tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19167765907734304222024-03-05T02:10:05.624-08:00Nupur's InkNupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-9729566606881511302021-06-04T14:11:00.001-07:002021-06-05T09:04:04.103-07:00How to Deal with Rejection and Setback?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPDDXVQmZv6LNnQ5gARsriYzAfcMK1OzXV3zN_2ozBhc_69Ot9nfgRp5WNBjnCx43OlkLZEGp0A2jmJIdxZ5aR5EfB4G8dTgFTukD40H3XvVOJL3v2izTaXskOLV2XJZEjf8M3CvdSdmE/s1280/stamp-5382730_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1280" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPDDXVQmZv6LNnQ5gARsriYzAfcMK1OzXV3zN_2ozBhc_69Ot9nfgRp5WNBjnCx43OlkLZEGp0A2jmJIdxZ5aR5EfB4G8dTgFTukD40H3XvVOJL3v2izTaXskOLV2XJZEjf8M3CvdSdmE/w640-h383/stamp-5382730_1280.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yesterday, I was rejected by a prospective freelance
client.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today, one of the platforms I use to promote my
books – and interact with readers – changed its policies. This will force me to
drastically change my book marketing plans for the year, and I’m still not sure
how it will all work out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Did it hurt? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Well, my first instinct is to say – <i>Nope. I don’t care about a rejection. In my
5+ years of freelancing (and working full-time), I’ve faced hundreds of them.
What’s one more to the pile? </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The truth?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I had a nightmare this afternoon. The first one
I’ve had in months. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I won’t bore you with the details. It was weird
and incoherent, as dreams tend to be. You don’t want to go into the
nitty-gritty of <i>that</i>. Trust me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The point is, the rejection clearly had affected
me, much as my ego would like you to believe otherwise. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rejections usually do. But this wasn’t just any
old rejection. This was different. Special. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Because I didn’t see it coming. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That’s not to say I can usually tell the future.
But I’m naturally pessimistic. I never think things are going to work out until
they actually do. I never assume I’ll get a job until the contract is signed
and the first payment languishing safely in my bank account. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But this job was right up my alley. I had worked
with similar clients before and received positive feedback from them all. The
trial assignment was simple and straightforward. In my opinion, it had gone
well. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For once, I was <i>almost</i> sure I had this one in the bag. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Well, the best-laid plans of mice, men, and
freelancers…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That’s what I got for being overconfident. I was
rejected – because my grammar wasn’t up to the mark. Salt to the wound? I’d say
so. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And hardly had I gotten over that unpleasant
surprise, when I was hit with a new one. Twice, in as many days. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I received a stern, slightly condescending – if
politely worded – email from Goodreads. It warned me that I was engaging in ‘self-promotional
activities’ on their site, which was now against their community guidelines.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For the uninitiated, Goodreads is the most popular
social media site for book lovers. It allows users to rate, review, share, and
catalogue the books they’ve read, while also keeping tabs on the books that
their friends are reading. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The self-promotional activities I was engaging in,
for the record, involved requesting book reviews from readers. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Why that would be against the ‘community guidelines’
of a website solely dedicated to reading and reviewing books is anyone’s guess.
But <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7787143.Nupur_Chowdhury">when
on Goodreads</a>, I guess we must do as the Goodreads gods command. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Which brings us to my current predicament. Down a
client <i>and</i> a promotional platform,
all within a span of 24 hours. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2><span style="color: #0f243e; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 128;">What
Led Me Here?<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tired of hearing about my First World problems
yet? Good. There’s more where that came from. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After all, it’s not every day you get to whine
about your First World problems from a Third World country in the middle of a
global pandemic. Imma milk this for all it’s worth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Anyway, this year didn’t start out badly,
professionally speaking. After working from home for more than six months, I
quit my fulltime job in November of 2020. No sense in staying bound to one city
when I was working entirely through the Internet. If I was going to spend all
my time at home, one way or the other, why not explore greener pastures in
other cities and countries?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was perhaps the best decision of my life. Not
only did it increase my income, fulltime freelancing also left me with enough
free time to get caught up on my chores and write more fiction than I had in
months. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Consequently, I completed the final draft of my fourth
novel, <i><a href="https://relinks.me/B0946ZDPRF">A Call for Brighter Days</a></i>, and hit
publish. This is the second book in <a href="https://relinks.me/B087JLFMZT">The
Aeriel Chronicles</a>, my campy urban fantasy series about a war between humans
and angels. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKF5Ym_aySyGTU5uyK0R6ReNFAfS1MEearwRPD73-cSa84NntPV0ksZXcEmPUpuEh3xqXOqd3SzYyb7lz3TfItz9_C5xFRPMOELlv6shCkFUDDZ0TDoJ5NjuFKWYZZAfq0kkuTrzSVQE/s2048/collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="2048" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKF5Ym_aySyGTU5uyK0R6ReNFAfS1MEearwRPD73-cSa84NntPV0ksZXcEmPUpuEh3xqXOqd3SzYyb7lz3TfItz9_C5xFRPMOELlv6shCkFUDDZ0TDoJ5NjuFKWYZZAfq0kkuTrzSVQE/w640-h330/collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I also made the first book, <i><a href="https://relinks.me/B07GLMTMG3">A Flight of Broken Wings</a></i>,
available for free on a bunch of <a href="https://books2read.com/u/3JRW1g">online
retailers</a> and <a href="https://www.webnovel.com/book/a-flight-of-broken-wings_20115069306828005">webnovel</a>
<a href="https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/43250/a-flight-of-broken-wings">sites</a>,
including Amazon, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-flight-of-broken-wings-nupur-chowdhury/1139442217">B&N</a>,
and <a href="https://www.wattpad.com/story/269934789-a-flight-of-broken-wings">Wattpad</a>.
That’s a marketing technique I stole from more experienced authors, which has
been paying rich dividends ever since. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As you can see, things were going pretty well. The
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57954227-a-call-for-brighter-days">early
reviews</a> coming in for Book 2 were better than I’d hoped for. Usually, I
collect at least a couple of 1-star reviews almost a month after release day.
This time, they were nowhere to be seen (although I’m sure I’m jinxing it just
by typing this sentence). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Reviewers were happy. Clients were content. Life
was good.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And that’s when I should’ve realized the other
shoe was about to drop. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But then, hindsight’s always 20/20, isn’t it? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My biggest problem, 24 hours ago, was that the
glowing reviews weren’t coming in fast enough (and that PayPal seemed to be
raising its fee by the day).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A moment of silence for the lost innocence of that
sweet summer child. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But I’m writing this post to remind myself that
this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Heck, this isn’t
anywhere close to the biggest setback I’ve faced in recent years. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are always more clients to be found
(although it mightn’t feel like that when an unexpected rejection hits you in
the face). And Goodreads might be an important platform, but it isn’t the only
one. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In short, this too shall pass. I’ll find a way
around it. I know, because I’ve done so many times in the past. But I wanted to
take this opportunity to talk a little bit about rejections and setbacks. To
reassure myself (and anyone else who might need it) that the dejection and self-doubt
you’re feeling now are temporary. But your dreams and goals are not. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So take a break. Give yourself permission to
wallow – in front of perfect strangers on the Internet, if you must. But don’t
forget to pull yourself back up and take the next step forward. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What seems like an insurmountable hurdle now will
look much less daunting after a good night’s sleep and a strong cup of coffee. Problems
are permanent, but this one isn’t. Breathe. One day, today’s panic attack will
be a funny story you tell your friends over dinner. Your job (and mine) is to
make sure that day arrives as soon as possible.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2><span style="color: #0f243e; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 128;">How to
Deal with Rejection?<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s not really possible for me to answer this
question objectively, at the moment. This blog post is very much a case of the
blind leading the blind. So I apologize in advance for the absolute lack of any
simple, step-by-step solutions to your problem. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What <i>is</i>
the problem? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Well, it’s that rejection sucks. Hard. It plays
havoc with your self-confidence and makes you want to quit. To crawl into a
hole and never come out again. Or, at least, that’s what it does to me. I’m not
projecting or anything. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But really, it’s the emotional fallout of
rejection that’s the hardest to deal with. It’s not like losing one potential
client will wreck me financially. Objectively, I know that. But, damn it, it
was a <i>good</i> client. An interesting
project. A project I’d hoped to be working on for the next few months. And that
stings. Rejection <i>always</i> stings. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It also causes a lot of anxiety. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Am
I really as good as I think I am? Have I been deluding myself all these years,
telling myself I can write, when I clearly have no idea what I’m doing? Was all
that positive feedback – every 5-star review – just people being polite? Taking
pity, perhaps? <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Will I ever really achieve the goals I’ve set for
myself? Or were they just the delusional daydreams of a hapless, untalented
hack?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Okay, I’m being melodramatic. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But, really, that’s my brain in a nutshell. Melodramatic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hindi soap opera writers have nothing on my brain.
If a spoon falls off the counter, my brain immediately decides that it’s an
earthquake and the ceiling’s about to cave in. If I get a single negative
review…well, obviously, my writing career must be at an end. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thankfully, these thoughts rarely last long. My
brain is easily bribed with coke and nachos. A positive response from a client –
or an enthusiastic email from a reader – also does the trick. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nevertheless, these episodes of anxiety and
self-doubt are distracting. I was supposed to be applying for freelance projects
this evening. Instead, here I am, trying dubious self-therapy through this
longwinded post.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rejections – especially unexpected ones – will do
that. Knock me off my stride for hours or days on end. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My brain keeps playing the rejection on loop – be
it a bad review or some negative feedback – obliterating my ability to
concentrate on anything else. At least for a little while. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Does that happen to you too? It sucks, doesn’t it?
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But believe it or not, it does get better. It
certainly did for me. If you think I’m a fragile snowflake now, you should have
seen me five years ago. Or even three. That’s when I published <i>A Flight of Broken Wings</i>, Book 1 of <i>The Aeriel Chronicles</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It wasn’t the first book I’d published, but it was
the first one that I’d tried to market or promote in any way. I didn’t really
know what I was doing, but my efforts did yield some sales and 100+ reviews on
various platforms. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The first time I got a 1-star review, I couldn’t
bring myself to eat anything for a whole day. I felt like I’d throw up if I
tried, so I didn’t. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bad reviews still faze me, but not for more than a
couple of hours at a time. The last time I got one, the effects only lasted for
the half hour it took the pizza delivery guy to reach my flat. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yes, I bribe myself with food. And I’m only a
little bit embarrassed about it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I started looking for a fulltime job for the first
time in 2017, after earning a post-graduate diploma in journalism. The prospect
of talking on the phone with potential employers scared the shit out of me. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To the extent that I refused to apply for a job at
any newspaper that required you to call them after you submitted the
application. (Yeah, some of the older, more traditionalist newspapers in
Kolkata still did that back in 2017. I’m looking at you, <i>The Statesman</i>.) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now, I regularly give interviews and attend
meetings on Skype, with clients from various parts of the country and the
world. This would never be my preferred mode of communication. I will always
prefer an email (or a DM) over a phone call. I didn’t become a writer for all the
social interaction, after all.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But that instinctive fear of facing potential
rejection head on is gone. My gut no longer clenches painfully at the thought
of a difficult call with a client. Negative feedback no longer makes me want to
crawl under the nearest rock and never come out. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And while that may just be ‘normal’ to most people
– not much to write home about – I’ll take my wins where I can get them. To me,
they’re precious. Achievements unlocked in the game of life after years upon
years of dangerous missions and hard-fought battles. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Even if the only <i>real</i> danger was to my ego – my confidence and sense of self-worth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2><span style="color: #0f243e; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 128;">Success
Is the Slow Realization of a Worthy Ideal<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m not sure where I first read it. But this
quote’s stuck with me for the past year or so, because of how true it has been
to my own experience. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When you first start doing something, it’s
difficult. Painfully difficult. And despite all that difficulty, you’re not
doing it very well. It’s easy to think that this is because you naturally suck
at the thing. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And maybe you do. Ask somebody (or preferably,
multiple people) who don’t give a shit about you, what they think of your
skills. They wouldn’t have much reason to lie to you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But even if you’re not an absolute hack, the first
few times you do something, you probably will suck. Whether or not you realize
it at the time. I can no longer read my earliest manuscripts without cringing
constantly. Content writing is no different. There are sites on the Internet I
avoid like the plague, for fear of coming across one of my old articles. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s a natural part of growth. But when you’re in
the throes of sucking at something – of being rejected left, right, and center
– it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. To even imagine
that there <i>is</i> any light in the world.
(See? My melodramatic brain is at it again!) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What I’m trying to say is that when you first
start doing something – and doing it badly – progress can be slow. So slow, in
fact, that you don’t even notice it. I never noticed my writing getting better
from one day to the next. I didn’t notice myself becoming less anxious and
nervous when dealing with clients. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The only reason I know that those things happened
is that I have tangible proof.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have articles and books that I wrote years ago,
that I can compare to the ones I wrote more recently, in order to see the
improvement. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have screenshots of longwinded WhatsApp messages
sent to friends – cribbing about how scared I was about this interview or that
client call. Things I wouldn’t think twice about, today. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Through all that whining and panicking, I <i>was</i> making progress. It was just too
slow for me to notice.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But the only reason I can talk about it today is
that I stuck to it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Despite knowing that I sucked. Despite facing
rejection at every turn. Despite losing my appetite every time I received a
negative review. And despite having no guarantee that things would ever get
better. That <i>I</i> would ever get better.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Because there <i>are</i>
no guarantees I can give you. Or myself. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You can make all the progress in the world, only
for the market to shift right before you hit it big, so that you’re forced to
learn a whole new way of doing things. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Or one of your articles/stories/songs/videos could
go viral and change your life overnight. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There’s no way to predict the future. But I can
tell you this. You’ll be better off for having tried. For having given it
everything you had. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After all, twenty years from now, you’ll be twenty
years older. Twenty years closer to death. You can’t change that. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But you can decide whether you will have spent
those twenty years trying to make your dreams come true, or being so afraid of
failure that you couldn’t even reach for success. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Because that’s the secret to success, insofar as
there <i>is</i> a ‘secret’. Fail as many
times – and as badly – as you can, without killing yourself. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Try again. Fail again. Fail better. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ten years down the line, you would still be
failing. But when you look back, you’d be surprised at how far you’ve come. How
easy it is to do the things that had once seemed impossible. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ten years down the line, you will be failing
spectacularly at things you never imagined you’d have a chance to do. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That’s the goal. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1-star reviews are terrible. Until I remember,
there was a time (less than half a decade ago) when I never thought I’d get <i>any</i> reviews. When I would’ve given
anything for someone – who wasn’t a friend or a relative – to read my stories
and tell me what they thought. Even if they thought it was shit. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yesterday, I was rejected – for the position of
freelance script writer for a famous YouTube video essayist. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Two years ago, I would never have imagined that
such a job was even a remote possibility for me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today, I have written scripts for two famous
YouTube creators, one of whom was awesome enough to give me <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eucZFK8AG8s">writing</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjvRd8t1tOI">credits</a>. Yesterday, I
was rejected by the third such client, because my grammar wasn’t up to the
mark. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You see? I just failed spectacularly at something
I had never imagined I’d have a chance to do!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And really, that’s all there is to it. That’s the
secret. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Just keep sucking at the thing until you suck at
it a little less. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Keep getting rejected, until you’re getting
rejected for projects you’d never have dared apply to, before. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You can never solve all problems and eliminate all
setbacks. So why not aim for better problems? More interesting setbacks? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Being reprimanded by Goodreads – for asking
readers to review my books – is super frustrating. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But it’s a better problem to have than the one I
had five years ago – <i>not having any books</i>.
Or three years ago – <i>not having any
readers</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t know how I’ll get around this one, yet.
But experience tells me that I will, eventually. The trick is to keep at it;
keep trying different things until <i>something</i>
clicks into place. It will happen, eventually. It always does.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And until that time comes, I’ll go drown my
sorrows in coke and nachos. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">See you around, the next
time I have an existential crisis to work through.</span>Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-88133239792226794942020-07-05T05:38:00.000-07:002020-07-05T05:38:24.338-07:00Systemic Discrimination and Nepotism: Are We Victims or Perpetrators?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibscIGBlCECAKWkPddED10GMfcUVA1Wxplna2p-MeBQWuY1_tgT1YDMAz8jOQ3k1Gfr-gJnOw_YrrxLlFbiDoPQVlU54iFojAhHUTh5sPpUghUjJbb8VjjWGBbkTj18yfsEpwsvD6n9Xc/s1600/micheile-henderson-03NMNUqHPdE-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibscIGBlCECAKWkPddED10GMfcUVA1Wxplna2p-MeBQWuY1_tgT1YDMAz8jOQ3k1Gfr-gJnOw_YrrxLlFbiDoPQVlU54iFojAhHUTh5sPpUghUjJbb8VjjWGBbkTj18yfsEpwsvD6n9Xc/s640/micheile-henderson-03NMNUqHPdE-unsplash.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Micheile Henderson on Unsplash</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The recent suicide of the famous Indian film star,
Sushant Singh Rajput, has triggered a massive online debate about nepotism in
Bollywood, the biggest (though far from the only) film industry in the country.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Since the late SSR did not leave behind a suicide
note, I don’t presume to know the reason behind his actions. But the national
outcry against Bollywood nepotism had been – for many years – a time bomb
waiting to go off. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">And now it has.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">So here’s the problem as I see it. The more
popular an actor gets, the more directors, producers, and other film stars want
to work with them. Hence, they make more and more powerful connections in the
industry, while also making a substantial amount of money in the process. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">By the time their children are old enough to start
their own careers, these yesteryear film stars have the connections and
resources to make sure that their offspring, the so-called ‘star kids’, get
leading roles in movies from the very start of their careers. Even if their
initial movies bomb at the box office, they keep getting new opportunities,
because of the friendships their parents have forged in the industry over the
years. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">After all, how many of us can bring ourselves to
tell a close friend that their child is a talentless hack who needs to
reconsider his career choices? Even when it’s the truth. <i>Especially</i> when it’s the truth. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">These are advantages that most certainly aren’t
available to newcomers in the film industry. To those budding actors and
entertainers who didn’t have parents who spent decades building up connections,
to pave a smoother path to stardom for their kids. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Talented actors and performers go unrecognized and
underutilized while the aforementioned ‘hacks’ get overnight fame and success,
rewarded handsomely for the achievement of being born with the right surname. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hence, the long-awaited public outcry against
nepotism in Bollywood. Late in the coming, perhaps, but sizzling with
suppressed fury and bitterness, now that it’s finally here. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle">
<b><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle">
<b><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Bollywood – A Microcosm of the Society at Large<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is true that nepotism is entrenched and
pervasive in the Hindi film industry. The list of ‘star kids’ who keep getting
acting opportunities despite multiple flops in their resume is ridiculously
high. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">However, Bollywood is not so much an exception, as
a symptom of a larger societal problem that we are all a part of. We all
participate in nepotism and systemic discrimination – both as victims and as perpetrators.
But it’s hard to see when it is a part of our regular, humdrum, everyday life. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Everything’s more glamorous when it happens to a
‘hero’, including discrimination.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">While complaining about the advantages the ‘star
kids’ get over other actors, how many of us stop to consider that our own
career successes are, in fact, the result of educational and career
opportunities that people from the lower classes never had access to? People
who probably were far more talented than us; who probably could have surpassed
us in every way if given half the opportunities we were?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Consider this: how many of your colleagues come
from a completely different social class? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">When questioning why the children of bank managers
so rarely become film stars, how do we never question why the children of
domestic servants so rarely become bank managers? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">What nepotistic advantages are the kids of white
collar professionals getting, that allow them to follow their parents into
middle class professions so effortlessly, when it’s nearly impossible for the
kids of a slum-dweller to get those same jobs?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">We benefit from the same systems of nepotism that
we criticize when we are the victims of it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">There are, of course, exceptions to every rule.
There are famous movie stars who hailed from middle class families and there
are middle class professionals who began life as slum dwellers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">But you shouldn’t have to be the exception to the
rule, in order to have a shot at a better future. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">A big, star-studded launch facilitated by daddy’s
connections may be a star-kid’s ticket to instant fame. But so is an expensive
professional degree a ticket to instant career upliftment among the middle
classes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Plenty of private colleges offer admissions (and
degrees) to anyone willing to pay for them. Naturally, those who aren’t able to
pay have to work much harder for that salary hike. As do outside actors in
Bollywood. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Which is not to say that you cannot succeed
without an expensive degree; or that you <i>will</i>
succeed with one. But then, plenty of outsiders succeed in Bollywood and plenty
of ‘star kids’ fail. Like I said, exceptions only serve to prove the rule. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle">
<b><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle">
<b><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">How to Deal with Discrimination?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">We haven’t even scratched the surface of this
nepotistic abyss, so far. Because I’ve just touched upon class discrimination.
And that’s by no means the only type of discrimination we live with, day in and
day out.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">There’s also racial, sexual, caste-based,
linguistic, and neurological discrimination left to talk about. And those are
just the ones I can think of, off the top of my head. I’m sure there are others
you’ll be able to come up with, as you read this.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, perhaps the most important question in this
discussion, is how do we deal with this? There are primarily two schools of
thought:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;">i)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;">Fight it<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;">Ignore it<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Essentially, this perennial debate rages between
two distinct worldviews. The first is that you should always protest
discrimination and unfairness whenever and wherever you encounter it. The
second is that you should mostly ignore larger societal ills and try, instead,
to become that exception to the rule we just spoke about – the actor with no
connections who becomes a superstar, the woman who rises to the top of a
patriarchal society, or the homeless kid who grows up to become a bank manager.
Societal dynamics are entrenched and hard to change, especially over the course
of a single lifetime. Far better, then, to try and change your own destiny
first. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">In my opinion, there’s merit to both arguments. The
ideal course of action will vary from one situation to the next. However, to
me, the final determinant is whether I’m dealing with the problem on a personal
or a societal level. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">When dealing with discrimination on a personal
level, the second school of thought is often the most effective. Although,
ignoring it doesn’t mean you pretend to not see it. Rather, it’s about
analyzing it, understanding it, and finding creative ways to work around it.
