Something that I had come to very strongly believe in life as I grew up was this:- There's hardly any black or white in this world. We are all grey. Everything we do, everything we say, everything we make, everything we choose, every decision we take. Its all perfectly grey. Just that some are a darker shade of it and some a lighter one. Only to say that there are no entirely pure or entirely evil deeds in this world. Everything's got an element of both. In our conscience or not... But it does.
This very notion has been challenged heavily in my head over the last few days. More so in the sense of Right and Wrong. i.e. If i went ahead and applied the logic of the para one... There would be no clear distinction between right and wrong. #An act of murder in self defense. #An act of charity for tax benefit. But had that been the case in reality, what on earth could be the basis of the judicial system in a nation. If a right cannot be differentiated from wrong, and differentiated beyond all reasonable doubt, how does a judge or a jury meet out justice to the "aggrieved" and the "accused".
So then is the "theory of grey", yin and yang, all a mock up...? May be to help justify a clearly sinful act, justify murder, justify war, justify plunder of wealth, justify failure, justify everything we possibly don't want to happen to us.
There was a time a few years back when I found peace in having this piece around my neck, I used to say to people that this helps you maintain balance in your life. There's a bit of bad in all the good, a bit of good in all the bad. Each entwined with the other for life. Still holding on, without the triumph of any one. And that's balance... #FengShui. About 4 years, that I had it.
And now here I am questioning its very basis...
Why? Because off late I've been clearly getting to know the difference between the right and wrong. #All in my head.
So now what it comes down to is conscience. And conscience alone. All theories are correct probably in their own places. But right and wrong... are two different places, entrenched somewhere deep within ourselves, our souls and our hearts. Right or Wrong, one can only tell about his/her own self and no one else. And this realisation has brought a new found sense of responsibility within me. Responsibility to own up. Own up my mistakes.
Things we do are sometimes just mistakes, which no amount of justification can ever make right. Deep within we always know whether twas right or wrong. But that knowledge is usually clouded by things like ego, a burst of vengeance, a burst of rage, a burst of sorrow, a burst of empathy, a burst of lust. And in that clouded sense of judgement, we end up doing the "wrong". Later on, the justification are merely for the rest of the world. Cuz inside its now become all crystal clear.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki was wrong, no matter the Pearl Harbour. Babri was wrong, no matter the history. Iraq and Afghanistan were just wrong, no matter the 9/11... An eye for an eye, does make the whole world blind.
Stealing from your cash stripped household was wrong, no matter how badly you needed the money, someone else could have made better use of it. Pushing a hapless kid from a 10ft wall was wrong, no matter what you thought his crime was. Crossing the line was wrong. Not trying enough to save a sinking ship was wrong, no matter the self respect issues. Trying to walk out, to save yourself from being walked out, was wrong, no matter the self respect issues. Sadly many a times, the recognition of this guilt, and this sense of self loathing after an act appears a bit too late. May be all that one's left with at that point is to be sorry. Sorry for being who you are. #Being who I am.
Two minutes. May be five. All that it probably takes. To wait and think before doing something, uttering something, not uttering something. To just think. I could do either this or that. One's gotta be wrong! Don't do it. Do the right thing. There's only one. Two minutes of diligence. Two minutes to put self respect #ego desire and emotions behind and evaluate consequences on stake holders of the situation and your actions. Two minutes to swallow pain and bring forwards the rationale you're otherwise so proud of, could save you/me may be a life long worth of repentance.
Have faith in me. We'll make it right. Nothing's lost. I'll do the right thing. I'll try and fix the wrongs. I will come out of this with my head held high.
This very notion has been challenged heavily in my head over the last few days. More so in the sense of Right and Wrong. i.e. If i went ahead and applied the logic of the para one... There would be no clear distinction between right and wrong. #An act of murder in self defense. #An act of charity for tax benefit. But had that been the case in reality, what on earth could be the basis of the judicial system in a nation. If a right cannot be differentiated from wrong, and differentiated beyond all reasonable doubt, how does a judge or a jury meet out justice to the "aggrieved" and the "accused".
So then is the "theory of grey", yin and yang, all a mock up...? May be to help justify a clearly sinful act, justify murder, justify war, justify plunder of wealth, justify failure, justify everything we possibly don't want to happen to us.
There was a time a few years back when I found peace in having this piece around my neck, I used to say to people that this helps you maintain balance in your life. There's a bit of bad in all the good, a bit of good in all the bad. Each entwined with the other for life. Still holding on, without the triumph of any one. And that's balance... #FengShui. About 4 years, that I had it.
And now here I am questioning its very basis...
Why? Because off late I've been clearly getting to know the difference between the right and wrong. #All in my head.
So now what it comes down to is conscience. And conscience alone. All theories are correct probably in their own places. But right and wrong... are two different places, entrenched somewhere deep within ourselves, our souls and our hearts. Right or Wrong, one can only tell about his/her own self and no one else. And this realisation has brought a new found sense of responsibility within me. Responsibility to own up. Own up my mistakes.
Things we do are sometimes just mistakes, which no amount of justification can ever make right. Deep within we always know whether twas right or wrong. But that knowledge is usually clouded by things like ego, a burst of vengeance, a burst of rage, a burst of sorrow, a burst of empathy, a burst of lust. And in that clouded sense of judgement, we end up doing the "wrong". Later on, the justification are merely for the rest of the world. Cuz inside its now become all crystal clear.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki was wrong, no matter the Pearl Harbour. Babri was wrong, no matter the history. Iraq and Afghanistan were just wrong, no matter the 9/11... An eye for an eye, does make the whole world blind.
Stealing from your cash stripped household was wrong, no matter how badly you needed the money, someone else could have made better use of it. Pushing a hapless kid from a 10ft wall was wrong, no matter what you thought his crime was. Crossing the line was wrong. Not trying enough to save a sinking ship was wrong, no matter the self respect issues. Trying to walk out, to save yourself from being walked out, was wrong, no matter the self respect issues. Sadly many a times, the recognition of this guilt, and this sense of self loathing after an act appears a bit too late. May be all that one's left with at that point is to be sorry. Sorry for being who you are. #Being who I am.
Two minutes. May be five. All that it probably takes. To wait and think before doing something, uttering something, not uttering something. To just think. I could do either this or that. One's gotta be wrong! Don't do it. Do the right thing. There's only one. Two minutes of diligence. Two minutes to put self respect #ego desire and emotions behind and evaluate consequences on stake holders of the situation and your actions. Two minutes to swallow pain and bring forwards the rationale you're otherwise so proud of, could save you/me may be a life long worth of repentance.
Have faith in me. We'll make it right. Nothing's lost. I'll do the right thing. I'll try and fix the wrongs. I will come out of this with my head held high.
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