racist jokes and stereotype people based on their physical disability or appearances. It’s fast and entertaining.
Remember it’s hard to challenge the status quo and change the way things are. It’s much simpler to just follow the societal norms as stated in the examples above. Being okay is a defeatist attitude. I refuse to conform to the status quo because I’m not okay with them. Because conformity, like greed and corruption, is a disease and I can’t allow it to affect me.