You cannot overcome something you don’t understand. But you <i>can </i>embrace your constraints and find
ways to turn them into a springboard for success. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">This isn’t easy, nor is it always possible. But if
there’s something you want to achieve that’s just beyond your reach because of
systemic discrimination, this is the fastest way to get there (without getting
murdered on the way). Societal systems are inflexible, deep-rooted, and hard to
change on a fundamental level. Bending the rules to get around them, while
hard, is still the easiest path to the finish line. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Besides, privilege and discrimination are not
unidimensional concepts. Even the most privileged people have faced
discrimination and even those discriminated against have certain privileges,
whether or not they realize it. Very few people are solely the oppressor or the
oppressed. Most of us play both of those roles, in different situations. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">From my own experience, it’s hard to get
international rates for freelance work when you come from a ‘third-world
country’, as many clients tend to have preconceived notions about how much
someone should be paid, depending on where they live. But if you live in a rich
country and don’t have many specialized skills to distinguish yourself, you’re
at constant risk of being replaced by someone in a poorer nation, who’d do your
work for half the price and live a comfortable life with that pay. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">You don’t get to choose not to have problems, just
which ones you’d rather have. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some advantages, like money, beauty, and social
connections are more visible and ostentatious than others. A common complaint
on social media these days is that nepotism causes talent to be smothered by
financial or social power. This is true. But talent is also a privilege. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Much of what we call a talent – an innate ability or
‘gift’ – is genetic. Of course, it can be developed with practice and
dedication, just as inherited money can be enhanced with smart investments. But
you need to have some money to invest in the first place. And you need a
certain degree of inborn talent to be able to develop it into a world-class
skill. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Moreover, you need a talent that corresponds well
with your external circumstances. A talent for figure skating won’t do you much
good in a South Indian village; and a talent for fashion designing would be
hard to leverage in one of the mountainous Bhutanese monasteries. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Intelligence, mental and physical health, and
emotional resilience are some of the other advantages that are, at least to
some extent, based on luck. Health problems, either mental or physical, can
counteract the most profound social and financial advantages. And a stable,
charming personality, combined with above-average intelligence, can help
individuals overcome many external drawbacks. But these privileges and
handicaps are hard to see, so we often don’t understand how to leverage or
overcome them, as the case may be. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some people are luckier than others, but we all
have things working for us and against us. On the personal level, instead of
bemoaning our lack of privilege, the trick is to objectively analyze the cards
we have been dealt. And to then leverage what we have to get what we want.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Would my life have been easier if – all other
things being equal – I’d been born in a richer family, a richer country, or
even a richer neighborhood? I don’t think there’s anybody who doubts that. But
since I don’t spend much time being grateful about the fact that I wasn’t born
in a slum or a warzone, there isn’t much point spending that time wondering why
I wasn’t born to a tech-billionaire in Silicon Valley. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Building a Better World <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">When dealing with discrimination on a societal
level, however, the approach needs to be the opposite. We need to understand
where and how systemic discrimination is being perpetuated, and speak up
against it. Not just when we’re the victims of such discrimination, as is the
case with Bollywood nepotism, but also when we’re the perpetrators of it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Many private schools refuse to accept students
without conducting an in-depth interview of the parents. I’ve seen people
boasting about how their kids’ school grilled them as if they’re the ones
seeking admission. Somehow, this is a mark of the ‘quality’ of the institution.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">In reality, it’s just another form of nepotistic
gatekeeping, keeping first generation learners away even when their parents can
pay the school fee (which can be hard enough for many people). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Does a child not deserve quality education because
his or her parents were illiterate or semi-literate, even if they’ve managed to
scrape together enough money to pay for that education? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">To many middle class Indians, the ‘pedigree’ of
their child’s school is more important than the education of other, less
privileged children. Those of us who have a problem with their kids studying
side by side with the children of an illiterate (if prosperous) fishmonger,
have no right to complain about the nepotistic practices of Bollywood
producers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is easy to see discrimination when we’re the
victims of it, much harder to notice it when we’re the perpetrators. Which is,
in fact, quite often. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is not an accusation I’m leveling at others,
but rather a (disturbingly common) experience of my own. I never fail to notice
it when a freelance client asks for my location before disclosing their rates,
but it took me years to realize that schools conducting ‘parent interviews’
before granting admissions to students was effectively a ploy to keep first generation
learners from poorer (or nouveau middle class) families away.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have relatives and acquaintances who always complain
when they fail to secure government jobs because of affirmative action programs
(the much vilified ‘quota system’), but never take a moment to appreciate the
fact that they have the resources to continue studying for the civil service
exams year after year, while many others in their position have been forced to forget
about their professional dreams and take up fulltime employment just to
survive. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">And I’d be lying if I said I’ve never felt that
resentment myself. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">I’m a brown woman living in a relatively poor
country. I’m also middle class, able-bodied, and part of the linguistic and
religious majority in the city where I live. I have advantages that many could
only dream of. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">But somehow, that first part is always easier to focus
on than the last. Comfort is easy to get used to, pain is not.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">On a personal level, we can afford to ignore
nepotism and discrimination; bend the rules without breaking them to get what
we want. You’d be better served filling out the application forms for
government colleges than thinking about the fact that your family can’t afford
to send you to a private one. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">On a societal level, however, discrimination needs
to be protested and reforms introduced, because we’re not the only ones being
affected. Millions of people currently alive, and millions who will come after
we are long gone, will live with the impact of the decisions we make today –
whether it is to fight or to remain silent. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">There will always be exceptions that the
establishment points to. Some street urchins will overcome poverty, some women
will break the glass ceiling, and some outside actors will achieve stardom in
Bollywood. And on a personal level, it behooves us all to try and <i>be</i> that exception to the rule. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">However, while systemic discrimination may not be
able to stop an exceptionally talented, determined, and lucky individual from
achieving their goals, it does beggar the society wherein it occurs. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">If a lot of children are left without access to
quality education because their parents were illiterate, some of them will
still grow up to succeed in their chosen field. However, the society as a whole
will remain backward, as most of those kids will never reach their full
potential, nor be able to contribute to national and global development as much
as they could have. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">A disproportionate amount of societal resources
will be spent on a small group, many of whom might be incapable of making the most
of them. While those who could have made the best use of those resources will
never have access to them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Many great movies will languish without a producer
and many path-breaking discoveries will remain unmade because we couldn’t give
our children a level field to play on. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">And that truly is something
to be outraged about. </span></span></div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-13387497129361324322020-01-12T13:10:00.001-08:002020-01-17T01:46:44.637-08:00Why the Nation is Not United, and Why that is a Good Thing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUaLetnLMUUfSXP1v-keh1fDm3sDZHhHFHupRwkU8oCMJVRQv_Gf-EdkHDntx5249tfUQ2siTFmWTyjIaOcb7qaqoVSuj99r2OfZ8mJoiV-bV54VJ9QP8bNapNRfFmcnzzvm6zSv6dCCA/s1600/spenser-IxooIwnNjCA-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUaLetnLMUUfSXP1v-keh1fDm3sDZHhHFHupRwkU8oCMJVRQv_Gf-EdkHDntx5249tfUQ2siTFmWTyjIaOcb7qaqoVSuj99r2OfZ8mJoiV-bV54VJ9QP8bNapNRfFmcnzzvm6zSv6dCCA/s640/spenser-IxooIwnNjCA-unsplash.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@spensewithans?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Spenser</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/fyIPhvavIBs?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Boxes.
We've demonized them a lot in recent years. And unfairly so, in my opinion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nowadays,
it's all about thinking outside the box, living outside the box, burning the
goddamn box, if at all possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But
there's nothing wrong with boxes, is there? In fact, they're quite essential.
They help us store stuff we don't always use but might occasionally need, label
them so they're easy to find when needed, and keep them safe. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The
problem arises when we've sealed the box so tightly that, when we have put
something in it that doesn't belong, we can no longer take it out and put it
somewhere else. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In
Defense of Categorization <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Categorization
– putting things in boxes and labeling them – is a useful tool, essential for
our survival. And like most tools, the effect it has on the world depends
largely on the wielder. It can be used both badly and well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When
you're feeling unwell, you call a doctor and not a florist. You don't stop to
think about it and decide if an individual doctor will be better able to help
you than an individual florist. That's categorization. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";">And
when you hear of a violent crime and immediately decide that the person who
committed it must belong to a particular </span><a href="https://www.boomlive.in/fake-news/twitter-users-give-communal-hue-to-hyderabad-vets-gang-rape-and-murder-6171"><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";">ethnicity</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";"> or class, without
considering whether an individual from another group might be responsible,
that's categorization too. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One
of these could save your life, the other could get someone killed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Categories
aren't bad, but bad people can categorize. And it's these bad categorizations
that I want to talk about today. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Something
is Rotten in the State of Denmark<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Or
India. Or America. Or maybe even Britain or Brazil. Journalist and historian
Gwynne Dyer said in a recent column:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“‘Homo
economicus’ is dead. Long live ‘homo tribuarius’!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Basically,
he was talking about how people around the world are no longer voting for their
economic interests, but rather from tribalistic sentiments of loyalty to the
in-group and hatred for the out-group.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It
doesn't matter what group is in and which one is out. That's cyclical, of
course. And there always is a villain to throw stones at. Sometimes it's the
rich, sometimes the communists. Sometimes Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs,
or the moon worshipers. Sometimes it's also the politicians or the police.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Basically,
we want something to be angry about, and someone to be angry at. And neat
categories help with that. They make it easier to be angry, because of course
everything (or everyone) in a single category must be the same, or at least
similar. Hence, they must all be deserving of the anger directed at that
category.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Why?
Because they're all in it together, of course. They're all UNITED. Your enemies
always are, somehow. They have the best teamwork ever! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I
grew up hearing how India was colonized by Britain because the British were
UNITED, whereas India was divided and fought constantly among themselves. Never
mind the fact that Britain is smaller than most states of India, which makes
that comparison absurd. India cannot be compared to Britain, but it <i>can</i>
be compared to Europe, a group of people with a similar culture (with
significant differences in language, clothing, etc.) who constantly fought,
killed, and married each other. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Not
so united after all, were they? In fact, they were kind of just like us. And
just like people all around the world. The history of Africa is largely the
same, as are the histories of East and West Asia: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 120%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 120%;">Lots of groups, lots of (closely related)
languages, and lots of conflict. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I
don't know much about the history of the native inhabitants of the Americas
(before the arrival of the Europeans), but I'm willing to bet a lot of money it
wasn't all that different. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Why?
Because the Native Americans of the 12<sup>th</sup> century had something very
important in common with the Africans and the Europeans and the South Asians of
the 12<sup>th</sup> century. They were humans. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And
humans behave rather predictably, wherever they go. They form hierarchal
groups. And then they break away from those groups and form new groups and sub-groups.
And then they cooperate. And fight. And people within the same group also
cooperate and fight. And sometimes, they cooperate among themselves to fight a
third party. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The
Myth of In-Group Unity<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";">There
is no grand unity anywhere, and even the most cursory glance at history would
prove that. Even within the tiny country of England, </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/28/british-empire-hidden-history-solidarity-truth-resistance"><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";">many
of those who vociferously criticized the Empire were English</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";">. And the British weren't
special in this regard. The (Muslim) Mughals fought each other like cats and
dogs, and often teamed up with Hindu kings to fight members of their own
family. These same Hindu kings later teamed up with European colonizers to
vanquish their neighbors, and the Europeans in turn spared no effort – up until
the 20<sup>th</sup> century – to drive each other into the ground. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There
was no grand unity within (or between) nations, regions, religions, or
communities, and there still isn't. Because that is not how human beings
behave. And the people of other countries and religions (and even time periods)
are, in fact, <b>human</b>. Despite rumors to the contrary. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But
it makes for a good story – <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Them
versus us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Them
– united, ruthless, calculating. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Us –
scattered, helpless, innocent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If
only we could be more like them. If only we could get obsessed with one aspect
of our identity – nationality, religion, race, sexuality – and become UNITED.
Gang up against our enemies, the scary and singular THEM. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then
and only then will we be victorious. And hence, any dissent from within is of
course unacceptable. Any member of our group who isn't single-mindedly obsessed
with the group, who points out flaws within the group, is an obstacle in the
path of that ultimate victory. As dangerous as THEM. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This
is why we have been conquered by other countries, the dissenters are told.
We're not UNITED. Look at the Chinese. So united. They'd never go against their
own countrymen. Look at the Muslims, also united. They would never speak
against their own co-religionists. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";">And
yet, more people died in the Great Chinese Famine (1959-61), caused by their
own government, than the Bengal Famine (1943-44), caused by the British rulers
of India. And most of the </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2017-11-24/muslims-are-often-the-first-victims-of-muslim-terrorists"><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";">people
killed by Islamic terrorism</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";">
are – surprise surprise – </span><a href="https://psmag.com/news/most-terrorist-victims-are-muslim"><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";">Muslims</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";">! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And
if I'm dying, what does it matter if those killing me are part of the US or the
THEM? How is it better to be killed by those who speak my language and worship
my God than by those who don't? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";">But
we like simple solutions. Who has the time to study the wide variety of causes,
events, and policies that lead to conflict, victory, loss, civilizational
progress, and decline? Who has time to understand the geographical, climatic,
technological, and cultural factors that allowed the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guns,_Germs,_and_Steel"><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";">tiny
nation states of Western Europe to colonize massive empires</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";"> on five different
continents?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Who
has the time to analyze the reasons for the different outcomes of colonization
in different places? The Asians were largely subjugated, the Africans
frequently enslaved, the original Americans all but wiped out...but why? Why
were the nations of Western Europe so much more successful in global conquest
than those of Eastern Europe, despite fighting numerous bloody wars among
themselves?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well,
the answer is a complex combination of germs, geography, disease, climate, food-habits,
technology, culture, and contemporary geopolitics. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Booooorrriinggggg!
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Who
has time for all that, when we can have a short and simple solution that
doesn't tax the mind and provides us with the requisite dose of self-righteous
indignation? They were UNITED and we were not. They believed singlemindedly in
their Gods and their Kings, and we were doubtful and treacherous. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So
now, we must make amends, be more like them. We must define ourselves by our
unquestioning devotion to our Kings and our Gods. We must become devoted
nationalists, or nationalistic devotees. And if we're not? Well, then we're
anti-nationals, of course!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But
don't worry, it's all for the greater good. After all, how else will we take
back our rightful place at the helm of the world, driving our ever-united
enemies to the ground with our UNITY–XXL?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The
Problem of Dissent<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";">Jawaharlal
Nehru University (JNU) said </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JNU_sedition_row"><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";">Azadi</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";"> (freedom), and the entire
nation went for a tizzy. How could they!! How will India become a superpower,
if our students aren't united and nationalistic? If they don't agree with the
stance of the central government and the Indian state on contentious issues
such as the governance of Kashmir and the North East? Surely, this was the
beginning of the end. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";">Thing
is, JNU always was what it is today. In fact, college and university </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2018-09-17/colleges-have-way-too-many-liberal-professors"><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";">campuses
around the world</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";">
are and have always been variations of JNU – </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/apr/11/few-conservatives-on-university-campuses"><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";">liberal</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";"> and contrarian. The
ideological tilt of JNU and its students isn't much different today than it was
thirty years ago, nor has the culture changed in any significant way. If JNU
didn't destroy India in the 80s, it's not going to do so now. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But
JNU is just a symptom of a larger problem. And that's the problem of dissent.
And despite our myths of the UNITED Imperialists and Islamists, dissent is
universal, inevitable, and pervasive. Remember the Arab Spring? There has never
been a society or a government in the history of the world that didn't face
dissent. The difference, really, is in how they dealt with the dissenters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";">In
some countries, comedians earn their living by making fun of the ruling
classes; in others they might be executed for doing so. Imagine a North Korean
comedian calling Kim Jong-un the names that American </span><a href="https://youtu.be/HaHwlSTqA7s"><span class="VisitedInternetLink"><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";">late night comedy show hosts</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "bitstream vera sans" , "serif";"> regularly call Trump. And
there are many others like them – neither the North Korean nor the American
model of governance is particularly unique in this respect. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But
guess which of these countries would be more likely to experience a violent
revolt wherein the ruler's head ends up on a pike? You don't get to wish away
dissent, but you can often choose how you'd like it served. You can either
swallow a few insults or a few bullets, but no government has ever successfully
avoided both for any length of time. If you don't let your opponents shout,
you'll just make them more inclined to shoot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ideological
Bubbles and the Importance of Opposition<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dissent
is not just inevitable, it is extremely important. I've always leaned
relatively liberal, but I was perhaps one of the most right-wing people in my
college. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Why? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Not
because my views had changed in any significant way, but because, like I said
before, college campuses often tend to be liberal bubbles. More so in the
humanities and social science departments. I hadn't become any more
conservative than I'd ever been, I was just surrounded by people who were more
liberal than me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And
that's the thing with bubbles. When the loudest voices in your vicinity are
saying something, it is human instinct to want to go with the flow, to not
oppose the majority even if you don't always agree with what they're saying. In
the distant past, our ancestors got killed for opposing their tribes. We're the
descendants of the people who managed to keep their heads down and not get
lynched for long enough to reproduce, so of course most of us are instinctively
reluctant to oppose the majority. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The
loudest voices on campus were liberal, so those who agreed with them shouted
louder, and those who didn't kept quiet. Just as the loudest voices in the
country today are majoritarian and ultra-nationalist. Those who agree with
these sentiments are shouting louder than they ever have before, and most of
the people who don't find it safer to keep quiet and not draw attention to
themselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And
that's why ideological bubbles are so dangerous, because they lead to rapid
escalation and become a self-fulfilling prophecy. And this is true regardless
of the ideology.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If
you criticized the unfair corporate practices of a particular company at a
business conference, you'll get some support and some opposition. At best,
you'll get people to agree that that particular company is poorly run. But
start this same discussion in a group of devoted communists, and the discourse
will soon devolve into the vices of the capitalist system and then the
oppressive tendencies of the capitalists/businessmen themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tell
a group of campus liberals that you met an asshole who happened to be
Sikh/Muslim/Christian, and at best you'll get your friends to agree that that
particular individual was indeed an asshole. Start this same discussion in a
right-wing WhatsApp group (we all have those family groups, be honest with
yourself), and the discourse will soon devolve into the characteristic demerits
of the religion and the universal vices of all its adherents. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ideological
bubbles facilitate escalation, because people are reluctant to stray too far
from the group consensus. If you feel like you might encounter opposition,
you'll watch what you say and refrain from saying anything extreme that'll be
widely opposed. But if you think that everyone in the group already agrees with
you, you'd be more likely to air your more extreme views, thus creating a
feedback loop of agreement and escalation until you all agree on something that
you'd never dream of saying out loud in public. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Such
an ideological bubble can exist in a college campus or on a WhatsApp thread,
but it can also exist in a community, a city, or an entire country. And when it
does, otherwise normal, well-balanced people openly defend the large-scale
imprisonment of thousands of innocent people in
detention/concentration/filtration camps and the blowing up of public
buildings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">People
who once held bigoted and extremist views in secret are emboldened to share
their ideas in public, causing more people to convert to their way of thinking.
On the other hand, those who would normally have opposed such ideas feel
pressured to keep quiet, for fear of being rejected and ostracized by the
'tribe'. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This
kind of thing has happened over and over again in history, in all places around
the world, and it'll probably happen again. No group or ideology is safe from
this type of escalation, be it leftist, rightist, or anything in between. When
you have too much unity and not enough dissent, systems tend to go haywire and
become oppressive, regardless of whether you live in a communist country or a
theocratic one. Too much ideological unity is harmful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And
this is why dissent is so important. Not because the dissenters are always
right but because they help maintain the balance. They keep the ideological
extremists in check. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So if
you ever find yourself in the middle of an ideological conflict and don't know
which side is right, choose to oppose the majority. If you're wrong, you won't
do much damage. After all, most people are against you, ready to oppose you if
you go too far. But if you're right, you'll help restore the balance and prevent
destructive extremism, at least for the time being. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Need to Preserve Our
Culture<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Public opinion is ephemeral and ever-changing. Those who
think culture is stagnant and unchanging just need to read books written by
people of their own country, who died a few decades before they were born. The
calls to protect ‘Indian (or Hindu) culture’ are meaningless for the simple
reason that there is no such thing as ‘Indian culture’. There’s only ‘urban
Indian culture of 2020’ which is very different from ‘rural Indian culture of
1950’ and still more different from the Indian culture of the 1700s. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Last week, I was chatting with a young Nigerian book
reviewer. We talked about our favorite books and TV shows, our experiences at
school (which were surprisingly similar), and our mutual love of BBC’s
Sherlock. The only differences between our ‘cultures’ were cosmetic and
superficial, like her telling me how pretty she thought women looked in sarees.
Hell, there is more cultural difference between me and my grandmother than
there was between me and my Nigerian reviewer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So those who fulminate on social media about preserving
‘Indian culture’ – it’s not Indian culture you’re trying to preserve but mid-20<sup>th</sup>
century middle-class culture, which would no doubt have shocked and appalled
the inhabitants of 18<sup>th</sup> century India and will probably shock and
appall the inhabitants of 22<sup>nd</sup>
century India as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">After all, in the India of two hundred years ago, it was
perfectly normal (and acceptable) for a 25 year old man to marry a 10 year old
girl. If present trends continue, in the India of two hundred years later (or
even sooner), it would be perfectly normal (and acceptable) for a 25 year old
man to marry another 25 year old man. Indian culture was never in any danger,
because as long as there are people living in India, those people will have a
culture. And their culture, whatever it may be, will be ‘Indian culture’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You may well want to preserve some aspects of that culture as
it exists today, but it’s silly to expect that the culture of any place will
stay the same over any significant period of time. Because people never agree
with each other, and there’s as little unity between generations as there is
between nations or regions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our descendants a couple of centuries down the
line, if they still choose to call themselves Hindus, will follow a brand of
Hinduism that’ll seem more alien to us than any religion currently practiced.
The same is true of Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Buddhists. And there really
isn’t anything that anyone alive today can do to prevent that change. Nor, in
my opinion, will it be worth their time to try. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A couple of generations ago, caste was all the rage, and
people went through all sorts of trouble to preserve and uphold the purity of
their particular sub-caste. Most urban millennials today couldn’t care less
about it. And the youth of the 22<sup>nd</sup> century will probably be as
mystified by our obsession with religion as we are by our forefathers’
emotional investment in the intricate subcategories of caste. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In this regard, India is far from being unique. Prince Harry
and his American wife recently stepped down from their positions as (senior) British
royals. Two hundred years ago, this would have been an important political
development with repercussions around the globe. Today, it is fodder for
tabloids and gossip websites. The European aristocracies have become as
irrelevant as the Indian castes and a Marquess or a Kshatriya, to our children,
will probably sound like the names of rare Pokémon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The mood of the society will shift again, as it has done a
thousand times before, and all the categories and subcategories we care so
deeply about today will seem ridiculous and meaningless to generations to come.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This has always been true, but that has never stopped people
from perpetrating unimaginable suffering in the name of silly social categories
that no one will care about a few centuries down the line. Because humans may
not care about the same groups and categories for very long, but we absolutely
LOVE groups and categories. India was divided on the basis of religion, then
Pakistan was divided on the basis of language, and the Sri Lankans fought a
civil war spanning decades on the basis of ethno-linguistic differences that
outsiders would be as hard-pressed to understand as the complex web of old Hindu
sub-castes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">After all, if we can’t categorize people, we can’t stereotype
them. And how exhausting would that be – having to see every person as an
individual and judge them on the basis of their unique merits and drawbacks? I
want to take a nap just thinking about it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Exploring Universal
Themes<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The first beta reader I had for my latest novel, ‘<a href="https://relinks.me/B07ZY7KY8N">The Brightest Fell</a>’, asked me if the
story was based on the Tamil/Sinhalese conflict of Sri Lanka. It wasn’t. In
fact, until he asked me that question, I’d had a very vague idea about the
devastating civil war that had rocked our southern neighbor for more than two
decades. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But his question made me curious, and I began researching the
war that led to more than fifty thousand deaths. And I can understand, after
having read up on it, why he would think my story was based on that conflict –
it bore some uncanny similarities with Sri Lanka’s recent history. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here’s the thing, though. I hadn’t had Sri Lanka in mind
while writing that book. I wasn’t trying to write about any particular
real-world incident at all, but the closest historical parallel I’d had in mind
was the partition of India. The reason why I’d unconsciously incorporated
elements of the Sri Lankan civil war in the story, while knowing almost nothing
about the Sri Lankan civil war, is because the elements aren’t all that
different after all. The human condition doesn’t change much with geography. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Many of my readers have asked me why I don’t write about
real-world places, people, and events. Well, this is why. The real world is
just repeated iterations of the same universal themes. The players change, but
the story remains uncannily similar, if not the same. Sometimes, the characters
in the story call themselves Protestants and Catholics, sometimes Hindus and
Muslims, sometimes Chechens and Russians, sometimes Tamils and Sinhalese, and
sometimes Nigerians and Biafrans. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my book, they called themselves Zanyars and Birhanis. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are no actual communities called Zanyar or Birhani; I
just made them up. And doing so allowed me to explore the themes that were
common among all the above-mentioned groups and their conflicts, without having
to worry about anyone feeling misrepresented or taking offense. Without anyone
trying to explain to me why <i>their</i>
case was unique and different, and how I’d know that if only I read a little
more about <i>their</i> history (preferably
written by <i>their</i> historians). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That’s because people tend to have blinders on when it comes
to the ideology or group of their choice. They can easily spot the things that
are going wrong in other countries and cultures. Hence, there was almost
universal consensus in India that Trump killing the Iranian General Soleimani
was an irresponsible and dangerous thing to do. There were no frantic WhatsApp messages
trying to explain, at length, how Iran was part of a centuries-long conspiracy
to take America down and how Soleimani was the high-priest of this ancient cult.
