the F word…

Today we shall talk about why we as a race should not be inclined towards ‘fitting in’. Fitting in, Adapting, Being one with the crowd, belonging. These words reflect what majority of us do day in  and day out, all our lives. What if I’m not accepted, what if people around us think we are stepping out of the line, what if…? such words not only reflect the basic insecurity in all of us, but also the fact that our thought processes have adapted to the fact that we really need to do what everyone else is doing, or else..

Well, so what if u do what u really intend to do? maybe not attend that party for instance. or not suck up to your boss, or not smoke up with your friends? usual reactions: No friends, no promotions and no life.. well, u cant be wronger than that.. If that is the life you want, then it is not really going to make you happy.. maybe by not fitting in,you could be doing something which really makes you happy and your life meaningful, thought about that? Also when you don’t fit in, you intrigue.. you intrigue the group, the society and voila! you have people wanting to fit in with you.. that is when you have moved on from being a follower to a trend setter..

Not many people would agree with what i said.. most of the people who do not fit in with the main stream of society feel that they are ‘picked on, teased,left out, lonely or treated like outcasts’..Nothing could be closer to the truth.. But( yes, there is always a but) this happens only when you do not find any other activity to channelise you time, creativity and energy in.. Why do people go about shooting innocent school students? Only because they did not fit in and did not have another place to channelise their energy..

The pressure of fitting in can have a long term effect on the youth.. As they are doing stuff dictated largely by the norms of the group or society, they tend to feel isolated or inadequate over a period of time, a deep sense of shame develops when they do not adhere to the set norms and they will neglect what really matters… The most dangerous problem arising out of this epidemic is the way it spreads.. between friends, from insecure parents to their malleable kids , from the colleagues.. 

In the hurry to fit in, we have over looked one important issue.. The issue of the rift between who you are and who you wanted to be …

~ by ashish on November 6, 2007.