No doctored videos of Iranians planning to destabilize and attack the US made
their way into my social media timelines and inboxes, shared by friends and
relatives I haven’t met in years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Because nobody felt the need to defend the pathological
beliefs and actions of a group (country) they do not personally identify with,
as they did when a similar controversy broke out at home and the participants
were more relatable. Nobody feels the need to defend American slavery or
European colonialism but I’ve heard many explanations for why the caste system
was a great idea that was later corrupted by Bad People<sup>TM</sup>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I write about wars and social conflict set in imaginary
countries inhabited by imaginary peoples, so that my readers can judge the
actions of each character not through the lens of ideological or national
allegiance, but in the context of humanity and their own conscience. My heroes
are often accused of being unlikeable and bigoted, and those accusations aren’t
incorrect. That’s how humans are – blinded by what is close and dear to them –
and they can change, grow, and learn with their experiences. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">More importantly, my protagonists are never heroes. Because
human beings usually aren’t, despite our penchant for deification and
hero-worship. Most individuals – like most ideologies – have their own flaws
and do not deserve unqualified support; or unqualified opposition, for that
matter. One person (or idea) can be great in one situation and terrible in
another. Policies designed to solve one problem can give rise to others,
despite the best of intentions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Support (or criticism) needs to be provided depending on the
merits of a given situation and its context, and we don’t need a person or an
ideology to be perfect before it can be used to solve an immediate problem. Nor
do we need to keep using it (or following them) once that problem has been
solved. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Politicians, after all, are just service providers. If a
doctor has treated you well during a past illness but fails to diagnose you
properly for a new condition, would you think twice before seeking a second
opinion? Replace doctor with electrician, plumber, or hairstylist, and I think
your answer will be the same. So why do we treat policymakers differently? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Opposition, Dissent,
and Balance<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So speak out, disagree, debate. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Take a stand, even when most people don’t agree with you.
Especially when most people don’t agree with you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And if you’re not sure what that stand should be, stand
against the majority. If you’re wrong, you’ll learn quickly enough; if you’re
right you’ll prevent dangerous escalation and ideological myopia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Most importantly, don’t be united. Because nobody ever really
is. Unity without dissent is a myth, and it’s a myth that has cost us dearly,
in Nazi Germany and Communist Russia and a thousand other places around the
world at a thousand other times in our history. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Going against the majority opinion is never fun. Intense,
short-term conflict is painful and uncomfortable (which is why most people,
understandably, avoid it). But it’s better than simmering, long-term
degeneration. Which is the price of unquestioning unity – be it in a household,
community, or country. What you allow, you encourage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="color: #00000a; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span style="color: #00000a; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And it’s better to be the villain in a WhatsApp group than the lesson in
somebody else’s history book. </span></div>
</div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-57548446809451055422019-09-19T00:30:00.000-07:002019-11-15T01:35:25.719-08:00What Motivates Me to Write?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<pwa class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-dictionary-word="Currently in" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Readability may be enhanced by using: In" data-pwa-id="pwa-E063B94BAE4C9B20A7C5326B37526616" data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_480" data-pwa-suggestions="In">Currently in</pwa> <pwa class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-dictionary-word="the process of " data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Readability may be enhanced by removing this" data-pwa-id="pwa-4B8A1C2844D870BA7221AEDC35A440B1" data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_1007" data-pwa-suggestions="(omit)">the process of </pwa>editing my first Sci-Fi novel, I’ve been knee-deep in random scientific blogs and trivia for <pwa class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-dictionary-word="a couple of" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Readability may be enhanced by using: two" data-pwa-id="pwa-B0CEC714BEDEA2DD8438E2E37AF77FDE" data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_122" data-pwa-suggestions="two">a couple of</pwa> months. And although my <pwa class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-dictionary-word="own " data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Readability may be enhanced by removing this" data-pwa-id="pwa-8F1D6F07F0FDB69CC80122D67BBB2C57" data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_2754" data-pwa-suggestions="(omit)">own </pwa>story leans more towards political <pwa class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="spelling" data-pwa-dictionary-word="biopunk" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Unknown word: biopunk" data-pwa-id="pwa-5295B2BEEC3761E76D83F770BB9F808E" data-pwa-rule-id="SIMPLE_SPELLING" data-pwa-suggestions="bio punk~bio-punk">biopunk</pwa> than psycho robotics, one <pwa class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-dictionary-word="of the topics" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Readability may be enhanced by using: topic" data-pwa-id="pwa-8458B5C31A01B813E35BD6B9FD217FCE" data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_2173" data-pwa-suggestions="topic">of the topics</pwa> that immediately grabbed my interest as I was doing my research was artificial intelligence (AI), and <pwa class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-dictionary-word="the ways in which" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Readability may be enhanced by using: how" data-pwa-id="pwa-CC936383551255F0692FE93D4B444C05" data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_290" data-pwa-suggestions="how">the ways in which</pwa> it can affect the future of humanity.</div>
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When we think about AI going wrong, we usually imagine megalomaniac supercomputers with a God complex wanting to enslave (or eliminate) humanity. <pwa class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-dictionary-word="The idea of an" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Readability may be enhanced by using: An" data-pwa-id="pwa-A3DD5BEF3C885DE0CE95AA8BA84A9FFE" data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_106" data-pwa-suggestions="An">The idea of an</pwa> AI trying to take over the world never really made much sense to me, though. I don’t <pwa class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-dictionary-word="claim to " data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Readability may be enhanced by removing this" data-pwa-id="pwa-1AC0D8EE2BFDE1DF4C7E6BD8AB6C1371" data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_1863" data-pwa-suggestions="(omit)">claim to </pwa>be an expert on AI, so I might well be wrong about this (as with everything else scientific).</div>
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But common sense tells me that if I was designing a machine meant to perform domestic cleaning duties, I wouldn’t want to give it a wide enough emotional range that it might one day feel the need to marry my partner and sleep on my bed.</div>
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An AI is<pwa class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-dictionary-word=", at the end of the day," data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Readability may be enhanced by removing this" data-pwa-id="pwa-38B77C18F9DE75EAF10680525A02EA64" data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_440" data-pwa-suggestions="(omit)">, at the end of the day,</pwa> a machine. It must originally have <pwa class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-dictionary-word="been designed" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Passive verbs make your writing less direct. Try to use an active verb instead." data-pwa-id="pwa-C74C0B3C53385673C24F39B43FCAA80C" data-pwa-rule-id="PASSIVE_VOICE" data-pwa-suggestions="">been designed</pwa> for a particular purpose, like all machines. Why would you design a powerful machine (say for coal mining) that had — or could develop — human desires, such as power, love, validation,<pwa class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-dictionary-word=" etc" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Use of 'such as' already implies an incomplete list" data-pwa-id="pwa-88E79B6275DED7537FFA27A0FF937CD4" data-pwa-rule-id="SUCH_AS_ETC" data-pwa-suggestions="(omit)"> etc</pwa>.? What purpose could that possibly serve?</div>
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<span class="lq mc" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">The Paperclip <pwa class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-dictionary-word="Maximizer" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Possible confused word" data-pwa-id="pwa-7701C90B934B8ADA0F6BF8F67E46102A" data-pwa-rule-id="CTX_CONFUSION" data-pwa-suggestions="Maximize">Maximizer</pwa> and the Mysteries of Motivation</span></div>
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While wondering about such nitty-<pwa class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="spelling" data-pwa-dictionary-word="gritties" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Unknown word: gritties" data-pwa-id="pwa-BCFF6F899D521868D4D19FAAB708A6A0" data-pwa-rule-id="SIMPLE_SPELLING" data-pwa-suggestions="grittiest">gritties</pwa> of common Sci-Fi tropes, I came upon a theoretical doomsday scenario known as the “Paperclip <pwa class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-dictionary-word="Maximizer" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Possible confused word" data-pwa-id="pwa-8787D487A0FE8D8D38AF655432D79788" data-pwa-rule-id="CTX_CONFUSION" data-pwa-suggestions="Maximize">Maximizer</pwa>”. For those of you who don’t know what that is, the Paperclip <pwa class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-dictionary-word="Maximizer" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Possible confused word" data-pwa-id="pwa-BF26681E7E2376554E949F2165BD1DFF" data-pwa-rule-id="CTX_CONFUSION" data-pwa-suggestions="Maximize">Maximizer</pwa> is a hypothetical AI that <pwa class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-dictionary-word="was designed" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Passive verbs make your writing less direct. Try to use an active verb instead." data-pwa-id="pwa-694AEC27049E287FCEFCF7CC6F336C30" data-pwa-rule-id="PASSIVE_VOICE" data-pwa-suggestions="">was designed</pwa> for the purpose of making paperclips and enhancing the efficiency of paperclip-making processes.</div>
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Over time, this AI would find ways to make more and more paperclips within shorter and shorter time periods. It would enhance the efficiency of paperclip manufacturing processes and learn/invent more ways to maximize the number of paperclips being made.</div>
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The <a class="bx di md me mf mg" href="https://wiki.lesswrong.com/wiki/Paperclip_maximizer" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-image: url("data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 0px calc(1em + 1px); background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 1px 1px; box-sizing: inherit; http: //www.w3.org/2000/svg\"><line x1=\"0\" y1=\"0\" x2=\"1\" y2=\"1\" stroke=\"rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.84)\" /></svg>"); text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Paperclip Maximizer</a> thought experiment posits the possibility that the AI would eventually turn all matter in its surroundings (including life forms) into paperclips. Eventually, assuming the AI was strong enough, it would turn the entire world (or even the galaxy) into paperclips.</div>
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This idea fascinated me. For the first time, I was reading about an AI related doomsday scenario that didn’t rely on a random machine spontaneously developing the motivational structure of a generic movie super-villain.</div>
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The Paperclip Maximizer would probably kill us. Not because it hates us or wants to rule over us, but simply because we are made up of atoms and molecules that would be better utilized in the manufacturing of paperclips, which is the only thing that it is motivated to accomplish.</div>
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So this got me thinking — what is motivation? Where does it come from? Why are we so motivated to do certain things and not others? Why do some people have more motivation than others, and why would the same person have lots of motivation for one type of activity but very little for others?</div>
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Underneath it all, I guess I was really trying to figure out my own motivational patterns — to understand them and hopefully to get a better handle on them.</div>
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<span class="lq mc" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation</span></div>
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I mean, there are of course certain extrinsic things that motivate us, the chief among them being money. We all want money and are willing to work for it, but the extent to which we are willing to do so varies widely.</div>
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What is it that we are looking for when we try to earn money, anyway? Not the paper currency, surely.</div>
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On a very basic level, money gives us access to other people’s time, energy, and talent. If you have money, you can ask someone else to look after your children, manage your finances, or wash your clothes.</div>
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Even when we buy a comb, a video game, or a refrigerator, we’re indirectly paying someone else to design and make those items for us. The more money we have, the more of other people’s time, talent, and energy we can buy, which in turn will make our own life easier and more entertaining.</div>
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That’s an understandable desire to have. And yet, we don’t all have it to the same extent. We all know of extraordinary people who serve others for free and even spend their own money to help those in need — with no expectations of reward. But those are not the types of people I’m talking about here.</div>
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Everything we do has an opportunity cost. Logically, assuming that money was the primary motivating factor for our actions, we’d plan every step with the goal of maximizing income.</div>
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And yet, people write novels in unpopular genres, start YouTube channels on niche subjects that’d never get them a million subscribers, and take up full-time jobs in industries that don’t pay well.</div>
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These are not selfless social workers whose only purpose is to serve others. Most of these people are working for some form of monetary reward, so why not work for the highest possible income or reward? Why settle for a genre that’d only allow you to sell a few thousand copies of your book, when you could instead write in one that has a far larger potential market? In fact, why write books at all? Why not use those same writing skills to write copy for brands (a far more lucrative market)?</div>
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So maybe extrinsic, reward-based motivation isn’t the only kind we need. After all, the hypothetical Paperclip Maximizer isn’t being paid to turn the entire galaxy into paperclips. So it must have a built-in reward system that makes the creation of paperclips intrinsically rewarding. To use a cliché, it’s something he’d do even if no one paid him to do it. (Yes, the Paperclip Maximizer is a guy now. Deal with it.)</div>
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So what internal reward system makes the creation of obscure books and videos, or the performance of low-paid administrative tasks, inherently rewarding for humans — so much so that they’re willing to forgo higher paying opportunities in a different domain?</div>
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<span class="lq mc" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">A Case Study</span></div>
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Well, I’m something of a massive introvert. The last time I had an actual human interaction was in 1997.</div>
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So, I can’t speak for you guys. But there’s one case study I do feel comfortable exploring — my own.</div>
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I’m a writer. It’s taken me quite a few years to admit that (and that’s a blog post for another time), but now, here we are. I write. And I do so in a variety of ways, for a number of reasons, some more obvious than others.</div>
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But what motivates me to write? What do I get out of it? And would I turn the entire galaxy into tropey, angsty fiction if given the opportunity?</div>
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Well, that’s exactly what we’re here to discuss today, isn’t it?</div>
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I’m a professional copywriter/web content writer by day, freelance writer by night, and a novelist/poet/blogger by midnight. Needless to say, I write A LOT.</div>
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Why?</div>
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Well, that’s complicated. I have a 9–5 job because it pays the bills, a freelance side-gig because I like the extra money (and hope it’ll replace the 9–5 sometime in the future), and a creative writing hobby/career because I like expressing myself in words and hope to create a source of passive income a few decades down the line.</div>
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Realistically, I could earn more from a single job than I do from all the three combined, if I ditched this whole writing thing and got myself an MBA or something. So why don’t I, then? It’s certainly not because I don’t like money. Spoiler alert: I fucking love it!</div>
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So, what’s keeping me from ditching this hamster wheel for a “real job”?</div>
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Initially, I thought maybe it was because I just loved writing so much! You know, the old cliché about loving your job so much you’d do it for free? Yeah, I wouldn’t.</div>
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There are people out there who write high-quality, 100k word fanfics for fun (with no expectation of ever earning a penny out of it). I’m not one of them.</div>
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Which brings me to my next point. Writing isn’t always fun for me. Sometimes it is, but most of the time it’s difficult and tedious. It’s WORK. Given a choice, I’d much rather be reading somebody else’s book than <a class="bx di md me mf mg" href="https://www.amazon.com/Flight-Broken-Wings-Aeriel-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B07GLMTMG3/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=a+flight+of+broken+wings+nupur&qid=1568877347&s=gateway&sr=8-1" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-image: url("data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 0px calc(1em + 1px); background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 1px 1px; box-sizing: inherit; http: //www.w3.org/2000/svg\"><line x1=\"0\" y1=\"0\" x2=\"1\" y2=\"1\" stroke=\"rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.84)\" /></svg>"); text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">writing my own</a>.</div>
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I do, of course, have the hope of one day making a living from my fiction. But, at least for now, that’s all it is. A vague hope. I certainly don’t expect to make any significant amount of money from my novels in the near future. The same can be said of my poetry and this blog.</div>
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So if it’s not the sheer, intrinsic joy of writing or the guarantee of monetary payoff, what keeps me plugging away at the keyboard, day in and day out?</div>
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Well, the answer is that it’s a strange and complex combination of all of the above.</div>
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Am I passionate about writing? Yes. Do I want to make money out of it? Yes. Would I do it without one or the other? Maybe. Certainly not to the extent I’m doing it now.</div>
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<span class="lq mc" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">What It Means to be a True Artist</span></div>
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There’s a pervasive myth in the arts (including writing and literature) that if you’re passionate about something, you’ll always like doing it. That if you’re a true artist, you’ll always enjoy the process of making art.</div>
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That’s a lie.</div>
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The truth is, passion can be a double edged sword. It can put the burden of perfectionism on you, where you get stressed out and anxious — not just about doing good work, but great work.</div>
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If I was just writing a diary to pass the time, or writing web copy just to earn a living, I wouldn’t agonize over every line of prose. I wouldn’t spend hours wondering if my message was clear enough, if my language was flawed or my presentation amateurish.</div>
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I wouldn’t constantly compare myself to other bloggers, novelists, and poets, only to find myself wanting every step of the way. If this was just a job, I wouldn’t care so much.</div>
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But I care with every fiber of my being whether what I write is good or bad. Whether I can connect with readers or not. Whether I can express myself with clarity or not. And this slows down the process of writing.</div>
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There was a time when the self-doubt was so overwhelming I couldn’t write a word for days. This is no longer the case, and I have overcome the problem to a great extent. But I daresay a lot of authors would permanently get rid of writer’s block if they could just get their passion (and the associated <a class="bx di md me mf mg" href="https://nupurink.blogspot.com/2018/04/procrastination-and-perfectionism.html" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-image: url("data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 0px calc(1em + 1px); background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 1px 1px; box-sizing: inherit; http: //www.w3.org/2000/svg\"><line x1=\"0\" y1=\"0\" x2=\"1\" y2=\"1\" stroke=\"rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.84)\" /></svg>"); text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">perfectionism</a>) slightly under control.</div>
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I learned this mainly from my day job and freelance copywriting work. The deadlines with these are always tight, and there’s rarely enough time to agonize over the placement of every word and the structure of every sentence. You need to churn out a certain number of words every day and volume is oftentimes more important than perfection.</div>
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And yet, there are people reading these articles, typos and all, for the information that they provide and the value that they add. Realizing this gave me the confidence to start approaching my fiction in the same way–</div>
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Like I have something to say to my readers, and I’m going to try my best to say it well, but I don’t need to wait until my diction is perfect and my oratory world-class, before I can share my opinion or my story with the world.</div>
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<span class="lq mc" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">The Different Types and Sources of Motivation</span></div>
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But despite all the learning and growing I’ve done over the past two years as a full-time writer, I still like ‘having written’ way more than the actual ‘process’ of writing.</div>
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Half the time, when I’m writing a book, I push through the most difficult scenes dreaming about what it’d look like as a finished product — on a bookshelf with a gorgeous cover, sitting next to the works of some of my favorite authors. (A girl can dream, right?)</div>
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The point is, motivations are complex and multi-faceted. They don’t spring from a single source, and they’re not always ‘pure’ and unidimensional. I don’t write <em class="mh" style="box-sizing: inherit;">just</em> for the money, but I don’t write just for the love of it, either. The expectation of future income certainly plays an important part in motivating me to finish my manuscripts, approach publishers, write blog posts, etc.</div>
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I was super unmotivated as a student, and always saw myself as an inherently lazy individual. I wrote my first full-length manuscript in high-school. And after I failed to find any traction with it (receiving more than 30 rejections from various publishers), I lost all motivation and didn’t do much creative writing for the next 2–3 years.</div>
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Then, I graduated from college and got my first real office job. And BAM! It hit me like a train. This was it. This was my life now. This is what I would be doing for the next 40 years.</div>
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And frankly, it was quite underwhelming.</div>
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I’d spent the first 23 years of my life as a student. For as long as I could remember, there had always been something to look forward to, to prepare for and focus on. Either it was high-school or college or university or — the grand prize — a real job!</div>
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There was always something I was running towards, something just out of my reach that I was trying desperately to catch. Hence, it was easy to forget, to distract myself. To tell myself that there’s something better waiting for me just round the corner, and that this writing thing was just a distraction from the ‘real world’.</div>
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And then, real world came and hit me smack in the face. And it wasn’t bad. Just…kind of meh.</div>
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And it dawned on me that there was no pot of gold waiting for me at the end of this murky rainbow. I’d arrived at my destination, at the promised land of gainful employment that parents, teachers, and sundry relatives had all lectured me about for all these years.</div>
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There was nowhere else to go from here. But “here” wasn’t exactly where I wanted to be, forty years down the line.</div>
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<span class="lq mc" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">The Urge to Escape Irrelevance</span></div>
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And so, I began writing in earnest. Not because I expected greater success than I’d had before, but simply because <a class="bx di md me mf mg" href="https://nupurink.blogspot.com/2019/01/fatigue-failure-and-burnout-crash.html" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-image: url("data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 0px calc(1em + 1px); background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 1px 1px; box-sizing: inherit; http: //www.w3.org/2000/svg\"><line x1=\"0\" y1=\"0\" x2=\"1\" y2=\"1\" stroke=\"rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.84)\" /></svg>"); text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">failing</a> at this was better than staying stuck and unmoving, with little to look forward to other than the once-a-year vacations that rarely lasted more than a week.</div>
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Overnight, I went from being an unmotivated student who barely managed to secure a passing grade most of the time, to a highly motivated professional writer (albeit one who was still making very little money)! And exactly why that happened in the way that it did is still, to some degree, a mystery to me.</div>
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What I do know, however, is that writing regularly and calling myself a writer (if only in my own head) has changed my life in a way I’d never anticipated. It’s given me something to look forward to and feel excited about in my day-to-day life.</div>
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And that’s not because writing is easy (or even fun) most of the time. In fact, the most fun I have is during the brainstorming/outlining process. The actual writing is often stressful and always <em class="mh" style="box-sizing: inherit;">effing</em> hard!</div>
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And yet, I’m happier and more confident than I’ve ever been before. I now have a general sense of satisfaction, purpose, and wellbeing that I’d never experienced in the first 23 years of my life. It’s not that I was particularly unhappy before. Far from it. I had a blast in college and made some fantastic friends; those will always be some of the most memorable years of my life!</div>
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<span class="lq mc" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">A Reason to Get Out of Bed Every Morning</span></div>
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It’s just that, I have something now that I never did before — a reason to wake up and get out of bed every morning. I no longer have to wait for a vacation or a party to feel excited about my day. I always have something awesome or interesting to tell my readers, and that’s the best reason to get out of bed I’ve ever had!</div>
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And then, of course, there’s the more immediate monetary reward associated with my day job and freelance work. That’s a different kind of high, knowing that I’d get paid for every word I write. Sometimes, it’s a struggle not to let it eat into my creative writing time.</div>
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I suppose it’s not hard to tell where I get the motivation for that!</div>
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And the great thing about it? Freelancing as a web copywriter has taught me how to sell my writing — something no writer today can do without, no matter what their genre or format.</div>
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Is it easy trying to balance a full-time job with two side-hustles? Lol, no! And it’s not like I’m doing it that well anyway, which you can probably tell by the epic frequency of my blog posts!</div>
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But you know what? We’re all hanging out here anyway, creeping along on a tiny dust-ball suspended in space, waiting to die. Might as well throw ourselves against the wall of impossibility and give it everything we’ve got.</div>
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After all, what do we have to lose? Not like anyone’s getting out of this alive anyway, is it?</div>
</div>
</div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-40286602674586887102019-07-28T13:33:00.000-07:002019-07-28T13:38:03.836-07:00The Poetry Post #6<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTSVGpDtchZdPuo7d4Hz1-Q_xcwn2or7NmM1Kg8LrUuZhsIxadzLCFWESLPwG8afqsNp5CS44Qa4mrp7EKF7MwmGls9bYZ_nAkvfQ_vhrWA7Hq1I0nJxYiziygvp-kJGeTjv4Gx1A7meQ/s1600/Harmonizing+with+Hypocrisy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="541" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTSVGpDtchZdPuo7d4Hz1-Q_xcwn2or7NmM1Kg8LrUuZhsIxadzLCFWESLPwG8afqsNp5CS44Qa4mrp7EKF7MwmGls9bYZ_nAkvfQ_vhrWA7Hq1I0nJxYiziygvp-kJGeTjv4Gx1A7meQ/s640/Harmonizing+with+Hypocrisy.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbua1SVbM7rzqKNPaidUgRKYSjzvRq4zoEyn5MdlgiW70m8jmXcc7Tnzv_fOsXDcZxBV7eSHbCKi1M8xnlEKoVzqLqM0ykJDLnh6_RcHRgrQsVga2Ji_n3pe9hUuBT3gIid_t-5HAG3YM/s1600/Masquerading+as+a+Man.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="428" height="628" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbua1SVbM7rzqKNPaidUgRKYSjzvRq4zoEyn5MdlgiW70m8jmXcc7Tnzv_fOsXDcZxBV7eSHbCKi1M8xnlEKoVzqLqM0ykJDLnh6_RcHRgrQsVga2Ji_n3pe9hUuBT3gIid_t-5HAG3YM/s640/Masquerading+as+a+Man.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-18389113527926689422019-04-05T15:16:00.001-07:002020-08-21T15:25:12.771-07:00Expectation, Aspiration, and the Meaning of Success<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/battle-black-board-game-chess-411207/" target="_blank">Image Source</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I’ve
been thinking a lot about success, lately. About what it means to be
successful, or to fail. Is there really such a thing as objective success or
objective failure, or is the experience of success and failure inherently
subjective?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I
mean, there are some people whose names immediately come to mind when we talk
about success. The rockstars, the famous actors, and the tech billionaires who
seem to be making millions on their way out of the womb, for example.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Likewise,
there are those who are almost universally considered to be failures. Beggars,
unemployed and/or homeless people, and depending on where you live, even people
working in certain industries which are known for providing low-wage, dead end
jobs.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But
as we all know, the problem with this assessment is that the same person may be
successful at one point in their life and unsuccessful at another.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">An
employed person may lose their job and fail to find another one for a variety
of reasons, including technological advancement or an economic downturn.
Likewise, someone who was unemployed for a number of years may find a job due
to a proliferation of employment opportunities in the area, even if nothing
about that person has changed fundamentally.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">On
the other hand, you can be both successful and unsuccessful at the same time,
in different areas of your life. Say you got a divorce and landed a promotion
on the same day. Would you then feel like a success or a failure? Or some
unfathomable mixture of the two that is the human experience in a nutshell?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The
Three Types of Success</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">From
what I can tell, there are three main varieties of success. You can have all
three at the same time, of course, and then you’d be in an enviable position
indeed. You could also have one or more of them, but not all.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
first type of success may be described as <b><i>social success</i></b>, in
that other people (the society) consider you to be successful. This is the most
objective type of success. When Mark Zuckerberg became the youngest self-made
billionaire in his twenties, more or less everybody agreed that he had achieved
some level of success.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Not
that success always needs to be that spectacular, of course. Most eminent
lawyers, doctors, businessmen, actors, and various other professionals have
some level of social success, in that most people in the society would consider
them to be reasonably successful individuals.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This
is the type of success teachers and parents tell us we would get if we study
hard and score well in exams. And for the most part, they aren’t wrong about
that.</span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And
then, there is the more subjective type of success, which we may call <b>personal
success</b>. This is what you get when you achieve a goal that you had set for
yourself, whether or not the external world places any value on that goal. This
is the type of success that is the most emotionally rewarding, though it may or
may not be especially lucrative.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Obviously,
the two can overlap. If becoming a doctor was your life-long dream, then you
will achieve both personal and social success when you finally get a hold of
that medical degree. You will get the sense of euphoric satisfaction from
having achieved your most cherished personal goal, as well as the social
validation of having a respectable and well-paid career ahead of you.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But
that needn’t always be the case. You can achieve personal success even without
any external validation. Imagine you've been trying to master a particular
recipe, or organize an event which has proved to be particularly difficult.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">When
you finally manage to make that perfect dish, or the event goes smoothly
without the slightest hitch, you would still experience that rush of euphoria,
that feeling of accomplishment, although society at large may not consider it
to be a grand achievement.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">For
me personally, I was happier when I sold a copy of my book on Amazon for the
first time, for a little less than a dollar, than when I got my first salary
around the same time, which was a lot more money for a lot less work.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">So
personal success is determined more by your inner compass than any external
benchmarks.</span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And
just as they can often overlap, personal and social success can at times be
almost antithetical to one another. For instance, I left a higher paying, more
prestigious position in another city for a less lucrative job in my hometown,
because that allowed me to accomplish a personal goal that I’ve had all my
life: writing novels.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Had
I chosen to take the better job offer, I would’ve had to sacrifice that
personal ambition, or at least put it on the backburner for the time being.
Hence, I had a choice to make...between being successful in the eyes of others
or doing the thing that made me feel successful and accomplished in my own
eyes.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Of
course, there’s no right or wrong answer to this. There are just choices to be
made. And the right decision for me might not be the ideal choice for someone
else. Only you can decide what is right for you, depending on your own desires
and circumstances.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And
now we come to the third aspect of this elusive thing called success –
circumstances. When we overcome the particular adversities of our life and
improve our own condition, we have achieved <b>circumstantial success</b>.
This may have nothing to do with what society views as success, or even our own
passions or ambitions.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">For
example, I have struggled with chronic procrastination throughout my life. So,
maintaining a semi-regular writing habit (for over two years) feels like a huge
success to me, although it may be no big deal to most people. Getting a passing
grade on a paper you thought you’d fail is success, while coming in third when
you were aiming to top the class is failure.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Privilege
and Success</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">For
a person born into a poor, working class family, securing an entry-level, white
collar job may feel like success, although a data-entry clerk or call center
employee may not be society’s definition of a success story.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Much
of the time, it’s not a job or a salary package that makes us feel successful,
it’s the circumstances surrounding it. For the child of an illiterate laborer,
landing a clerical office job is a huge success. The same job may feel like a
huge failure to the child of an affluent lawyer or doctor.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Which
brings us nicely to one of the biggest points of contention in any discussion about
success. The idea that only the children of the rich can be successful; that
privilege paves a direct path to the top of Maslow’s hierarchy.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And
there are essentially two camps when it comes to this topic – let’s call them
the <i>‘luck camp’</i> and the <i>‘hard work camp’</i>.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
luck camp believes, more or less, that birth is destiny. If you’re born to rich
parents who can provide you with a world class education and the best
mentorship and opportunities, you’ll be successful. If not, you’re pretty much
doomed, save for a few rags-to-riches type outliers who are the exception
rather than the rule.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And
then there’s the hard-work camp, which believes that people can achieve
anything they want if only they are dedicated enough and work hard enough,
regardless of their social or financial background.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And
while both of these positions have some merit, personally, I don’t think either
of them is true.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Simply
because I don’t think there is any one thing labeled ‘success’ that some people
get and others do not.</span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Because
the exact same thing can be one person’s idea of roaring success and another’s
notion of abject failure. When we say that only the rich and privileged can be
successful, we assume that success means the same thing to everyone.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It
doesn’t, though. Let’s take a bit of an extreme example as a case study, to
illustrate my point.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Let’s
think for a second about one of the most prominent political figures, from one
of the most eminent political families in India – Rahul Gandhi.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Had
a random person managed to become the president of one of the two largest
political parties in the country and run for Prime Minister before fifty, he or
she would most certainly have been considered a success story, even if they
didn’t manage to win the election.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">However,
nobody considers Rahul Gandhi particularly successful for having become
the president of the Indian National Congress, because everyone (including
him) knows that he pretty much inherited the position.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">For
him to be considered a successful politician, he would (at least) need to
become prime minister. Why? Because his father, grandmother, and great
grandfather were all prime ministers, and anything less would be seen as a
failure for him.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">For
most people, including politicians, prime ministership is not the minimum
benchmark for success. I certainly wouldn’t think of myself as a failure if I’m
not the head of government by the time I’m fifty. And I’m sure most people
reading this feel the same way. (And if you’re the one person who doesn’t…Hi
Rahul! Gimme a government job, pretty please?)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I’m
not saying any of this because I have an axe to grind against any political
party. In fact, I think Mr. Gandhi’s come a long way since his last electoral
defeat in 2014. The point is, success and failure are fluid concepts,
determined mostly by our own expectations and aspirations.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Aspirations,
Expectations, and a Subjective View of Success</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">If
we can achieve that which we aspire to, we feel successful. If we fail to get
that which we expect, we feel like we have failed. And that, in turn, affects
the way we are seen by society at large.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Of
course, what we expect and what we aspire to are heavily influenced by our
background and experiences. The child of a millionaire may expect to drive a
Ferrari and aspire to the prime </span><span lang="" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">ministership</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">, while the child of a
middle-class professional may expect a desk job and a 2 BHK flat, while
day-dreaming about Ferraris as he sets up his side-business.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This
is because we aspire to the things that we do not see in our day-to-day life,
while expecting (and taking for granted) the things that we do.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I
grew up in a two bedroom, 900 sq ft apartment. So, if I suddenly had to live in
a tin-roofed shanty, I’d be pretty bummed about it; and equally thrilled if I
ever got to call a mansion my home. ‘Cause the former is less than I expected,
and the latter more than I aspired to. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
same 2 BHK flat can look like success to a slum-dweller whose kid has secured a
government job, and failure to the millionaire whose offspring has blown his
inheritance. The slum-dweller had gotten what he aspired to, while the
millionaire had failed to get what he expected.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Privilege
can certainly get you places, and get you there faster; but if you were born
into privilege, you’ll have to go much farther to feel like a success (or for
anybody else to consider you one). A clerk is successful if he was born to a
sweeper and a failure if he was born to a doctor. ‘Cause success isn’t really
about where you land; it’s about how far you flew.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">So
it’s silly, in my opinion, to say that only the children of the rich can be
successful.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Is
it likely that you’ll become a tech billionaire if you were born to illiterate
indentured laborers? Nope. Do you have to become a tech billionaire to be
considered a huge success, and to feel like one? Again, nope. Not unless you’re
Zuckerberg’s kid, that is. Now that’s what you’d call a tough act to follow.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">On
Seeing the World through Unfamiliar Eyes</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Which
brings us to the next important question that crops up in most discussions
about success. What if you’re the only child of a self-made billionaire and you
find that you really, really like knitting scarves? Would you then be a failure
if you followed your scarf-making dreams, or if you pursued your parent’s
footsteps into a business you couldn’t care less about?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
problem with trying to measure success objectively is, of course, that not
everybody wants the same thing.</span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This
can be hard to grasp, sometimes, simply because we can only see the world from
our own perspective, only think from inside our own head. Which makes it hard
to believe that somebody could have goals and priorities that are fundamentally
different from ours, and to then measure their level of success in respect to
those goals.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">So
we opt for the simpler option instead. Which is to measure everybody by the
same standards; or to be more precise, by <i>our </i>standards. It’s
easier to believe that everybody thinks like us, than to try and think like
other people and see the world through unfamiliar eyes.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">So
those who are very passionate about their career might believe that everybody
needs to find their one true passion in order to be successful, and that anyone
who hasn’t found it must be unfulfilled in their job or career. I know I’ve
fallen into this trap in the past.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I
always knew I wanted to be a writer; that writing was the one thing that
brought me joy, fulfillment, and confidence.</span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">That
passion was such a significant part of my personality and worldview that for
the longest time, I couldn’t understand how somebody could not have a passion
that they wanted to pursue throughout their lives. I never really understood my
fellow students, my classmates, who said they weren’t sure what they wanted to
do after graduation. For me, that had never even been a question.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It
was a long time before I fully understood and internalized the fact that you
can have a perfectly satisfactory, fulfilling, and successful career without
having an all-consuming passion for one skill-set or profession.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Many
of my friends who are strongly romantic, keep telling me that the only reason
I’ve never wanted to be in a relationship is because I’ve not met the ‘one’
yet; that mythical male (or female) who’s supposed to sweep me off my feet and
complete my fragmented soul. You know, my soulmate.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Even
today, after twenty-four years of unwavering singledom, I keep getting told
that there will come a time when I’ll find the ‘one’ with whom I’m meant to
spend the rest of my life, and fall head over heels in love with them. <i>‘Don’t
worry, he’s out there somewhere. You won’t be alone.’</i></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It’s
said like a reassurance, as if ending up alone is something I’m afraid of. It’s
not. I think I’m awesome company!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And
I never understood the point of wanting to share your life with one particular
person anyway, and still don’t. I mean, I obviously want to have people around
me whom I love and want to spend time with, and who hopefully feel the same way
about me. But I don’t see why that person needs to be a romantic partner. I
could just as happily share my life with a bunch of friends and family members.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But
that’s just me, and I’m happily weird that way. Hell, I never even understood
how going on a date was supposed to be different from going out with a friend,
or what you were supposed to do differently or why (well, apart from the end
result, I suppose). I still have a very fleeting grasp on the subject.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
thing is, though, I don’t think any of the people who gave me all those
reassurances about the inevitability of romance in my life had anything but the
best of intentions, even though it did tend to get annoying every now and then.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">After
years of chafing against those presumptions, I’ve come to realize that the idea
of not wanting someone to spend your life with is as foreign to them, as the
idea of not knowing what you’re passionate about is to me. It almost doesn’t
compute.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Which
means that anyone who doesn’t feel the same way – who doesn’t feel that urgency
to get what we so badly want – must be missing some essential ingredient to the
recipe for success and fulfillment. Something that they should try and find as
soon as possible. Ergo, anyone who has all the things we want, must be
successful. And anyone who doesn’t has obviously failed.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Because
that black and white worldview is simpler than trying to accept and internalize
the fact that not everyone wants the same things.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
person stuck in a boring, dead end job may not be there because they have no
other options. Instead, they might just care more about living in the same city
as their friends, than having a higher income. The quiet, middle-aged man
living alone may not be a bitter loner left behind by his loved ones. He might
just really like his own company. Someone living in a tiny flat might be
incapable of buying a larger one, or they might just be too lazy to do the
housework needed to maintain a big living space.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">People
want different things from life. <i>Not everybody has (or wants) a
soulmate, or a passion, or a lot of money.</i> You could want all of these
things, or none. But then, is somebody a failure for not getting something they
never wanted in the first place? Or can we call someone a success for having
something they don’t particularly want, but which others would kill for?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Without
any clear goalposts, how can we know when someone has scored a point in the
game of life? And when someone has achieved true success?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Success
and the Education System</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Perhaps
one of the reasons why there is so much confusion about what constitutes
success, is that we are never actually told how to conceptualize, define, or
identify it. We are always told, from a very young age, that success is
something that we must achieve. However, we never learn what exactly it is that
we are supposed to be chasing.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Can
you visualize success? What does it look like? A sleek car and a large house?
Cocktails on a beach? No alarm clocks on your bedside table? Personally, I’d
take that last one over anything else in a jiffy!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But
the point is, most of us don’t know the answer to that question. But how can
you find something when you don’t know what it is you’re looking for?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We
know we need to study hard and work smart in order to be successful. But what
happens when we finally find that success? How would we even know if we’ve
found it, when we don’t know what it looks like?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Or
is it that there is no finish line after all, and success is always just a
little more than whatever you happen to have right now?</span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Schools
and colleges do an excellent job of teaching us how to be productive
wealth-creators. Maybe because productivity and the resultant money are the
only measures of success we really understand, because they are the most easily
measured. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">On
Prioritizing Well-being</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">After
twenty-plus years of education, most of us know how to go about getting a job.
What we often don’t know – are never taught – is how to manage our own
emotions, our relationships, or even our day-to-day lives. Why? Cause no one
thought those were subjects worth teaching in a forty-minute class.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Parents
will pay huge amounts of money to hire private tutors who’ll teach their kids
about set theory and the history of medieval Europe. But many of them wouldn’t
spend a dime to teach the child about mental health, self-care, or relationship
building.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This
is not to say, of course, that Pythagoras' theorem and Napoleon’s battle
at Waterloo are unimportant or should not be taught at school. But that
knowledge is only useful when it builds upon a foundation of intellectual
clarity, emotional stability, and effective self-management skills.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Because
to be successful, you have to first understand what success means to you, how
to go about getting it, and how that journey will be affected by your
personality, circumstances, and relationships.</span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Neither
Pythagoras nor Napoleon will come to your rescue if you reach the end of this
arduous journey only to realize – too late – that the destination isn’t all
that it was cracked up to be.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-25580837350388100472019-03-20T14:42:00.000-07:002019-04-04T02:58:25.746-07:00Poetry: Populist Prejudice – Politics in the Land of Automation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdS30MH0LjMHoImHp1siTIx8DCLBHvpVSRLYIX6rB5-g-9Qw3iq94pgVPkMijvsPAuUMXcLODAwU0zPRNbVV193DNgVa0C_5VtziEYQiDw6XLqZ8Smsx5J3indofTN9ncod0W1WmdWog/s1600/man-giving-speech-vector-1212222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="494" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdS30MH0LjMHoImHp1siTIx8DCLBHvpVSRLYIX6rB5-g-9Qw3iq94pgVPkMijvsPAuUMXcLODAwU0zPRNbVV193DNgVa0C_5VtziEYQiDw6XLqZ8Smsx5J3indofTN9ncod0W1WmdWog/s400/man-giving-speech-vector-1212222.jpg" width="292" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/man-giving-speech-vector-1212222" target="_blank">Image Source</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">What’s
an ideologue without an ideology?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
populist messiah of a jobless democracy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
man of the people rages against the corrupt elite,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We’ll
march against foreigners, ’cause we can’t lynch machines. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">They
hate us, we hate them, there’s not much else to do;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">When
the employment exchange closes shop, ’cause employers are too few.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
can’t offer jobs, but at least he’s found us a cause,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Policy
drowns in a sinking economy, sentiment swims on fiery applause.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A
dictator in the making, or a martyr for the cause,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sacrificing
immigrants on the altar of the automation gods.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Who
wants mechanical enemies, when you can have flesh and blood?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Brown
skin, blue eyes, all dying in the mud. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">First
they came for the factories, next they’ll come for the cars;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Universal
basic income, but your basic is my farce.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Newsmen
say the youth are rioting for their rights,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Might
a charismatic demagogue lead an army of Luddites? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Can
a dictator be elected, deception legalized?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If
robots serve at diners, can prejudice be enfranchised?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A
system fueled by the desperation of the masses<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If
there’re no jobs to be had, we’ll buy a war with our taxes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
</div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-55135663113169867462019-02-28T12:12:00.000-08:002019-02-28T12:28:50.288-08:00Poetry: Of Public Buses and Rainy Days<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTaveCFVG1RwzuJCwZhy6xfHNShyphenhyphenOWX1ce5gY2eeRurk1sSB-VPumDOoIB5ffuuf4efOM_3nlQI1AIslcRwhPj96u8xyplJPNWvZpVUx9DfZ0yrDAv1CjhOR_ls232KOpv3wqQcHe7QY/s1600/14metbus1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="494" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTaveCFVG1RwzuJCwZhy6xfHNShyphenhyphenOWX1ce5gY2eeRurk1sSB-VPumDOoIB5ffuuf4efOM_3nlQI1AIslcRwhPj96u8xyplJPNWvZpVUx9DfZ0yrDAv1CjhOR_ls232KOpv3wqQcHe7QY/s400/14metbus1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/letters-14-01-2014/cid/1288472" target="_blank">Image Source</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lightning
split the sky and thundered,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Electric
blue the gray clouds sundered;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
rickety minibus skidded on wet concrete,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Weaving
through rush-hour traffic on city streets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It
smelt like wet leather and misery,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Dripping
seats and handholds slippery;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
crowd converged as the tires screeched,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">They
pushed and they clawed till the door was reached.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
rain beat down on fatigue-bent shoulders,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
burnt out faces of overtaxed householders;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Boots
stepped on sandals and cheap heels broke,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
vehicle lurched forward, the engine belched smoke.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A
briefcase-wielding pensioner came running after,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Waved,
shrieked obscenities, bellowed at the conductor;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hanging
by the door, the young men laughed,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Time’s
up, they conveyed on the conductor’s behalf.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
yelled, he ran, he lunged for the door–<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
steps had been rained on, mud-slick the floor;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Fingers
found the handlebar, a boot touched the metal step,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A
single slip, lost footing, a tiny misstep.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Run
over, roadkill, accident case,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">All
that remained – bones jutting from mangled flesh;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Crimson
rainwater clogged the gutters,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Onlookers
gathered, heads bobbing, prayers muttered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
bus sped away, the next due in five,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
crowd will be ready when this one arrives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Some
flesh under wheels is the price we pay,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For
four walls, four meals, and a salary day.</span></div>
</div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-19296099156080250522019-02-22T12:35:00.004-08:002019-02-22T12:35:59.238-08:00Rainbow Poetry #1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-7021491656322027672019-02-17T12:52:00.001-08:002020-09-04T00:10:49.610-07:00Poetry: Bleeding Through the Year in Verse<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://fineartamerica.com/featured/heartbreak-april-brosemann.html" target="_blank">Image Source</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">It’s been a difficult year,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">You wrote me a song and
told me it’s over.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">It’s been a treacherous
year,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Every conversation’s been
feeling like a hostile takeover.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Having dinner on the
frontlines,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Sharing a drink across enemy
lines;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Across the dinner table I fire a
shot<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">The bullet ricochets, your
sigh an afterthought. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">An unforgiving year,
‘cause you won’t tell me what’s wrong;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">What to forgive and where
to start.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Won’t sing me a melody,
won’t write me a song,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">That doesn’t end with your
pen through my heart. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">The days bleed together,
‘cause you won’t answer my calls,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Won’t return fire, but
this ceasefire, cuts worse than our fiercest wars.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">They tell me to sing, but
I can’t hold a tune without your name on it;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Can’t envision a future,
and the past is still bleeding where we split. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">It’s been a terrifying
year, ‘cause I’m still jumping at the shadows,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Of your disappointment, the
discontent that you compose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">An inconceivable year,
‘cause God, this isn’t how we were meant to end;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">In bitterness and outrage,
to the warfront of silence condemned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">But maybe you’ll say
something, if I sing loud enough;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Maybe you’ll hold up a
shield if I fire another shot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">So I’ll smile and I’ll
croon and I’ll twirl, till I’ve come undone<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Brought you
down or choked on the melody you forgot.</span><span style="font-size: 15pt;"> </span></div>
</div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-52109276378669067802019-01-29T11:46:00.000-08:002019-01-29T23:09:28.688-08:00Fatigue, Failure, and Burnout: A Crash Course in Adulting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Burned out. That word pretty much summarizes my
state of mind right now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t even know why I feel this way, really. I
don’t have the most leisurely life on earth, but my life’s far from being
unmanageable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have a pretty stable job with a relaxed work
environment, and a reasonably supportive family to come home to. So why am I
feeling like a drowned rat?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Well, information overload should certainly shoulder
part of the blame. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Over the past year, I’ve been reading every book
and watching every video I could get my hands on, that had anything to do with
productivity, success, digital marketing, novel writing, or publishing. And
I’ve gotten some fantastic advice and bucketfuls of motivation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Plus, I’ve had more epiphanies than I can count in
these last few months. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Getting a Handle on Life is Hard Work<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I returned home after finishing university in May,
2017. And I could not be happier with the progress I’ve made since then. I feel
like a completely new person now, in terms of everything I’ve learned about writing,
storytelling, book-marketing, brand building, blogging, and self-publishing –
all this while holding down a full-time job and learning the ropes of corporate
life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So it’s not that I feel I haven’t learned or grown
enough. It’s just that I feel like, no matter what I do, no matter how far I
go, it will never <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">be</i> enough. I feel
as though I’m always running to catch up, and no matter the distance I cover,
the goal-post just keeps moving further and further away. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There’s no dearth of information on the Internet.
Hell, people have published entire step by step guides to success, about how
they achieved their goals and succeeded in their chosen profession; how they
built an audience online and started making a full-time living from their
writing. I can’t begin to express how grateful I am to have access to all these
resources at the click of a button.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Never-Ending To-Do List<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But that’s the thing, isn’t it? Because there’s so
much to do, you never feel like you’ve done enough. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If I write a thousand words a day, the next moment
I’ll read an article or watch a video by someone who regularly writes two
thousand words before breakfast. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If I start a blog, I’ll read an article about the
importance of an email list, and if I start an email list I’ll watch a video
about how the software I’m using is on its way out and really I should have
signed up for a different emailing software and used a pop-up on my blog to get
better conversion rates. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And after I’ve done all that, I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">still</i> can’t be sure if I’ve done
anything right. If any of it is going to work or if I missed out on some
essential element that will bring the whole thing crashing down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Uncertainty and the Fear of Failure<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are so many blueprints to success that they
all get jumbled up together until the whole structure looks like it’s gonna collapse
with a resounding bang any second now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Will something that worked in 2013 work as well in
2018? Or is blogging old now, and what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i>
matters is having a YouTube channel? Will <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that
</i>work? Does it matter? Can we ever know? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I suppose this blog post is my attempt at getting
some kind of catharsis. I’m talking to myself as much as I am to anyone who
might be reading this. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve never considered myself technologically
savvy. Nor have I ever believed that I had any particular talent in the realm
of marketing, or finance, or graphic design for that matter. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hell, a year ago I could hardly have a phone
conversation with a stranger without having a semi panic attack. Sometimes, I
still can’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fake It Till You Make It<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And yet, building an online business requires me
to do all of that, and then some. And not just to do these things, but to do
them well. To do them like an expert. And all the while writing two or more
books a year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Well, that’s what the online guides and tutorials
say, anyway.</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And it isn’t that I haven’t managed any of them. I
have, in fact, ticked off quite a few boxes on that list. The only problem is
that the list is ever expanding. So every time you tick off one box, four more
appear at the end of it, taunting you with the empty little space inside the
square. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The space where a tick should have been, if only
you were a little more hard-working, a little more diligent, a little more
committed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But commitment’s easier said than done, isn’t it? <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Especially when you’re not sure of the outcome of your
efforts. When you’re not sure what it’s all leading up to, or if it’s leading
up to anything at all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sometimes, I feel like that’s the worst part, the
uncertainty of it. To an extent, I guess this boils down to the education
system that we all grew up in. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Life Has No Annual Exams<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In school and college, you studied what was there
in the syllabus and you took a test based on that syllabus. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And you either passed or failed that test, there
was no third option. If you failed, you studied the same syllabus again and
took the same test once more, hoping for a better outcome this time. If you
passed, you went on to the next class, studied a new syllabus and then took a
test answering questions on that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The point isn’t about the quality of the syllabus,
it’s about the certainty of outcome. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For the first 15-20 years of our lives, we have
very little experience with uncertainty. You’re on a ladder and you always know
where the next step is, and what you have to do to get on it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You know the syllabus that you have to cover when
studying, the day on which you have to take the test, and the marks that you
have to score in order to pass. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And I’m not saying any of that is easy. All I’m
saying is that it is what it is. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are only two options: either you pass or you
fail. If you fail, you study the same material all over again and try to do
better next time. If you pass, you go up to the next class and prepare for the
next examination. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But no matter what, there always IS another class
to get to, another test to study for. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You may like it or you may hate it, but you’re
never at a loss for what to do next. You’re never confused about whether or not
you’re on the right path, because for those 15 years (barring very few
exceptions) there <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is </i>only one path.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Am I Wasting the Best Years of My Life?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So you don’t have to worry about whether or not
you’re wasting all this time (and maybe even money) chasing an impossible
dream. Whether or not there’s something better you could be (or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should </i>be) doing with your time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Whether or not any of it will be worth it in the
end. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And of course, there’s no way to know any of that.
Uncertainty is the only constant in life, and it’s pretty much the only thing
we’re never taught to contend with during our formative years.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And I wonder sometimes if that’s part of the
reason why we’re so afraid to follow our dreams, to work on our passions. Why
it’s so much easier – at least in the short term – to do what everyone tells us
to do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To get the degree your parents want you to get and
take the highest paying job you can get your hands on during campus placements.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Why Dreaming is Scary </span></b><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I mean, that degree and that job mightn’t bring us
happiness, but they are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">safe</i>. And I
don’t mean financial safety, though that is a part of it. What I mean is
emotional safety, which is as important, if not more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Because you see, if we fail at a job we never
truly wanted or liked in the first place, well, we can blame it on
circumstance. Family issues, inflation, shrinking job market, excess
competition. Take your pick.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But if we fail at our passion? At the one thing
we’ve always wanted to do? Now that’s scary, because then, we’ve <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">truly</i> failed. Then, we can no longer be
the victims of circumstance. Then we’re the captain of our own ship. And if
that ship sinks? Well, we’re going down with it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Or it feels like that, anyway. And that’s scary as
hell.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Drawbacks of Captaining Your Dream Boat</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Setting a goal, by definition, means defining the
criterion for failure. When we say what we want, we simultaneously make a
statement, whether knowingly or otherwise, about what we <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">don’t </i>want. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To then not get the thing we’re aiming for is
failure. And failure is never more painful than when it’s associated with the
one thing we want more than anything else; our passion, our dream.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s much safer to leave our dreams in the realm
of eternal potential. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Much more comforting to say I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">want</i> to be a writer, than to say I’ve written 64,000 words for the
manuscript I’m about to trash, because I don’t know where to go from here. To
say that I’ve written three full manuscripts that’ve all been uniformly
rejected by every agent and publisher. To say I self-published a book that
didn’t sell twenty copies because I didn’t know the first thing about
marketing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Because you can’t fail at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">wanting</i> to be a writer. But you can very much fail at finishing a
good manuscript, getting picked by an agent, and making sales on Amazon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dealing with Success and Failure<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So when we try any of those things, we’re defining
criterion for failure. We’re telling everyone – and more importantly, ourselves
– that this is what I’m trying to get. And if I don’t get it? Well, then I’ve
failed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And that’s terrifying. So terrifying, it can
paralyze us. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Especially when we’re not used to dealing with
uncertainty, with the sting of failure, the possibility of getting knocked
down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And when you’ve grown up seeing the world in
binaries – through the lens of pass or fail – it can be hard to see that you
can be getting closer to your goal even as you fail. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It can be hard to see that writing an unfinished
bad novel is a necessary stepping stone to completing a good one. That
publishing a book that doesn’t sell is essential for learning how to publish
one that does. That getting rejected by publishers is the only way you’ll ever
learn how to write, publish, and market a book all on your own, before starting
to write the next one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When you’re used to studying from a syllabus, the
endless possibilities of life can come as a damn rude shock. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I mean, what do you do when you can literally do
anything? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There Can Be Such a Thing as Too Many Choices</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Do you focus on the corporate job, or try to get a
traditional publishing deal, or try your luck in the confusing maelstrom of the
indie-publishing world? Or some disconcerting, burnout-inducing, combination of
all the above? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That’s the dilemma. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And that’s the one thing the
study-the-syllabus-and-take-the-exam system doesn’t teach us. How to deal with
dilemmas. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As I write this today, I’m sleep deprived and have
ache-y arms from hanging off the grab-handles of an overcrowded bus for more
than an hour on my way back from work. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At the end of a hectic day, did I want to sit down
and write this post? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hell no. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Was there something more interesting I could’ve
been doing? Hello, Netflix! Was there something more lucrative? Hey there,
freelance writing!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There’re no more tests to pass, so every moment is
a test. Every decision you make will add or subtract a point from your final
marksheet. And there is no syllabus to tell you which parts of the book of life
you need to memorize to pass this exam. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Perks of Indecision<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Should you do the thing that you want to do, but
which doesn’t pay well? Or the thing that you don’t particularly want to do but
will add to your bank account? Or is doing anything at all a waste of time in a
meaningless universe wherein the only truth is Netflix? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Honestly, right now, I’m leaning heavily toward
that last option.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You know, I would’ve liked to have ended this post
with a solution, a nice concluding paragraph wrapping everything up and laying
out the answers to the questions I’ve brought up throughout this article. Anybody
who knows me knows how much I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hate</i>
cliffhangers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But the thing is, I don’t <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">know</i> what the answer is to any of this stuff. What’s more, I don’t
even know if I’ll ever find out. Most probably not. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But that’s okay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On this test, I’m giving myself the freedom to
fail.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-54178477069204873322018-12-16T01:45:00.000-08:002018-12-16T01:45:04.446-08:00An Excess of Romance: Why We Need More Focus on Platonic Relationships in Fiction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="1200" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZwFiVXGrvJVwo6fsWoiRDEDIONU1GVWBdlUYsuZy-rHeFiynx639E6bqpvIt0Sbw9lj3LvAB1PEQlFZwZ1jgaACaqsfLCzXT2rx1Cf9aIF4_scYlGDuYJJzvSN8nqdaNIzLZEYG7d5xw/s640/Holmes-Watson-illustration.jpg" width="640" /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lithub.com/how-sherlock-holmes-got-his-name/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Image Source)</span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;">Romance. I don’t think
there’s much that I can say about it that hasn’t been said already.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Stories, poems, blogs and
books about romance are hardly in short supply. Anything you want to know about
the subject (and much that you don’t), somebody has already written about
somewhere. So, you might ask, why am I writing ANOTHER blog post about romance?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Well, the answer to that
question is that I’m not. In fact, I’m writing something that’s the exact
opposite.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Heh. I suppose that’s not
entirely true either. I have nothing against romance in the real world. Not
that I have any experience in it to present you with an informed opinion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Today, we’re talking about
fictional romance. About the ubiquity, the nigh omnipresence of romance in
popular fiction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Well, I suppose movies are
more guilty of this than novels, but only marginally. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Romance – It’s EVERYWHERE!!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Let’s get something out of
the way from the get-go. I’m not against a well written romantic novel, or a
funny and engaging rom-com for that matter. That’s not what I’m talking about. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">I’m talking about the fact
that creators seem to feel the need to shoehorn in random bits of romantic
subplot into stories that otherwise have absolutely nothing to do with romance.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">I mean you could simply
remove the romance – rip it clean out of the narrative – and nothing would
change. It wouldn’t impact the story in any way whatsoever. Want an example?
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. Many hard-boiled crime/detective fiction has
this problem of undeveloped and unnecessary romantic subplots being shoehorned
in, so it’s not like I’m picking on Dan Brown here. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Angels and Demons is just the
most recent novel I’ve read where I encountered this problem. Another one that
comes to mind is </span><a href="http://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/Scott-Lynch/The-Lies-of-Locke-Lamora.html" target="_blank"><span style="background: white;">The Lies of Locke Lamora</span></a><span style="background: white;"> by Scott Lynch. Why did Locke need to be obsessed
with some random woman who never makes an appearance on the page and has no
role to play in the story? Who knows? It’s not as if we could have a hero
without a love interest (horror of horrors)!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><a href="http://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2011/11/review-of-theft-of-swords-by-michael-j-sullivan/" target="_blank">Theft of Swords</a></span><span style="background: white;"> by Michael J. Sullivan was probably my favorite book of 2018, and even
that suffered from this shoehorning problem. Royce – one of the two
protagonists – has a girlfriend who is also a badass prostitute and is
mentioned all of five times in the first two books. Why did she need to exist?
Well, I’m still waiting to find out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">It’s not even that I dislike
romantic subplots. In fact, they can be very well done in some stories. Think
Peter and El’s relationship in White Collar and compare it to the non-existent
chemistry between Aragorn and Arwen in the Lord of the Rings movies. Sigh. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">So why do creators – be they
novelists or showrunners or moviemakers – feel the need to insert incongruent
romantic subplots into their stories, regardless of whether or not it makes any
sense?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Everybody loves romance! Or do they???</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">One reason could be that
romance is universally relatable, so it increases the potential target audience
of the story. I mean, you may not be a big fan of classic medieval fantasy but might
still watch the LoTR movies because of Arwen and Aragorn and their
relationship. Well, that’s the theory anyway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">The problem is, though, that
this doesn’t really work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">I mean, it’s not as if
there’s any shortage of good romantic fiction out there. There are thousands
upon thousands of excellent (and some not-so-excellent) romantic novels and
movies; created by people who are genuinely interested in the subject and enjoy
writing about it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">So why would a reader who is
genuinely interested in the romantic aspect of the story, forgo all of that
great literature to read a half-assed attempt at romance inserted into a
storyline that would not just have survived, but thrived without it? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Nobody reads Dan Brown for the romance. Angels and Demons would have
done just as well had Vittoria Vetra been Langdon’s long-lost sister. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Which is not to say, of
course, that writers and storytellers should not portray romantic relationships
in their stories unless it serves some kind of a crucial plot related purpose. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Romance is a part of life for
most people, and a character can have a love interest even if the love interest
doesn’t really add anything to the story, just like they can have a mother,
father, brother, or pet dog that doesn’t add much to the story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">The problem arises when it
becomes almost a cardinal rule of storytelling that the main character MUST
have a love interest, regardless of what else the story is about. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A Single-Minded Focus<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">I’m not saying there aren’t
stories with absolutely no romance in them. Of course, all rules have
exceptions. But it’s hard to find a popular piece of fiction, written in recent
times, where the main character doesn’t have a love interest of some sort.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">If </span></i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercule_Poirot" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Poirot</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> had been created in the 2010s, you
can be damn sure he would have had a long-lost girlfriend (or boyfriend) tucked
in there somewhere!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">And that wouldn’t be a
problem if this exclusive focus on romantic couplings hadn’t sidelined all
other types of relationships. Platonic relationships, even those as fundamental
as parent-child or sibling relationships, are often overlooked and glossed over
in favor of devoting page-time to a romance that may or may not add anything to
the story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The Sidelining of Platonic Relationships </span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Of course, there are
exceptions to this too. Supernatural, one of the most popular (and long
running) TV shows of recent times, is all about the relationship between two
brothers, their trials, tribulations and triumphs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But that is definitely more an exception than a rule. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Even with the recent rise in
the popularity of on-screen ‘bromances’, far fewer shows, films or books focus
heavily on platonic relationship dynamics at the cost of romantic ones.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Nowhere is this more apparent
than in BBC’s Sherlock, where a canonically </span><a href="https://anagnori.tumblr.com/post/70661417641/sherlock-holmes-as-an-asexual-character" target="_blank"><span style="background: white;">aromantic</span></a><span style="background: white;">
character such as Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes was romantically
‘shipped’ with multiple characters by the showrunners throughout the four
seasons of the show. The same can be said for Elementary, Sherlock’s American
counterpart. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">It got to the point where
even Mycroft, Sherlock’s nigh-omniscient and borderline robotic older brother,
wasn’t spared the shipping treatment in the final few episodes of the BBC show.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The Increasing Diversity in Fictional Romance<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Of course, one must give
credit where credit is due. And while romance is everywhere, at least it’s now
far less monochromatic and homogenous than it was before. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">While it’s still not very
common, it wouldn’t be absolutely shocking and unimaginable to see (or read
about) a lead character in a same-sex relationship of the romantic variety.
Case in point, one of the characters that BBC’s eponymous Sherlock was
relentlessly ‘shipped’ with, by both the showrunners and the fans, was Dr. John
Watson, his best friend and companion from the original novels and short
stories. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Which again, brings us neatly around to the point about the glossing
over of platonic relationships in favor of romantic ones. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Perhaps the fact that I am
aromantic has something to do with my fatigue with the oversaturation of
romance in fiction. It certainly does have a role to play, in all probability. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">But mostly, I’m tired of
seeing the same old tropes reused over and over again by people who very
obviously don’t even care about the tropes themselves, and are only adding them
in because they somehow feel like they have to. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">There are romantic subplots
that I still enjoy, but they’re few and far between. Six of Crows by Leigh
Bardugo is a good example of a story that properly integrates the romance with
the plot without making it feel contrived. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">But you know what I’d <span style="text-transform: uppercase;">really</span> like at this point? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A Break from the Constant Barrage</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">A main character who doesn’t
give a flying fuck about getting the girl (or the guy), and has, you know,
goals and aims that do not revolve around the desire to stick their tongue down
somebody else’s throat. That’d be a nice change of pace, wouldn’t it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">It’s not even that they have
to be aromantic or asexual or anything like that (though a little
representation here and there wouldn’t be totally unwelcome). But that isn’t
the point. At least not for me, and not at this moment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The point is to explore relationships that don’t necessarily end with
the participants getting into each other’s pants. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Not as viscerally satisfying,
perhaps, but certainly quite emotionally rewarding when done well. Theft of
Swords got this right with the relationship between friends and
partners-in-crime, Royce and Hadrian. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">I haven’t finished the series
yet, but I would pay to see Brent Weeks spend more page-time developing the
relationship between Kip and his father/uncle Gavin, rather than the tired old
bodyguard romance between Gavin and Karris. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">And dear Lord and Terry
Pratchett, could we have a sequel to Good Omens? Pretty please?!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">My Own Struggles with Romantic Subplots<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">And it’s not that I haven’t
tried writing romance myself. Believe me, I have! But for me personally, it
always felt like being on the outside looking in. And not with a clear enough
view to do justice to the genre or bring much by way of authenticity to the
table.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">So when I started writing my
second novel, I decided to forgo any romantic subplots. Which wasn’t an easy
decision at the time; not with the market flooded with romance-laden fiction in
every genre. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">For a time, I genuinely believed that nobody might want to read a book
with no romance in it.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">But that’s the thing, isn’t
it? There are already plenty of books with plenty of romance in them. And
better written romance than anything I could hope to produce. So why would a
romance enthusiast come my way to satisfy their cravings for literary liaisons
anyway? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">And maybe I didn’t need
everyone under the sun to like my stories. Maybe, all I needed was to be true
to myself, and by extension, to maybe be true to the people who agree with me
about this particular topic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Authenticity versus Popularity<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">I mean, surely I can’t be the
only person who’s been dying to read about a solid friendship surrounded by all
the magic, mayhem and badassery that the mind can handle! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Surely, there are other
people out there who find the development and growth of an interesting platonic
relationship as engaging as that of a romantic one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And if not? Well, at least I would have written a </span></i><a href="http://nupurink.blogspot.com/2018/09/on-writing-novel-ive-always-wanted-to.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">novel that I wanted to read</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Which is not to say that I
will never write about romantic relationships, of course. Just that I wouldn’t
do so just to tick a box by inserting a cliché love story into a novel that
doesn’t need it, and isn’t enriched by it in any way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">And if that means I’m not
casting as wide a net as I could have for my projects? Well, at least I’d be
casting a more authentic one, and hopefully a more interesting one as well! </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And if at some point in the future, I feel like there’s a
romantic story that I just HAVE to tell? Oh well, blog posts can always be
edited, can they not?</div>
</div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-74355579785780327722018-12-08T11:52:00.000-08:002019-02-14T08:25:03.863-08:00Of Shitty Bosses and Long Commutes – Busting the Myth of a Perfect Career<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVoa5wlpXPKEf61cCcmAs18p3zDIqU9gOmpe8Qczw9fMIH9xqdP2AazY2hEn0f0k5VdYXYLweYW2hb_B13A766AgoraeLgeYmmBxrBo6JB6gbo7tHQL8I80IzBkHjbsMHsuJNdYavmuY/s1600/JOB+BLOG+PICTURE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVoa5wlpXPKEf61cCcmAs18p3zDIqU9gOmpe8Qczw9fMIH9xqdP2AazY2hEn0f0k5VdYXYLweYW2hb_B13A766AgoraeLgeYmmBxrBo6JB6gbo7tHQL8I80IzBkHjbsMHsuJNdYavmuY/s400/JOB+BLOG+PICTURE.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Life is
what happens to us while we’re busy making other plans.</span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And it isn’t just ourselves for whom we make plans, either.
We make them for others too. And no one does this more than parents.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mine certainly did. Good school – better college – elite
university – high end job. That was the plan.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And if you cribbed about any of the steps in the process? If
you didn’t like the curriculum at school or hated the professors at college? Well,
you see, there’s a reason for all the pain you’re going through now, all the
seemingly pointless stress and hardship.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Myth of the
Perfect Job<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And that reason – the end goal of all this struggle and strife
– is, of course, a GOOD job. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That was supposed to be the ultimate deliverance. Get a good
job and your life is set. You’ll never face another problem again. Study as
hard as you can now, sacrifice fun and frivolity, so that you can lead the good
life and fulfill all your dreams after you have reached that Promised Land – <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The hallowed realm of a 9-5 office job with security,
insurance, and maybe even a provident fund! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And somehow, I fell for this fairy tale hook, line, and
sinker. Perhaps I was naïve, but I certainly wasn’t alone. Most of my friends
believed it too. Believed that everything they didn’t or couldn’t have now,
they’d get once they reached the Promised Land of Gainful Employment. That all
the sacrifices made now, all the missed parties and cancelled dates, will pay
off once they had that GOOD job.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And then we
got the jobs.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And sheesh! What a bloody disappointment. Was this supposed
to be the perfect job, the perfect career, and the perfect life that made all
of those sleepless nights and endless tests worth it? Was this what I was
supposed to do for the next 40-odd years? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This
</i>was the sacred goal we’d all been striving for over the last two decades?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
‘Cause it didn’t feel like freedom. It certainly didn’t feel
like any kind of a reward. On the contrary, I felt more shackled and stressed
and frantic than I ever had before.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">A Brief Sojourn Into
the Past <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Okay, so let’s back up a bit. How did we get here?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I got my post-graduate degree in Journalism and, through the
placement drive at our college, got placed at a renowned digital media company
in another city. However, I eventually ended up not taking that job, mostly
because I didn’t think I’d be able to get any writing done while adjusting to a
new city and a new job. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, that’s not to say that it can’t be done, just
that I didn’t feel I could do it at that point in my life. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I returned home, and within a month, found a job at the
regional branch of a national newspaper. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>And landed straight into a toxic work environment with a
bullying gas-lighter of a boss. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Had this happened today, I would have known exactly what was
happening and walked out of the place within the first week. But I was young,
inexperienced, confused and scared half to death. I was surrounded by people
who kept telling me just how hard it was to get a job, how competitive the
market was, what the rate of unemployment in the country was, and how terrible
an idea it was to leave a relatively good job with decent opportunity for
growth.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then, one day I realized that I couldn’t imagine going
back to that office without wanting to hurl myself over a cliff. And so, to the
shock and apprehension of friends and family alike, I quit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I then took a three month break to get an operation I had
been putting off for over a year and write the first draft of my second novel.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once that first draft was complete, I began job hunting again.
The best offer (or at least the one that seemed to be) came from a pretty big
company whose office was located almost two hours away from my home. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had never had a long commute before, so I guess I
underestimated the toll it took on you. Anyway, after I started the job, it
turned out that the company had hired a bunch of people and done a bait and
switch on them. We had been hired for the job of content writing, but what we
were essentially doing was data entry. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Again, it was a confusing and frustrating situation. HR kept
trying to mislead us and as most of the recruits were freshers and new to the
job market, none of them really knew how to respond to the situation in a way
that wouldn’t be counterproductive. We were also all scared to death and intimidated
by our seniors. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So basically, I ended up traveling four hours a day for a
9-hour shift, six days a week, doing work that bored me to tears. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also felt twice the amount of pressure, as I had already
left one job because of a bad work environment. Was I really going to leave
another one because I didn’t like the work?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I did. Within two weeks of joining.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Job Hopping – The
Spice of Life<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I then took a third job (with a massive pay cut, because I
was desperate) very close to my home. This company was pretty much a content
mill with a tiny office that made us write 5k words of regurgitated articles a
day, every day. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But hell, at least I was writing. And the fact that the
office was a 30 minute walk from my home also saved me a ton of time that I
could then use to work on my own projects. I also had one of my closest friends
from college as a colleague, which made it a pleasure to go to work every day.
There was at least one thing in the office that I was always looking forward
to!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This continued for six months, by which point I’d gotten
quite good at the job and quite bored of being underpaid and overworked day in
and day out. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Thus began
my fourth job hunt in just over a year. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I was more careful this time! I’d learned from my
mistakes, and I was in no hurry to get a new job, as I already had one that I
didn’t actively hate. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I carefully researched every single company that I applied
to and ensured that they all met my criteria – no long commutes and no six-day
work weeks. And of course, no toxic work environment.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I finally found a company that seemed to meet most of these
demands halfway. It was an hour’s bus ride away from my home, it had every
other Saturday off, the people seemed nice, and the pay wasn’t shabby either.
It was certainly the best offer I’d gotten so far.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I took it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then freaked the hell out over the one month when I was
serving my notice period. My current company was not an ideal place to work by
any stretch of the imagination. But it definitely had its perks. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had friends at the office, the work environment was
reasonably good, and it was a short walk away from my house. I was good at the
work I was doing and knew that I was a valued member of the team. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And I was leaving all that behind for a place that I knew
nothing about. Sure, I’d done my homework and read Glassdoor reviews. But that
was hardly fool proof evidence of anything. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For all I knew, I’d probably end up back in a toxic culture
with a psycho boss doing data entry.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So when my (former) boss asked me to reconsider my decision
a week before the last day of my notice period, I was in a real dilemma. Of
course, I wanted a better job. But what’s to say that the next job <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">would be </i>any better? What’s to say it
wouldn’t be worse? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As you can probably tell, to say that my experiences in the
job market had scarred me would be an understatement.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">A Leap of Faith<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the end though, I did stick to my decision and make the
transition. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was scary as all hell, and I was pretty much jumping at
shadows my first week at the new office, waiting for the other shoe to drop and
everything to blow up in my face. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It didn’t, though. Everything was nice and civilized and
just as it had seemed from the outside. Nobody bullied me, called me names, or
asked me to do anything I wasn’t meant to be doing. Nor was I expected to write
5k words a day, every day. Thank heaven for that! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was even a coffee machine with an unlimited supply of
free coffee! Three cheers for my budding caffeine addiction. Yay!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I could scarcely believe my luck! I felt like I’d reached
heaven. Sure, it wasn’t the Promised Land we’d all dreamed of in musty
classrooms with cranky teachers. It certainly didn’t solve all my problems or
make the trials and tribulations of high school feel worth it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But it was something even better. It was a real place where
I was really happy, where I felt like I belonged. Well, most of the time
anyway. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Reality We Never
Talk About<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So you might be wondering why I’m telling you all this. The
purpose of this article isn’t to give you the abridged edition of my life
story.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m writing this because I think that someone needs to say
this out loud. Hell, I wish someone had told me all of this when my life was spiraling
into chaos. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A job is NOT your life’s purpose. It is NOT your identity.
It is in fact nothing more than a means to an end; the end being a reasonably
comfortable lifestyle. And it’s certainly not the ONLY means to that end. There
are plenty of others.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t know why we’ve created this ridiculous hype around
jobs. I didn’t even notice it was there until I was torn (quite rudely) out of
it by circumstances. We’re essentially telling students that the purpose of
their education, their <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">life, </i>is to
get the highest package at the most renowned company. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like really? <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Is that
how sad a place the world is, that sitting in a cubicle nine hours a day is
literally the most exciting and fulfilling thing we can think of?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not saying that having a good job isn’t important, of
course. It’s terribly important. And if you can manage to find a job that
brings you prestige, happiness, money, and fulfilment, you’ve quite literally
hit the jackpot! Enjoy it!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But that’s the point. Such jobs are an (extreme) rarity.
Most jobs are vaguely boring and repetitive at best, mind-numbingly stressful
and exhausting at worst. Add to that the issues of commute, work environment,
stress tolerance, long hours, and matching the right job with the right person,
and it’s quite improbable that you’ll manage to find that one perfect job that
can transform your miserable life into an overnight success story.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not saying we shouldn’t have jobs. I’m just saying that
we should have more realistic expectations about what employment actually
entails. Having a job is not some magical gateway into the land of freedom and
extravagance. It’s just an exchange of time and labor for money. And nobody
ever pays you for having a good time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Giving children a realistic idea of what jobs entail,
instead of perpetuating the ridiculous idea that all problems will be solved
and all your hard work rewarded as soon as you land that one perfect job, will
actually help prepare them better for the job market and make them better
employees. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Let’s Just Tell the
Goddamn Truth<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Getting a job may solve some problems, chiefly financial,
but it brings a host of new ones. Lack of time, too much stress, fraying
relationships, and chronic exhaustion, just to name a few. We need to help
students prepare to deal with these potential problems before they start
working, instead of hand-waving them with meaningless fairytales until they
land face first into disillusioned bafflement. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I felt compelled to write this post because I saw so many of
my peers confused and stressed out by the realities of corporate life once they
started working. I started work a year before most of my classmates, so I
already had some experience by the time they started entering the workforce
earlier this year. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And boy was it a throwback to the good old days of corporate
newbie-dom! The confusion, the stress, the feelings of inadequacy and
disappointment. The miserable realization that this was going to continue for
the next 40 years. If I never have to feel those feelings again in my life, it
would be a lifetime too soon! A little bit of warning wouldn’t have gone amiss,
teachers and parents!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">It’s Okay to be the Ugly
Corporate Duckling<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I guess what I’m trying to say is this. If you don’t love
your job, that’s okay. Most people don’t. There’s nothing wrong with you for
not being ecstatic at the prospect of spending nine hours a day, six days a
week, sitting in a chair doing some repetitive task hour after hour, day after
day. There’s nothing wrong with not wanting to wake up at the crack of dawn and
endure hour-long rides in overcrowded buses. That’s drudgery, and while it may
well be an essential part of life, we shouldn’t be so afraid of calling it
exactly what it is. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And if you
hate your job? Get out. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But don’t jump from the frying pan only to land into the
fire (or at least try not to, shit happens sometimes). Ask yourself what makes
your present situation so terrible for you personally; not everybody is
bothered by the same problems. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You might be going out of your mind from the monotony of a
job that someone else finds quite interesting. You might hate a work culture
that a different type of person would love. So decide on the things that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i> want (and don’t want) and then look
for a job that can meet most, if not all, of those criteria. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Know What You Want<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For me personally, I wanted a job that would involve writing
and that would leave me with enough time and energy to work on my own projects.
So that’s what I looked for (and finally got, the fourth time around). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Someone else might want more excitement, or quick growth, or
even a prettier office. Those are all valid desires, but you can’t get what you
want if you don’t even know what it is. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You don’t have to go
for the biggest company or the highest package just because those are popular
priorities. </b>And you certainly don’t need to stay with a bad employer just
because there’s too much competition in the job market. There will never be
enough jobs in the market if you don’t start looking.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">And Don’t Fall For
the Hype<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In conclusion? Jobs are hard and tiring and time consuming.
They can also be boring and toxic and stressful. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So don’t blame yourself for not fitting the popular image of
a smart, smiling, and snappily dressed corporate employee. Because that’s all
it really is – an image.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And not a very realistic one at that! <o:p></o:p></div>
<br /></div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-2017500811170851922018-11-10T11:30:00.003-08:002018-11-10T11:31:40.125-08:00Human + X: Creating Believable Aliens in Fiction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="770" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81M-Xcw3nfISCzCqJgHlDnf1Ve-K5TwYYwttMhlqlSuJYJg8LUy_ndKEK7cyt5ukPJWXI0_yPYlWvvf8s7gFdSXamkZbxAlFWQC7PLHLUssU77i3XS1f1z6hNxc6Rg-oilLQQ1BnAamw/s400/3587625-LZFJGDJV-7.jpg" width="371" /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-ALIEN/49693/4176435/view" target="_blank">(source image)</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">So
today I want to talk about aliens. More accurately, I want to talk about a
subset of aliens.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">The
fictional variety.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">The
type of aliens that appear on the pages of science fiction novels, and in the
episodes of space operas. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">If
real aliens exist, Hola to them too! Hope we see you guys soon. But for now,
I’m gonna limit myself to the aliens created for our entertainment. AKA book
and movie aliens. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">In
fact, now that I think about it, the points I’m about to discuss can apply to
any non-human, sentient species. They don’t necessarily need to be alien, as in
inhabitants of another planet. Earthly beings such as elves, dwarves, vampires,
and were-animals of all sorts also qualify – although these are more likely to
appear in fantasy than sci-fi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">The
point is, the thingy needs to be not human, and self-aware enough to realize
that it is not, and what that entails. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What Measure is an Alien?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">The
thing that first got me thinking about aliens was the need to create versions
of them for my own stories. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">You
see, one thing that had always bothered me about fictional aliens was just
how…human they seemed. Aliens in fantasy and sci-fi seemed to me to just be
humans, plus something extra.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">For
example, Vulcans are humans plus excessive logic and pointy ears. Elves are
pretty and wise humans. Dwarves are short and mechanically inclined humans.
Werewolves are humans with sharpened senses and (sometimes) heightened
aggression. You get my point. What was so <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">alien</i>
about these aliens anyway??<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Points of Difference<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">The
problem I often seemed to encounter in fantasy and sci-fi alike was that the
results of these differences were never discussed. For example, how would a
race that lives for thousands of years view time? I mean, if an elven species
lives for thousands of years, why would they even feel the need to go to war
with humans? It’s like humans going to war with goldfish. What’s the point? The
humans would die of old age by the time the elves have decided on the type of
arrow to use. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">Similarly,
would a species that never dies consider murder a crime? If yes, then why? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">How
would a race that is overly dedicated to logic design clothing? Would their
perception of beauty also be influenced by their preoccupation with logic, so
that they see the most logical attire as the most beautiful one in the given
climate? Would they even understand the concept of subjective attractiveness? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">These
are just some of the questions about aliens that have haunted me for quite a
few years now. This affliction was only made worse when I started
world-building for my own novel. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My Own Personal Alien!!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">For
my novel, I’d created an angel-like race called Aeriels that were essentially
peaceful by nature, but had been driven – through a series of events – into a
destructive war with humanity. The question then was, why were they fighting if
they were so peaceful? But more importantly, why <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">were</i> they peaceful in the first place?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">This
question was easily answered by the fact that the Aeriels did not need food or
water, they sustained themselves with sunlight. And they came from a world
where the sun literally never set. So the <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Flight-Broken-Wings-Aeriel-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B07GLMTMG3/" target="_blank">Aeriels</a> had never learned to fight
because they had never needed to compete for scarce resources. It’s like if
humans could survive simply by breathing air. This, of course, led to all kinds
of confusion on their part when they realized the humans wanted to settle
scores with a good old fashioned war! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some Examples of Awesome Aliens in Fiction<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">And
this is not to say that none of these questions were ever satisfactorily answered
in the world of mainstream science fiction or fantasy. I once read a novel
about a hive-mind species that didn’t mind if individual members of their race
were killed, because to them each individual is just an extension of the
planet-wide hive-mind. I mean you wouldn’t really care if somebody cut off a
bit of your hair (even without your permission). Sure, you might be annoyed
with them, even temporarily angry, but you wouldn’t want to send them to prison
over it. That was pretty much how this species viewed the murder of its members…like
cutting off bits of hair!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">I
also really liked the explanation given in a very popular vampire novel, for a
family of vampires having a lot of money. You see, they invested in the stock
market. And because they live forever, they’re basically reaping the benefits
of centuries’ worth of compound interest. I thought that was quite a brilliant
piece of detail. I mean, the only thing hotter than rich vampires is rich
vampires who’re savvy investors, amiright?!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">The
thing with alienness, of course, is that there are different varieties of it.
What is it that makes an alien, alien? Therein lies the question. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Various Types of Alienness<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">Of
course, there’s the obvious. Those who are physically alien. If a spaceship
lands on your backyard, and a creature emerges from it that has five heads and
three pairs of wings, you can be reasonably sure that it is an alien. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">Then
there is psychological alienness, which is slightly more subtle. A creature
that does not consider lying a problem because it can read people’s minds. Or,
like I said above, a creature that doesn’t think murder is wrong because it
cannot die. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">The
thing about depicting profound psychological differences is that they would also
lead to differences in motivation and goals. Much of what humans do (working,
socializing, etc.) is at a fundamental level geared towards survival. The
survival of the individual and his tribe. So how would a species behave that is
not motivated by the need to survive, because it cannot die?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">Psychological
differences can also arise from physical differences. To take the example
above, would a creature with five heads be more intelligent, or would it have
multiple personalities? If it has a brain inside each of those heads, would
those brains always work in tandem with one another, or might they sometimes be
in conflict? Would a hive-mind be capable of understanding the value of an
individual life?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">Finally,
there are cultural differences. Cultural differences are a culmination of both
physical and psychological differences. Cultures are created by the individuals
of a species. For instance, humans have a culture that considers stealing a
crime, because we value the concept of personal wealth. Would a being belonging
to a hive mind even comprehend the concept of stealing? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">On
the other hand, would a race that relies exclusively on logic, consider it illegal
to steal from someone who has something in excess, and would therefore not
really miss the thing that was stolen? I mean logically, if a person who earns
a hundred bucks a day were to steal another hundred from someone who earns a
thousand a day, then the theft would effectively double his income while only
making a small dent of 10% on the income of the person from whom the money was
stolen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">From
a purely logical point of view, might that not just be seen as efficient
allocation of resources? If it was, then might we have a culture of hyper
logical beings that actually encourage stealing as a form of income
redistribution for efficient resource allocation? Or would that responsibility
fall to the government in the form of tax collection? What might Vulcans have
to say about that idea?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">I
once watched a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrival_(film)" target="_blank">movie</a>
about aliens that could see the future. They also looked like octopuses and had
multiple legs/tentacles. They wrote in a circular script, where they began to
write from two ends with both hands at the same time. The sentence ended in a
perfect circle, with both hands meeting at exactly the same place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">Now
imagine trying to write one sentence with both hands at once, your left hand
starting at the beginning of the sentence and your right hand starting at the
end. You’d have to calculate to perfection, exactly how fast both of your hands
would write, how much space each letter in the sentence would require, and how
many words each of your hands will be able to write before it meets the other
one in the middle. Moreover, you will also have to know before you begin a
sentence exactly how you’re planning to end it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">When
you think about it, isn’t that language and script the natural consequence of a
culture that can look into the future, just as tools are the natural
consequence of a culture that has opposable thumbs? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Problem of Relating to Truly Alien Aliens<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">The
problem with writing truly alien aliens, of course, is that they’re not very
relatable. It’s one thing to have a morally grey protagonist, but how do you
deal with a morally orange love-interest? Black and white characters might well
be boring, but if the spectrum of your character’s morality starts at bright
pink and ends at fluorescent green, readers might have a bit of a hard time
trying to understand their motivations, much less relate to them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">And
I suppose that is one of the major reasons why writers and movie makers choose
to create aliens that are basically: Human + X. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">Because
they’re relatable, and it’s hard to get readers to care about a character who
is difficult to relate to on a fundamental level. Most people seek early on to
establish a connection with the characters that they are reading about (or
watching, for that matter). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">And
that connection is hard to come by when you’re trying to imagine a creature
that has access to the memories, thoughts, and experiences of every member of
its species that has ever been born – as would be the case for a hive mind. How
would a being like that think or act? And as a very human writer with a very
limited ambit of accumulated experience and knowledge, how can you even begin
to depict such a creature? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">How,
for that matter, can you accurately guess the emotional conflicts of an
immortal being, when you yourself are very mortal, as is everyone else you know?
Personally, I would think immortal vampires would struggle far more with
culture shock than any romantic angst. I mean, my grandmother can’t stop
talking about how different things were in ‘her time’, and she wasn’t even
alive a hundred years ago. Can you imagine how much worse it would be if you
lived for a thousand years?!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif";">Well,
those are just my ideas, anyway. You can, of course, think differently. Let me
know in the comments below what kind of aliens you’d like to see in science
fiction and fantasy!</span></div>
</div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-3015985695306799202018-10-14T02:12:00.000-07:002018-10-14T03:03:47.424-07:00Cultural Narratives: Building an Identity Upon Fairy Tales<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSPIc9TqkGqbj_AXyMTCyoh65oh52rpZB-J3VU33FlQu9Yh8v8RJZkm4qCN-s-RvxCPsOyBsHdJe__tfE-SWiZtQeb2ByyULX994EbqCFaEsY-YpTOOiuexeH8ZGHWFfAOhIW78bnfR0/s1600/Guy-Fawkes-We-Are-Everywhere-Propaganda-Art-Poster-Size-20-x-30-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="334" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSPIc9TqkGqbj_AXyMTCyoh65oh52rpZB-J3VU33FlQu9Yh8v8RJZkm4qCN-s-RvxCPsOyBsHdJe__tfE-SWiZtQeb2ByyULX994EbqCFaEsY-YpTOOiuexeH8ZGHWFfAOhIW78bnfR0/s400/Guy-Fawkes-We-Are-Everywhere-Propaganda-Art-Poster-Size-20-x-30-.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was a tiny article published on one of the inner pages of
the morning paper that first made me think about the idea of cultural
narratives, which came to be one of the major themes underlying my second
novel. The story was so inconsequential, I don’t even remember any of the
details anymore. And neither, I suspect, do the people who wrote it over two
years ago. Essentially, the piece talked about some kind of disagreement between
India and Pakistan in the UN. <i>(Surprise
surprise)!</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The details are irrelevant, since I’m not interested in
talking about who was right or wrong. Quite honestly, I don’t remember enough
about the incident to be able to make any sort of an objective judgment. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do remember quite distinctly, though, that the article
seemed to suggest (very strongly) that the Indian representatives at the UN had
garnered a significant amount of support for their cause and that India had
overall ‘won’ the dispute, whatever it had been about. This was never stated
outright in so many words, but the vibe of the article was definitely
celebratory.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Imagine my surprise, then, when a few hours later I came
across an article about the very same incident while reading one of the most
popular Pakistani newspapers on the Internet. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Plot twist!!<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The thing that fascinated me about the two versions of the
incident is that, as far as I remember, the facts listed were almost identical.
However, this article implied (very strongly, again) that it was in fact the
Pakistani side that had garnered the maximum support from the international
community.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Building a
Narrative<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I said, my purpose here is not to pass judgment on the
veracity (or lack thereof) of either version of the story. Truth is, it doesn’t
even matter. The two articles weren’t contradicting each other about the facts.
Stripped of the narrative direction and tone, the facts stated were almost
identical. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the narrative was very much there in both the pieces.
The subtle hints in the phrasing and the set-up of the story would have been
hard to miss for anyone over the age of fourteen. Which brings us to the most
important question of all. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">What is this elusive thing you call a narrative?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, for the purposes of this article, we’re going to be
talking about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cultural</i> narratives.
Cultural narratives aren’t good or bad. They just are. If you have a culture,
you can rest assured that it has a narrative, whether you know it or not.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By its very nature, a narrative is a story. But it is also a
story with elements of the truth. No civilization can stand for long upon a
narrative based completely in fiction. So some truth is essential for a
narrative to be successful. But at the end of the day, a cultural narrative is
a story that aims to make a statement. To prove a point. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Making a
Statement<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What that point is will vary from culture to culture, and
from time to time <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">within</i> cultures.
But the fact that they have a point to prove is universal. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The thing is, though, bare facts usually don’t <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">have</i> a point. They just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">are</i>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Incidents don’t point smoothly and consistently in one
direction. They just happen. The truth is confusing and contradictory and
muddled up. There are no eternal heroes or eternal villains. Everybody is a
hero and a villain at different points in time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But a narrative that is confusing and contradictory and
muddled up is not a very good narrative, is it? Would you buy that story book
for your kid? I wouldn’t. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So a good narrative must pick and choose facts and incidents
that help it prove its point; that enable it to make the statement that it
wants to make. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And this is not to say that the storytellers are trying
deliberately to be deceitful (though in some situations this might indeed be
the case). The fact of the matter is that a good story is not necessarily an
accurate record of events. And vice versa. An accurate record of events is not
necessarily a good story. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So you have to decide on what the goal is that you’re trying
to achieve. And if your goal is to create a compelling narrative for your
people, artistic liberties need to be taken, with or without an insidious agenda.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Now, the
question might arise, is it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">necessary</i>
to have a cultural narrative? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, I’d say it is, if you want to have a culture at all. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s human nature to build narratives around things. We just
seem to be biologically wired to like stories. And it’s not just countries,
cultures, and civilizations that we build narratives around. We tell ourselves
stories about our own lives, about our own identities, all the time. It helps
ground us; helps us make sense of the confusing, contradictory, and muddled
reality that we inhabit. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The ultimate
fact of the matter is, we’re teeny little transient balls of flesh in a vast
universe that doesn’t give a shit. We NEED good stories to block out that
reality. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">So the next
question might be, why do <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cultures</i>
need narratives? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After all, a culture is not an individual. It’s not even a
thing, as such. It’s just this ambient sense of identity and common cause that
a bunch of people feel or subscribe to at any given time. Culture can be
hyperlocal or global in scope, though it’s certainly not bound by geography.
Not in the age of the Internet.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The thing is, cultures are built on the basis of shared
ideas. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And ideas cannot exist without
narratives.</i> An accurate record of facts is an accurate record of facts. But
you need a story, a narrative, to give any meaning to those facts. And meaning
is inherently personal, so stories are inherently biased. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Too theoretical?
Okay. Let me try and put this in concrete terms. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why do we feel a sense of loyalty to our country (even after
we have left the country), but don’t feel the same loyalty to our neighborhood,
or district, or continent? All of those are geographical constructs. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why should I be any more proud to be an Indian than I am of
being a Kalikapurian (Kalikapur being the name of my neighborhood)? For that
matter, why should I be more proud of being an Indian than of being a South
Asian, or an Asian, or an inhabitant of the Eastern Hemisphere? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ll tell you why. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Because
being Indian has a cultural narrative associated with it, as opposed to being a
Kalikapurian or an Eastern Hemispherer.</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I suppose you could say there are also some narratives
associated with being Asian or South Asian, but they are certainly weaker than
national narratives. There is nothing that makes the geographical construct of
a country more significant than the geographical construct of a district or a
continent. Nothing other than narratives and stories, that is.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
Necessity of the ‘Other’<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So we need stories (a narrative) to form a cohesive identity
for any group of people, just as we need them to form the identity of an
individual. But there’s more to it than that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A group is only a group if it has some members. Equally
important, though, is that it is only a group if it has some <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">non-members</i>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Being Indian only means anything if there are people who are
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> Indians. If everyone was an
Indian, then Indian would just become a synonym for human. The word would lose
its meaning. Similarly, being human only means anything if there are creatures
that are not human. If every living creature was a human, then the word human
would just be a synonym for living creature. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No matter how big or small a group is, it must have an
in-group AND an out-group in order to exist. There must be people who belong to
the group. And equally important, there must be those that DON’T BELONG. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A cultural narrative, therefore, provides a bedrock of common
beliefs and shared ideas that identify the in-group in contrast with the
out-group. The people who believe in the narrative belong; those who don’t,
don’t. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And this is true for all groups, no matter how liberal or
conservative. Feminism has a narrative, as does the patriarchy. Communism has a
narrative, as does capitalism. You get the picture. For a culture to exist, you
need a cultural narrative. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A Source of
Inspiration and Unity<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another major role of cultural narratives, of course, is to
provide inspiration. A good story can inspire you to do a number of things,
both good and bad. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It can inspire you to go risk your life in order to defend
absolute strangers who live miles and miles away. It can also inspire you to
attack random strangers who live miles and miles away. <span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You wouldn’t go to war for your district or your
neighborhood, would you? You might at best consider participating in a cricket
match, but certainly nothing more dangerous than that. But you might very well
consider going to war for your country. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Which doesn’t really make sense, when
you think about it. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I mean, you probably know many of your neighbors and have a
personal connection with a few of them. I’m pretty sure the percentage of your
countrymen you know or care about on a personal level is far lower. And yet
you’d be more willing to risk your life for a bunch of absolute strangers than
for acquaintances whom you could at least pick out in a crowd.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This is
what a cultural narrative does. It builds a sense of unity and common cause, </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">even where there is no logical reason for a common cause to exist.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I mean, I live in Kolkata, West Bengal. My city is
geographically closer to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, than it is to Delhi,
the capital of India. It is both geographically and linguistically closer to
Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And yet, I felt the blood thrum in my veins when I watched
Dangal, a movie about two Haryanvi girls representing India on the international
stage. I could feel my breath catch when Geeta (one of the protagonists) won
her first gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Makes no sense, does it though? I had nothing in common with
either of the two heroines. I don’t speak Haryanvi, and I’m certainly not a
wrestler. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve watched a wrestling
match on TV, and still have fingers left over. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So why on earth did I feel so inordinately good about the
fact that they’d won gold medals on India’s behalf at the Commonwealth Games?
Why would it matter to me? Would I have been equally psyched to see them win on
behalf of my district, or on behalf of the subcontinent? Maybe. I wouldn’t
know. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Because those movies haven’t been
made.</i> Nobody made a movie about district-level wrestling matches. That says
something about our priorities, and about the power of narratives, doesn’t it? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I said, they have the power to create a sense of unity
and common cause where neither of those things have any reason to exist. Now
depending on the context, that can be a good thing or a bad thing. But it
definitely is a thing that we have to live with. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Whether it
works for us or against us depends largely on who’s telling the stories and why.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So then, you might ask me, how do you build a narrative?
What are the components that come together to create one?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">How Do We
Build Cultural Narratives?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, there are several different ways of building a
cultural narrative. One of the most common (and easiest) ways is to simply
repeat the same story over and over again, for years and generations, over
various platforms and mediums, until people start to believe it. For best
results, you should try and keep some elements of the truth in it. An easily
falsifiable story won’t stand the test of time (not to mention the Internet).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hand in hand with the promotion of one idea goes the
censorship of others. By censoring and stifling contradicting versions of the
story, you can create a bubble where only one version is heard and echoed over
and over again. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Totalitarian regimes have been doing this for ages. We might
think fake news is a new thing, but it’s really not. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Since time
immemorial, people have been convincing other people that chanting a particular
sequence of words in a particular way is going to please an invisible power who
shall then grant their wishes. </span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And if that’s not false propaganda, I don’t know what is.
And yet various versions of this story have been widely and sincerely believed
by millions of people across numerous cultures and time periods. Across time,
people have been persuaded to do all manner of amazing and ridiculous things
with the help of a compelling narrative.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The world really does belong to the articulate.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">So what
happens when this bubble bursts? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we find out, surprise surprise, that the narrative
we’ve always believed in is in fact not the only narrative in circulation? That
the world of stories is not so much a planned meal as an eat-all-you-like
buffet serving multiple cuisines? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Culture shock. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yup. Culture shock is essentially just the shock we feel
when we realize that the whole world does not in fact think like us, and act
like us, and believe the same things as us. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a strange thing to be surprised about, but surprised we
inevitably are. And not just by the way people live and think in far-off lands.
But even by the way they lived and thought just a couple of generations ago. Or
the way they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">will</i> live and think a
couple generations later. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are as scandalized by our parents and our children as we
are by the most foreign of foreigners. The past, as they say, is a different
country. They did things differently there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The same can be said of the future too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wait a couple decades, and you’ll get to experience culture
shock without having to spend a penny on international flight tickets. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">So at the
end of the day, are cultural narratives good or bad? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The truth is, there’s no easy answer to that question. A
narrative can definitely be a necessity. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you want soldiers risking their lives defending
arbitrarily drawn borders on a map, you need a compelling narrative to inspire
them to do so. If you want people leaving the comfort of their homes on
Election Day to come out and vote for a remote leader they will never meet,
endorsing policies they don’t understand, you’ll need a good story to make them
want to do so. If you want people to tune in to support their country for the
World Cup, well, you will need a compelling narrative for that as well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But can a cultural narrative be used for something more
nefarious than that? I’m pretty sure we all know the answer to that. Enough
wars have been fought and enough corpses buried in the name of faith,
patriotism, and belief systems of all kinds. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The Changing
Face of Cultures and Their Narratives<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In recent years, the growth of the Internet has served to
dismantle and disprove many of the old narratives. Some cultures have sought to
counter this onslaught by (trying to) control the Internet and other forms of
communication technology, with varying degrees of success. Others have tried to
leverage the technology by shouting loud enough that all other voices are
drowned out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Which is
not to say that you can’t build a narrative for the greater good. </span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The rapid acceptance of the LGBT community in countries
across the globe would never have been possible without media influencers
actively working to create a cultural narrative where being gay was seen as a
natural and even a desirable part of one’s identity. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As ever, the problem arises when people have conflicting
ideas about what constitutes the ‘greater good’. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Internet has also given rise to new forms of culture,
and by extension, new types of cultural narratives. Online information bubbles
are becoming more and more common every day. Different forums and communities
have their own subcultures. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s a vast difference between the way you’d interact
with someone on Tumblr and on Quora. Reddit, 4 Chan, Twitter, YouTube…all have
their own unique cultures and subcultures. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Language and topics that are deemed acceptable on one forum
may well be considered completely inappropriate on another. Even the number of
emoticons you use in a message might be affected to a great degree by the
‘culture’ of the platform you’re posting on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The Future
of Cultural Narratives<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So is it that we humans just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">need </i>to believe in some form of narrative (no matter what it is or on
what basis it is formed), in order to be happy and productive? Or is the need
for cultural narratives something that we shall one day rise above as we grow
and evolve as a global civilization?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t know. I can’t imagine what a world without these narratives
would even look like. But maybe someday our descendants will find out. And maybe
they too will experience some amount of culture shock when absorbing the weird
tales their ancestors had taken for the truth.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t have the answers. But maybe someday, humanity will. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">So let me end with a quote from the book that inspired this
long-winded rant of a post in the first place: <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“But that doesn’t make for a good
war-narrative, does it? Not much by way of a thrilling bed-time story for the children
– of the victory of good over evil. Not the sort of thing you tell Hunters
before you send them off to face death fighting superhuman terrorists.”</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">“It’s the truth, though,” Ruban said simply.</span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
But is the truth enough? That’s
the question we need to answer over the decades and the centuries that are yet
to come. But there’s no rush, is there?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
It’s not like we’re going
anywhere. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-------<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Book Links:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41464412-a-flight-of-broken-wings">Goodreads</a>
& <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Flight-Broken-Wings-Aeriel-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B07GLMTMG3/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1535638856&sr=1-1&keywords=B07GLMTMG3">Amazon</a></div>
</div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-64053980379431078522018-09-27T02:38:00.000-07:002018-09-27T03:05:24.281-07:00Poetry: She Sat Beside Me On the Minibus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQACVx7DZXhDUSy9K4aGqu7oeuPLAZPuJISfFI_VXUvRmr2dOBXEJSTUjgl6_xN5dVW7r2vGaEMXAMOHY2s5unIHRjhj6a2y6SGF15XC5qaDHZAARR3zRP-7Xt-M4bZUxXxYYNK0iKvSU/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="204" data-original-width="149" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQACVx7DZXhDUSy9K4aGqu7oeuPLAZPuJISfFI_VXUvRmr2dOBXEJSTUjgl6_xN5dVW7r2vGaEMXAMOHY2s5unIHRjhj6a2y6SGF15XC5qaDHZAARR3zRP-7Xt-M4bZUxXxYYNK0iKvSU/s400/Capture.JPG" width="292" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
Clad in tattered white and a toothy smile<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
She huddled beside me on the rickety minibus<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
I didn’t say hello, never asked why<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
She told me anyway, her destination was the Ultadanga
Terminus.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
The Transport Department were pussies, she said,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
In terms more colorful than I can in decency convey<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
The municipality? A bunch of thieves!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
Sprayed diluted pesticide, never swept the leaves.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
Her husband, she said, had been an officer,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
Might’ve been a peon or an auditor.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
Either way, he showed ‘em their place<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
Fought the good fight a fortnight, then vanished without
a trace.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
Swatting a mosquito with dirt-stained fingers,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
She told me the Chief Minister will die of Dengue fever.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
Rubbed her face with the frayed ends of an ancient saree<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
Assured me the state of the nation was quite dreary.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
Had she been in government? A private petitioner?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
Her nephew’s in the Assembly, her son a commissioner.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
She has nothing to be afraid of, she’s quite sure<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
At 82, there ain’t much she hasn’t endured.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
Gazed out the window when the conductor came by<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
Muttered about inflation and ignored his cries.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
I bought two tickets, one for the Ultadanga Terminus<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
The man cursed, she smiled, I got off the bus. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-34710783805692468122018-09-23T14:46:00.000-07:002018-09-23T23:14:44.423-07:00The Problem with ‘Problematic’ Fiction: A Defence of Vampiric Alpha Billionaires<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2e-vGWtCOe3D2xikX4zHPKFURNrNLrHjPVo7n5lb8ENPxKJ1gO_kFuckNODvmDb1ZN13pi4yfKDZK3Ksn0UWce7bWoDEpOtTBnSWII2fdeESwZAibfcNTRG4taW8zWCy0sDxwyHL0ZI/s1600/YYyf.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="380" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2e-vGWtCOe3D2xikX4zHPKFURNrNLrHjPVo7n5lb8ENPxKJ1gO_kFuckNODvmDb1ZN13pi4yfKDZK3Ksn0UWce7bWoDEpOtTBnSWII2fdeESwZAibfcNTRG4taW8zWCy0sDxwyHL0ZI/s400/YYyf.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://gifer.com/en/YYyf" target="_blank">(Image Source)</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Why is fantasizing about being in a semi-abusive
relationship with a hot billionaire any worse than fantasizing about being an
orphaned Chosen One hunted by a dark wizard? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">That was the question I was faced with yesterday, while
browsing the Goodreads comment section for a run-off-the-mill billionaire
romance/erotica. Now I am by no means saying that this book was an outstanding
work of literature. I haven’t read the book, so I have no way of knowing what
kind of quality it has to offer. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b>That Which Separates Fantasy and Reality</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">But one of the major (and common) complaints about it on the
comment section was that the relationship that it featured was ‘problematic’.
And that reading about this problematic relationship might adversely affect
young readers who would then proceed to expect this sort of behavior and
dynamic in their own relationships. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">These sorts of concerns are nothing new. It’s the exact same
sort of thing people have been saying for years about a plethora of books
including Twilight, Fifty Shades of Grey, A Court of Thorns and Roses and myriad
other YA titles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">It’s not that I don’t understand where the critics are
coming from. The twenty-seventh time you read about some alpha dude getting his
knickers in a twist because his lady-love has spoken to another man is
twenty-six times too many, in my opinion. But that’s just my taste in bedtime
reading. It doesn’t have to be yours. And while everyone is allowed to rant
about tropes they find annoying, of course, it is the accompanying moral
handwringing that I find quite uncalled for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I mean, that line of argument doesn’t even make sense. Not
really. If reading about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifty_Shades_of_Grey" target="_blank">Christian Grey</a> makes you seriously consider hooking up
with an abusive billionaire, what’s to say reading about Batman wouldn’t make
you seriously consider dressing up as a nocturnal mammal and beating up street
thugs? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">It might, of course. But in that case you’ve got far bigger
problems to deal with in life than your exposure to ‘problematic’ fiction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Why is it that everyone seems to think young girls reading
Twilight might go on to have unhealthy relationships thanks to their exposure
to the book, and yet nobody seems to have the same concerns about young boys
watching The Fast and the Furious growing up to become reckless drivers? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I mean both of those things are theoretically possible. It’s
just that we (normally) trust people to know the difference between fantasy and
reality. The only demographic to whom this courtesy is not extended seems to be
young women reading over-the-top, Harlequinesque romances. Never mind the fact
that most popular fiction <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i>
over-the-top, unrealistic, and ‘problematic’ in one way or another. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b>All Fiction is Problematic</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I mean, sure, you wouldn’t <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really </i>want a semi-murderous vampire to be obsessed with your
smell. But then again, would you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really </i>want
to have a lightening shaped scar on your forehead, acquired when some psychotic
terrorist murdered your parents? For that matter, would you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really </i>even want to attend a school
where people regularly fall off incredible heights after getting hit by giant
flying balls on their broomsticks? Probably not. Definitely not the kind of
place you’d want to enroll your children in. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Most people who get a kick out of murder mysteries probably
don’t really want to be involved in a murder themselves. And even hardcore <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_America:_The_First_Avenger" target="_blank">Captain America</a> fans would probably balk at the idea of being injected with an
experimental steroid to be deployed as a super-soldier to a real war-zone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Would being exposed to Captain America at a young age make
you more amenable to experimental drug trials? It might, but in that case you
need therapy more than media censorship. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">But none of these concerns keep us from enjoying those
ridiculously over-the-top, yet unbelievably entertaining stories. Because we
all know that what’s good in fantasy isn’t good in reality. What you find
entertaining to think about is not the same as what you want to experience in
your real, day-to-day life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Reading and enjoying violent Mafia novels doesn’t mean you
want to join the Mafia. In fact, most people who’re actually <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in </i>the Mafia probably haven’t read that
many Mafia novels at all. I’m pretty sure they’ve got more important shit to
deal with. Like, you know, killing people and stuff. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">So why should reading about overly-possessive alpha
boyfriends mean that you’ll really end up in unhealthy and abusive
relationships?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I’m not saying that that’s impossible. All I’m saying is
that the one doesn’t necessarily lead to the other. You can end up in an
abusive relationship without ever having read a single book in the Twilight
saga, just like you can become a drug kingpin without ever having watched The
Godfather. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Never let anyone tell you that you need to consume ‘problematic’
media in order to have a problematic life, kids. Those two can exist completely
independent of one another. I promise. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: red; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Arson, Murder, and Kissing Fuckbois</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I was as annoyed as the next person with the Twilight frenzy
that overtook the pre-teen population during the mid-2000s. I read all the
intellectual-sounding criticisms and socially-concerned Twilight bashing that
the Internet had to offer in those years. And when writing <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25559107-the-classroom-effect" target="_blank">The Classroom Effect</a> at the ripe old age of sixteen, I remember taking great
care to ensure that none of my relationships could in any way, shape or form be
associated with the dreaded P-word. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I was 23 when I started <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41464412-a-flight-of-broken-wings" target="_blank">A Flight of Broken Wings</a>, my second novel. It didn’t feature any significant
romantic relationships. It did, however, feature two murders, one theft and
multiple stabbings, many of them perpetrated by the hero and his allies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">And the irony of it all is that it never even occurred to me
that any one of these elements might be seen as ‘problematic’ by my readers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Why not, though? Why is a fictional sixteen-year-old dating
a 200-year-old vampire any more problematic than a fictional sixteen-year-old
becoming an assassin and killing villains? I mean if I had two daughters and
one of them was planning to join an assassination squad while the other dated a
sparkly fuckboi, I’m pretty sure I’d ground the first one for longer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Why is being a killer ‘empowering’ while dating a werewolf
is ‘problematic’? Wherein lies the difference between the fucked-up-ness of
either of those life choices?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I guess what I’m trying to say is that we maybe need to
reexamine our ideas of what constitutes power and what constitutes weakness.
And why one is more desirable than the other. Why are the stupid (and sometimes
violent) fantasies of preteen boys deemed less ‘problematic’ than the stupid
(and sometimes sappy) fantasies of preteen girls? And what kind of a
relationship do we really even want to have with the world of fantasy?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Because you can’t tell me that reading about Edward Cullen
makes you pine for a vampire boyfriend but reading about Bruce Wayne doesn’t
make you want to punch criminals in a batsuit. And because acting on either of
those impulses in the real world would probably land you in some pretty…problematic
spots, if you know what I mean. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Let me know down below your take on the problem of problematic
relationships in fiction.</span></div>
</div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-50844390011194776262018-09-16T12:48:00.000-07:002018-09-17T05:43:24.015-07:00On Writing the Novel I’ve Always Wanted to Read<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="378" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBKjtmYNXqb4Ol5j2WGKnif8idWyNSbAAeaAwbMHvT1SM11YJVYpyob-t-68YYUl0J0VDL6BLKlxUG3f6FyEqzKZ3CU1fxO3lfUGwhlS24iYOF0UpB2G2A0TjNxiHPewGm1Df5lc66DM/s400/05e356d1-69f4-48d4-a839-955c3521409e-0faf5f54c053.small.jpg" width="400" /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.edx.org/course/how-to-write-a-novel-writing-the-draft-0" target="_blank">(image source)</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I wrote my
first novel in the last two years of high school. I started it in the first
month of class 11, and completed it exactly one month before my higher
secondary exams the next year. Now it was a relatively short novel – barely
touched 65000 words – with a linear storyline. Today, I could probably finish a
similar project in less than six months. But I was sixteen and confused – not
an unusual state of being – and full of doubts about my ability to actually
complete a full-length novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You see, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Classroom Effect</i> might have been my
first completed novel, but it was by no means the first one I had ever begun
writing. The first novel that I ever started working on was a detective story
featuring a poisoned lipstick and three Japanese sisters, one of whom fell off
a tree. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was inspired by an Indian detective TV show called <a href="https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3hseka" target="_blank">‘Krishna Arjun’</a>
and a Japanese anime series called ‘Cardcaptor Sakura’, both of which I was
obsessed with at the time. I was all of 8 years old and the first three
chapters of the novel were written by hand on an old school diary that had been
only partially filled with the previous year’s math homework. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The Making
of ‘The Classroom Effect’</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Campus
novels had been all the rage in India for a few years by the time I began
writing ‘The Classroom Effect’. Chetan Bhagat had released his trailblazing ‘5
Point Someone’ (which I shall defend till the day I die). Its success had led
to the paperback market being flooded with stories about young college students
falling in love. So of course, I thought I should follow the steps of those
that came before and pen a campus novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There was
just one problem with this plan, though. I wasn’t in college yet. I didn’t know
what life was like in college. All the information I had about college life
came from the dubious ‘youth shows’ of Channel V and the aforementioned campus romances.
Let’s just say I wanted a bit more authenticity than that in my novel. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So I did the
next best thing. I wrote a campus novel…about a school campus. To be specific, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">my </i>school campus, mostly because it was
the only campus I knew well enough to describe in a coherent and believable
manner for over 200 pages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And I
absolutely loved the story while I was writing it. The characters were my
babies, and I wanted them to do awesome things, have awesome lives! There was a
part of me in every single one of them, and yet none of them was anything like
me at all. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I wrote about the life I had, combined seamlessly with the life I
wished I had. I wrote about my friends and people I wished were my friends. I
wrote about the things we had done, the pranks we had pulled, the rules we had
broken – and made everything less lame and more adventurous than it had
actually been. It was cathartic, to say the least. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I took two
whole years of ill-advised shenanigans and packed them into a single day of
unmitigated epic-ness that ended in a dramatic rescue and not one, not two, but
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">three</i> whole declarations of undying
love. Yeah, over-the-top doesn’t even <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">begin</i>
to describe it!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Writerly Lessons
Learned and Wisdom Gained<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I grew a lot
as a storyteller over the two years that I wrote that book. And writing <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25559107-the-classroom-effect" target="_blank">‘The Classroom Effect’</a> taught me a few important lessons. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The first
was that campus love stories weren’t really my thing. I knew this because the
only campus novel that I had actually read and enjoyed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">was </i>the one that arguably started it all, Chetan Bhagat’s <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/105576.Five_Point_Someone" target="_blank">‘5 Point Someone’</a>. I had tried to read a few after that, but for some reason could never
really complete any of them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I guess I
should’ve known from the beginning why writing in a genre that I could barely
read wasn’t the best idea. But in my defence, I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">was </i>following the age-old advice of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘write what you know’</i>. At sixteen, there wasn’t much I knew about
other than high school and all that it entailed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The other lesson
I learned was that romance wasn’t really my thing. I am not a romantic person,
never have been. And while I could talk (quite entertainingly) about romance as
seen from an outsider’s perspective, I could never convincingly portray a
romantic relationship from the perspective of the characters actually <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in that relationship</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And I jumped
through some weird and interesting hoops to avoid having to write about
earnestly romantic situations in the book, because something in me knew that I
wouldn’t be able to do them justice; that they wouldn’t be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">authentic</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the
second year of college I started writing another campus raomance (this time
actually set in a college) called ‘Frivolous Deceptions’. And again, I loved my
characters to bits. But the trappings of a campus romance felt even more
contrived now than they had in high-school; perhaps because I knew myself
better now than I had then. Whatever the reason, I abandoned the project midway
and didn’t write anything else in college. Well, I wrote other things, but
nothing that could be descried as a novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Writing the
Novel I Wanted to Read<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So after I
finished my education last year and decided it was time to write my next book,
I asked myself: What do you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really </i>want
to write about?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And my mind
came up with an absolute blank.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I mean, I
didn’t know what I wanted to write about. Not really. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I liked
reading mysteries and thrillers, but I was often annoyed with their lack of
character exploration and development. I liked reading fanfiction, but I was
frequently annoyed by their over-the-topness, if you know what I mean. I also
liked reading fantasy, but the idea of world-building scared the shit out of
me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Plus, I
wasn’t really sure if any of these elements would hold my interest for the hundred
thousand-odd words I would have to type out to create a complete novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So I decided
to get scientific about it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Asking
myself what I liked obviously wasn’t working. So I decided to make a list. An
exhaustive list of all the stories that I had ever loved, across mediums.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
completed list, once I had finished compiling it, consisted of 6 of my all-time
favorite books, 2 anime series, 4 movies, 2 TV shows, 5 fanfics across multiple
fandoms, and 1 song that I had been playing on loop for that entire week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Okay, so step
one was a success. I finally had a list of all the stories that I loved. The
kind that got my blood thrumming in my veins and my breath coming a bit faster.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now I just
had to solve the most difficult part of the problem and we would be done. I had
to find out <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">why</i> I loved these
stories. What was it about them that I found so damn irresistible?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So one day I
sat down with pen and paper and began patiently to make a list of all of my
favorite scenes from every one of these stories (well, except the song, of course).
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When I was
done, I tried to analyze what it was that these scenes had in common. What
tropes were they playing on, or subverting? What kind of atmosphere were they
trying to build? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Finding the
Loves of My Life<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After weeks
of wracking my brains for answers, I finally had something of a list. Yeah, you
guessed it. I have a thing for lists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To this day,
I still believe that that was the best thing I could possibly have done for my
writing career, though. It’s not something that would work for everyone, of
course, but in that situation it worked wonders for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Making that
list made me realize that the only person whose romantic stories I enjoyed
reading was Jane Austen. And I probably only enjoyed them because she was more
concerned with the social implications of a relationship than about the inner
workings of the thing itself. In some ways, Austen had as much of an outsider’s
view of romance as I did, only more nuanced and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">far</i> more hilarious. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But what I
loved most was the Pride and Prejudice trope that she used in many of her
stories. And by that I mean the rivalry to love dynamic that was at the core of
Elizabeth and Darcy’s relationship, and to a lesser extent that of Emma and Mr.
Knightley. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But while I
did love the enemies-to-friends trope, I didn’t necessarily want to use it in a
romantic context myself. Which brings us to my longstanding love for buddy cop
shows. Well, they didn’t really need to be cops, any sort of crime-fighting
pair would do. What was important was that the protagonists must be super
different from one another, and must hate each other’s guts upon first meeting.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Law_(2012_TV_series)" target="_blank">Common Law</a>,
White Collar, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rizzoli_%26_Isles" target="_blank">Rizzoli & Isles</a>, even Castle – you name it and I’ve watched it. And I don’t see
why The Man from Uncle should be left off this list, just because I watched the
movie and not the TV show version of it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The two
anime series that I’d loved the most as a child were <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Saiunkoku" target="_blank">‘Saiunkoku Monogatari’</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fullmetal_Alchemist" target="_blank">‘Fullmetal Alchemist’</a>, and I’ll admit that coming up with a similarity between them
was the hardest. I did find it eventually though. You see, what underlay both
of these stories was an intense focus on regional and national politics,
combined with some fantastic elements. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And while
Fullmetal Alchemist focused on early-twentieth century German politics and
Saiunkoku Monogatari was all about feudal China (or its fantasy equivalent),
they both talked about national and international politics, tensions between
states and countries, political upheavals and maneuvering. I realized that some
of the other anime series that I’d liked as a kid – such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fushigi_Y%C3%BBgi" target="_blank">Fushigi Yûgi</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyo_Kara_Maoh!" target="_blank">Kyo Kara Maoh</a> – also
dealt with these sorts of themes, though perhaps with less depth and finesse
than the two I’ve already talked about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The final
ingredient to this potpourri of beloved tropes was added when I realized that I
really enjoyed reading about themes of guilt and gratitude. And this is where
my love-hate relationship with over-the-top fanfiction comes in. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Because
fantasy-adventure TV shows and movies often don’t have the time to deal with
the emotional repercussions of some of the shit that goes down in their
story-arcs. I mean, how many fantasy political thrillers have you watched (or
even read) that had a realistic take on PTSD? That really talked about the
emotional aftermath of being tortured, being held captive, or watching a loved
one die?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And don’t
get me wrong. I’m not saying that fanfiction does any of this in a realistic or
believable manner. Well, sometimes it does, but that’s the exception rather
than the rule. And I would be lying through my teeth if I said that I browse
through AO3 at the end of a punishing day to read a realistic case-study of the
symptoms of PTSD and depression. I don’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But the
thing is, when you’re reading about characters that slay demons and lead
revolutions every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, sometimes over-the-top is
exactly what you need. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Would
Captain America really go on a bender after losing his childhood friend Bucky
and spill his guts to Tony Stark? Probably not. But then, you can never say
never when dealing with a steroid-fueled super-soldier and an inebriated mad
scientist billionaire philanthropist, can you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">And Finally
– My Second Novel!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Of these
realizations, and some others that will be talked about in future blog posts,
was born my second novel – ‘A Flight of Broken Wings’. It started out as a
fantasy narrative about two protagonists who were as different from each other
as can be (and belonged to different species, just to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> drive the point home). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The story
revolved around a globe-spanning political conspiracy, imaginary countries and
their not-so-imaginary geopolitical clusterfucks, murders, betrayals, national
and racial preconceptions, and the mandatory fanficcy and over-the-top angst
scene where everything goes to shit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The life I
was writing about was in no way the life that I knew (or ever wanted to, to be
honest with you). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But it was a
world I liked to imagine when listening to badass songs by a plethora of punk-rock
bands. It was populated by characters who I wouldn’t necessarily want to live
with, but whose shenanigans I would happily binge-watch on Netflix, and read
fanfics about after. It had scenes I would roll my eyes at in a paperback
thriller, then go make myself a hot-chocolate for the next chapter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In short, I
had written a story that I would thoroughly enjoy reading!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The Right
Way to Write a Novel<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And I don’t
know if that’s the proper way to write a novel. And quite honestly, I don’t care!
Because I had a hell of a time writing it. And I can’t wait for the day when
I’ve finally forgotten the story enough to be able to experience it from the
perspective of a first-time reader.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Because it
is (at least for now) the only novel in existence that was custom designed to
make me happy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So I guess
at the end of the day, all I’ve done is to tweak slightly the original piece of
advice I received about how to write a novel. Writing <a href="https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B07GLMTMG3/" target="_blank">‘A Flight of Broken Wings’</a> has taught me that it’s not about writing what you
know. It’s about writing what you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">love</i>.
It’s about creating your own favorite novel, made to order.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Because
then, even if nobody else likes what you’ve written, you’ll always have one
die-hard fan. And keeping her happy will make sure that you never want to stop
writing!</span></div>
</div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-12878661863425263122018-09-14T13:18:00.000-07:002019-02-04T11:20:23.238-08:00Poetry: An Elegy on the Death of My Fake Leather Sandals<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUtLvgVr5_oGQ3sUoNrEad4vdQ8Z4mG9GgBVLZcvtjd1t9fdPy48ZpvBViAl9tdio2UZNV0WT9yvEMv_G2kI3HiPvApVngjlfqhYXQZSScGiwDhUN23FTeAU6-2liFJn0XKn6vWrXQYU/s400/shoe.jpg" width="400" /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://pixl.varagesale.com/http://s3.amazonaws.com/hopshop-image-store-production/133743437/563ec847b88fce44888f0ae307c6fa57.jpg?_ver=large_uploader_thumbnail&w=640&h=640&fit=crop&s=3cbd8810ea77128113199ec3e15573da" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(image source)</span></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing">
Starry-eyed, I
peeked at you through the shop window<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing">
The salesman’s
toothy smile was nothing to your new-polished glow.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing">
Your fake leather
belts and stiff rubber soles<o:p></o:p></div>
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Made me dream of
journeys sans mud, debris, and potholes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
The salesman whispered the ‘discounted rate’ delicately into my ears,<o:p></o:p></div>
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I glanced down at my slender wallet and blinked back my tears.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My feet slid into your gentle folds, a warrior coming home,<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was fifty short but in your embrace, the world I wished to roam.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Your beauty was unsurpassed, though the insoles did itch,<o:p></o:p></div>
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And your buckles
gleamed like fairy dust, when the toe-cap pulled a stitch.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You helped me
traverse wet sand heaps on under-construction roads<o:p></o:p></div>
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You stood with me
on the roller-coaster of rush-hour public transport.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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You were with me
through the muddy puddles, of early monsoon<o:p></o:p></div>
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Caked with dirt,
you stayed alert, through alleys litter-strewn.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You held me in
your hard embrace on broken footpaths<o:p></o:p></div>
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Helped me slink
through curfew gates not even the cat could surpass.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing">
And I should have
known, you were too good for this town<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing">
My fake leather
sandals with the rubber soles of brown.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing">
As I hung off the
bottom step of the spasmodic minibus<o:p></o:p></div>
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Beneath me the
buckles ripped, the outsoles gave up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing">
And I know that
over the months, we’ve had our fights<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing">
And I’ve said more
than once that you were overpriced.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing">
Though it’s true
that I think you could have done with a discount<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing">
Never let them
tell you, our bond wasn’t profound.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing">
All my neighbors
know of your tales of valor<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing">
What you lacked in
durability, you made up for in glamor.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing">
So what if the
heels were rickety and the insoles tickled?<o:p></o:p></div>
The road to
affordable beauty with potholes is riddled!<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-30357744264383051872018-09-10T11:39:00.000-07:002018-09-23T14:30:37.069-07:00Poetry: In Honor of the Late Electric Kettle Martyred on the Promise of an Elusive Education<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">This poem is dedicated to:</span></div>
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<b>Kirti, Pallavi (roomie), Khushboo, Priyanka, Kanchan, and last but not the least, my darling dead kettle. I miss you all!! :*</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3ONUfGKLTTwcU7EAfO2O5nBlEjU9Se1fZiBnxnePmMURHRIubuT76KkcnVXxDXUegh-n0L2KRx6PxVUOjzcADnwxP1C5lMb6PIopBO7d-DHArwidQW-A30_0N9DJuGT7pGG_OLIsv9M/s1600/0d7c3b3b4ac142968550049c36fbaf5b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3ONUfGKLTTwcU7EAfO2O5nBlEjU9Se1fZiBnxnePmMURHRIubuT76KkcnVXxDXUegh-n0L2KRx6PxVUOjzcADnwxP1C5lMb6PIopBO7d-DHArwidQW-A30_0N9DJuGT7pGG_OLIsv9M/s400/0d7c3b3b4ac142968550049c36fbaf5b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://in.pinterest.com/pin/835910380807350955/" target="_blank">(image source)</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For nine months we were Rapunzels<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Languishing in the tower of redundant education<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bidding civilization a teary farewell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">To buy a degree with the currency of isolated
frustration. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And through it all, you were there<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">By my side, when the world seemed dark and bare.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Oh, beloved companions of my embittered soul<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My electric kettle and my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I13HByliCk" target="_blank">Maggi</a> bowl.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Through the heated – if slightly inebriated<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Political debates of 2AM<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You kept us full and caffeinated<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You are the Magi of Bethlehem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And even when our packaged noodles<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Were pilfered (or borrowed) with dubious consent<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And even when our budgets frugal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Had all been on clothes and vodka spent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Through those tumultuous times you kept us fed,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Never went hungry to the creaky hostel bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Neither snake nor monkey on those haloed grounds<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ever wanted for tasty food within your compound.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And here we convey our sincere apologies<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">To the morning lectures, whose many qualities<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We shall never know, for they were always missed<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">With a commitment that bordered on religious zeal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And here too, we must admit<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">That we never really gave a shit<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">About the assessments or the flashy PPTs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Of imagination and research a shapeless potpourri. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">But my friend, you should never believe<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Anybody who tells you they didn’t grieve<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">For the cheap <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">momos</i>
and cheaper <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pav bhajis</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When the town of Dhenkanal they had to leave.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And it was a strange and glorious land<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Where mosquito troupes and reptilian marching bands<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Danced to Bollywood numbers on command<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">At night when all was dark and grand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Boiled Maggi and filter coffee<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Had never tasted better than on the crappy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sheets of the rickety hostel bed<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">With music loud, the future on an arrowhead. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And it was the best of times<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Though we were broke and bored, didn’t have a dime<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Yet we got the lesson of our lives<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Never miss the chance to have a good fucking time!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-75562757389787206352018-09-09T14:24:00.000-07:002019-01-22T22:33:39.993-08:00Poetry: An Ode to Rejection<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0eKOv_91sYMgstQr8sXmyyjXjRKCTvNGZt-i7C6gLcLy5PkxCXvhol-Vgs23zkq9U5b8OPHBqBr0CDXLWW-DPuqbniWX6qI9sWq7q6lDr6IqUhisET5UYJcAVs3GlNPEg9YzBz0W1WXA/s1600/rejected.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1312" data-original-width="1600" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0eKOv_91sYMgstQr8sXmyyjXjRKCTvNGZt-i7C6gLcLy5PkxCXvhol-Vgs23zkq9U5b8OPHBqBr0CDXLWW-DPuqbniWX6qI9sWq7q6lDr6IqUhisET5UYJcAVs3GlNPEg9YzBz0W1WXA/s400/rejected.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It’s good, but not what we’re looking for right now. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Oh, but it stings. And how! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The position’s closed, better luck next time </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Your lips are bruised purple from that smile. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We loved it, but it doesn’t fit with our current line-up </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">You take a bitter sip of the salty tea-cup </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It’s good, dear, just not for me </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">You nod, you understand, ‘cause it never is. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Your throat stings from not screaming loud enough, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Frustration the itch of a swallowed cough. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">You’ve heard it a hundred times, and yet the hundred-and-first </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Burns like every regret thrice reimbursed. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">But while they wound, they aren’t nearly as bad, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As the radio silence of indifference ironclad. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Refreshed inboxes and double-checked call logs tell </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The sordid tale of a dream drowning in the wishing well. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Vacancies disappear and resumes languish </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Receptionists pout in parodied anguish. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It’s never you, it’s always them, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It’s never you’re-not-good-enough, it’s always not-the-right-fit. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It’s all the same, yet unique every time </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Nobody’s got a minute, but asking’s not a crime. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It’s self-flagellation with a calling card </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We don’t give a fuck, best regards. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Your name’s not on this list, or the next one </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And yet you walk, ‘cause you can’t outrun </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The ghost of a dream, of a hope long gone </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Of finding the happily-ever-after in life’s lexicon.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
</div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-50535060648260149022018-09-02T13:09:00.001-07:002019-02-15T07:52:14.288-08:00Poetry: On Seeing the Sun on a Weekday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMo2nz2oTekSGHgOrAV0HxdSDggCDUSZLzbb7FGhs-HdtEy-P4cD6tkYI_reyF8azLZDiLCiWOJ094fkAAMhm8dd4Oi2sLVW-vyeMlX1KUKHjc3zzj53zZwn5yAi9FZxWcMlqaUaUoXeQ/s1600/web_cleandeskpoliciy_timhartford_ted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="750" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMo2nz2oTekSGHgOrAV0HxdSDggCDUSZLzbb7FGhs-HdtEy-P4cD6tkYI_reyF8azLZDiLCiWOJ094fkAAMhm8dd4Oi2sLVW-vyeMlX1KUKHjc3zzj53zZwn5yAi9FZxWcMlqaUaUoXeQ/s640/web_cleandeskpoliciy_timhartford_ted.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://ideas.ted.com/why-every-office-should-scrap-its-clean-desk-policy/">(image source)</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The frosty LEDs flicker overhead, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Dispersing monotone rays of white on beige </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I feel a fresh migraine approach </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Sip the stale coffee cooling next to my keyboard. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The girl beside me in the rainbow dupatta, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Leans over empty staplers and stained manila </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">To whisper: ‘The boss is going on a holiday,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Won’t be back before salary day.’ </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I’m told this is cause for celebration </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The best you can make of a bad situation. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And I suppose I’d feel some of this ecstasy, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If my soul weren’t screaming for aspirin. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The words on the screen swirl and dance </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Dupatta girl spares me an expectant glance </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Before turning to the gentleman to her right </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Replays her message of freedom and flight. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">‘It’s been a while’, someone says </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Since we’ve seen the sun on a weekday. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">‘It’s been longer’, snaps another </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Since I took a smoke break and wasn’t bothered. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I grant these are all valid concerns, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Nobody enjoys a meeting with flooded lungs. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We also need a new coffee machine </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Someone really should get the filters cleaned. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">They filed a report with the HR department </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Got an electric kettle and a higher sales target. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Which they didn’t meet ’cause the phones were dead </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And were allocated a raise of two percent. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">That’s ‘cause you can’t put a Band-Aid, you see </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">On a laceration of the third degree. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Sunless days of endless excel sheets </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Aren’t fixed with extra caffeine and weekend retreats. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Still, you can give me a ride back home, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">When the sun’s gone, the streets are monochrome. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">For now, I’d settle for a quick smoke break, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Vitamin D’s overrated anyway.</span></div>
</div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-45592887024964547932018-08-31T21:38:00.000-07:002018-09-23T14:31:06.025-07:00Poetry: A Tendency to Wear Hearts on Sleeves<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="613" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbeAI1Lgd8KmvDUaGva2Gx_H5dvyHTkwkAtNdZCfu1bbJULMq646bWRDlzjVwQgUxG_JcyLbwg3Soj1Lm7haWEIpKQq0I9Zz5uqUCzB-zBw_aekjtZ51MyVPvA0wBawcOnGN4mOLj6iQ/s400/reactions-social.jpg" width="400" /></span></div>
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<a href="http://crowdink.com/editorpick/definitive-ranking-6-facebook-reactions/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Image Source)</span></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I log into the network of my self-esteem,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">To see the hearts and the wows and the laughs flooding in.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A simple 'like' wouldn’t cut it anymore</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">‘Likes’ were so 2010, even 2010 was bored. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">‘Cause that’s the zeitgeist of the age, you see,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A tendency to wear hearts on sleeves.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Loves and kisses are a dime a dozen,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">With a million friends and followers double.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">National debates and social justice petitions,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Real crises, distorted renditions.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">High definition photos of disaster zones</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Flash up against cat videos on every smart phone.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Snapchat filters do not lie,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Just tell a story of hours gone by;</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Selecting the perfect background, the ideal shade</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">To express love on the dozen’th date. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">But that’s the zeitgeist of the century,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A tendency to wear hearts on sleeves.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">To document in minute detail, with extensive pictorial evidence</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Clockwork days of humdrum nonchalance. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And perhaps the generation that came before</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Would call it vanity, vainglory, or something more.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">But it ain’t like they were without their sins,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>We</i> didn’t invent tabloid columnists. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And now that we are at the end,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Let me sign off with this request:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Like, comment, and share your love</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Let your heart fall out of your shirt cuff.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-81866096731085549222018-08-30T05:22:00.000-07:002018-09-23T14:31:14.689-07:00Poetry: You Cannot Buy Groceries with Potential<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8JBxPYDsj8oOMIyLaVrDHGTM9vmZ0kcDhIO7R13xyCYlazJBv8Q939fjSOpCXYJoHdb537qD16sv5D3QjWKe34g1yNx5ijZHyGcFUMvhlP-NEMZ7GqZdlaahjNDcuUikfuBcJ_IgADjk/s400/sydney-edmunds-madison-avenue_u-L-PR5X6R0.jpg" width="331" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.allposters.com/-sp/Madison-Avenue-Posters_i12473395_.htm?UPI=PR5X6R0&PODConfigID=8880731&sOrigID=90780">(Image Source)</a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">They’ll tell you that you have
‘potential’,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">That with the proper degrees and
the right resume<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">You could get it all, make every
dream real,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Go up on the stage of life and
have your say. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">But they’ll only ever whisper in
parenthesis,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">That this fairy tale had its
genesis<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the blackened ashtrays of
airless office rooms<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Broken bodies lost in the factory
fumes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">They’ll say you can be anything
you want,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Just so long as your plans don’t
interrupt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The 9-hour shift and 3-hour
commute<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Plus any housekeeping that you
can contribute.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">They don’t call it a hustle
‘cause it’s easy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Life ain’t supposed to be breezy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">You pay your dues and you bear
your cross<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And if all else fails, just
please the boss.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">They’ll say it’s not sleep
deprivation,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If at the end of the year you
land that promotion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Creativity is a small price to
pay<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">For petrol, a roof, and a
biennial raise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Cost of living adjustments and
dearness allowances<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A trade-off for the rose-tinged
contact lenses<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Of limitless potential and
classroom lectures<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Beige colored dreams and dead-end
conjectures. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It wouldn’t be a ‘job’ if you
liked it,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And the rent still needs to be
paid.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Power and Wi-Fi aren’t bought
with ‘potential’, baby<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">For those, you need a higher pay grade.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916776590773430422.post-73678772587558411972018-08-28T12:11:00.000-07:002018-09-23T14:31:45.701-07:00Poetry: Aro/Ace - On the Slightly Awkward Subject of My UnSexuality<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Closet? What closet? I'm coming out of an antique mahogany almirah decorated with rainbow butterflies. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQpv8RHEpURQ6T4nJIofflOjZrdW4iCom6eQlyzwjCWUA23Fi6qtBRKxEc21d8ShMB1-Fps-RaPH6TlXjKAACu70856X3qx9DkZxazeLar69BNYWeuH0_H73-6_enw_xOyXpsGGqODJA/s1600/LySpxCtP_400x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQpv8RHEpURQ6T4nJIofflOjZrdW4iCom6eQlyzwjCWUA23Fi6qtBRKxEc21d8ShMB1-Fps-RaPH6TlXjKAACu70856X3qx9DkZxazeLar69BNYWeuH0_H73-6_enw_xOyXpsGGqODJA/s400/LySpxCtP_400x400.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Aro/Ace –</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Sounds like the kinda thing you’d say on Tumblr.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Or would have, when you were fifteen,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If you were into that sort of thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I wasn’t, personally. I was too busy–<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Trying to make friends (with dubious success)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Get passing grades (a huge fucking mess)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And simply exist (without knowing it) as an aro/ace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What’s that? I couldn’t have told you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Not then, when it was all confusing and new.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I barely understand it now, and I’m just a year short<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Of a quarter of a century to the day I was born.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Well, I guess it’s a distinct lack of butterflies,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In your intestines, where their natural turf supposedly
lies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I s’pose it’s also a few awkward dates, a few epic fails<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">But that, in my life, is just a reasonably good day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">You prude. So rude. What the fuck, dude?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">That was a perfectly good platitude<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Of romantic intent, if a bit commonplace<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">But who said teenage love was about originality anyway? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A shrug. Coffee mug. I’m not against clichés.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I’ll drink it black and wallow in my own uniqueness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I’m a strong, independent rebel who doesn’t need no man,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Unless he can play guitar, then he’s part of the gang.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">‘Tis a bit of a strange identity<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">To be not who I am, but what I mustn’t be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The unoppressed minority,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Or just a pretentious wannabe?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And sometimes, it’s just confusing as hell,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Did I break the fucking Kinsey scale? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Truth is, I’m all of the above<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Though to get there was a bit of a learning curve.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But hell, I’m a year short of twenty-five,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Too old for this angsty <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a> jive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So there, I said it, I’m <a href="https://identitiesandorientations.weebly.com/aroace-spectrum.html">aro/ace</a>,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And with that I conclude this awkward exposé. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Nupur Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174510942626262875noreply@blogger.com0