Today I saw a dog using his teeth to pick up his own leash and hand it to his owner.
At that moment, the dog just did what every human does. Well, almost everyone.
We crave a master - we crave handing our metaphorical leashes to that master - and letting him/her choose to take us where he/she so desires.
And is it one master, or do we hand our leash to anyone and/or everyone that looks like a master?
When we were young, our parents told us how to behave, what to say, what not do.
When we were in school, our teacher told us what books to read, which subjects to like, and which others not to.
As soon our school/college was over, or when we had an extended break, we felt directionless. Not knowing what to do, where to go. Like a stray.
Maybe because it's pushed on us, maybe we are hard-wired that way, but it becomes a habit to look for someone to follow or mimic, either consciously or otherwise.
At every stage, as we became more and more independent, as we lose the by-default guides, the search for an instructor to depend upon intensifies.
No, no, the reason for this habit is not only the schooling system where a teacher makes us read, write and think.
And no, it's not just the industrial-work-culture, where bosses tell us what to do, by when to do it, and what will happen to us if what's to be done doesn't get done.
And no, it's definitely not just the Indian family drama, where mothers tell their children what not to eat, where brothers tell sisters what to wear, and where fathers tell their children what field to major in.
This is a pan-humanity habit - looking for instructions: and seems this started very early in the history of mankind.
Probably only the first act Adam and Eve did (maybe not even that): eating the apple: was the only act that didn't come with any instruction.
Immediately after they ate the fruit - it was declared forbidden - it was understood that they "shouldn't have" eaten it.
And immediately after that, a master or God was seen as a father to follow, and listen to, and not question.
Ever since then, every act or every step that we take comes preloaded with a list of "should haves" and "shouldn't haves", or more colloquially, "Do's" and "Dont's".
And what's more interesting is that any achievement the humanity deems "worthy", has been when someone didn't listen to the instructions.
It's like when someone wants to climb Everest, everyone around says: Don't do it, don't do it. Only once after its done, they say: Bravo! Well Done!
If we look back, every religion spawned when a free-thinker didn't agree with the instructions being given by the leaders of the already existing religions.
And immediately, his followers turned their mind shut - they followed him after that, and hence the entire cycle started again.
I say it's prudent to seek guidance, it's intelligent to learn from others, and it's wise to follow - because all of that is a conscious decision.
Being aware of who we are following, what we want to emulate, and what we believe in - this is called having 'faith'.
Its the unconscious act of letting others affect our thoughts and moods and decisions - that's what I am talking about here.
The habit of following, which started for our own good, now becomes a second-nature, and we don't even know what or who we are following.
It's not just about the long-term goals and career-paths and life-partners; we let others have a say on even the smallest and everyday choices like our mood, how our day will go, how we behave with people we love.
William Ernest Henley wrote in "Invictus":
"I am the master of my own fate, and I am captain of my soul".
Can we all say that we are what Mr. Henley talks about?
Don't we let others choose our destiny? Don't we let others choose what we think, how we feel, where we go, and what we do?
Do we steer our own boats? Wouldn't we rather wait for a Captain Jack Sparrow to come and guide us?
Do we keep letting outsiders have an effect on what happens 'inside' of us?
Do we allow people to control our emotions, our moods, our thoughts, our actions or worst still, our in-actions?
Getting inspired is one thing: if it's conscious if we are aware of what we are becoming by following our inspirations.
But getting bullied, and not even knowing you have been bullied, is the worst form of slavery.
At that moment, the dog just did what every human does. Well, almost everyone.
We crave a master - we crave handing our metaphorical leashes to that master - and letting him/her choose to take us where he/she so desires.
And is it one master, or do we hand our leash to anyone and/or everyone that looks like a master?
When we were young, our parents told us how to behave, what to say, what not do.
When we were in school, our teacher told us what books to read, which subjects to like, and which others not to.
As soon our school/college was over, or when we had an extended break, we felt directionless. Not knowing what to do, where to go. Like a stray.
Maybe because it's pushed on us, maybe we are hard-wired that way, but it becomes a habit to look for someone to follow or mimic, either consciously or otherwise.
At every stage, as we became more and more independent, as we lose the by-default guides, the search for an instructor to depend upon intensifies.
No, no, the reason for this habit is not only the schooling system where a teacher makes us read, write and think.
And no, it's not just the industrial-work-culture, where bosses tell us what to do, by when to do it, and what will happen to us if what's to be done doesn't get done.
And no, it's definitely not just the Indian family drama, where mothers tell their children what not to eat, where brothers tell sisters what to wear, and where fathers tell their children what field to major in.
This is a pan-humanity habit - looking for instructions: and seems this started very early in the history of mankind.
Probably only the first act Adam and Eve did (maybe not even that): eating the apple: was the only act that didn't come with any instruction.
Immediately after they ate the fruit - it was declared forbidden - it was understood that they "shouldn't have" eaten it.
And immediately after that, a master or God was seen as a father to follow, and listen to, and not question.
Ever since then, every act or every step that we take comes preloaded with a list of "should haves" and "shouldn't haves", or more colloquially, "Do's" and "Dont's".
And what's more interesting is that any achievement the humanity deems "worthy", has been when someone didn't listen to the instructions.
It's like when someone wants to climb Everest, everyone around says: Don't do it, don't do it. Only once after its done, they say: Bravo! Well Done!
If we look back, every religion spawned when a free-thinker didn't agree with the instructions being given by the leaders of the already existing religions.
And immediately, his followers turned their mind shut - they followed him after that, and hence the entire cycle started again.
I say it's prudent to seek guidance, it's intelligent to learn from others, and it's wise to follow - because all of that is a conscious decision.
Being aware of who we are following, what we want to emulate, and what we believe in - this is called having 'faith'.
Its the unconscious act of letting others affect our thoughts and moods and decisions - that's what I am talking about here.
The habit of following, which started for our own good, now becomes a second-nature, and we don't even know what or who we are following.
It's not just about the long-term goals and career-paths and life-partners; we let others have a say on even the smallest and everyday choices like our mood, how our day will go, how we behave with people we love.
William Ernest Henley wrote in "Invictus":
"I am the master of my own fate, and I am captain of my soul".
Can we all say that we are what Mr. Henley talks about?
Don't we let others choose our destiny? Don't we let others choose what we think, how we feel, where we go, and what we do?
Do we steer our own boats? Wouldn't we rather wait for a Captain Jack Sparrow to come and guide us?
Do we keep letting outsiders have an effect on what happens 'inside' of us?
Do we allow people to control our emotions, our moods, our thoughts, our actions or worst still, our in-actions?
Getting inspired is one thing: if it's conscious if we are aware of what we are becoming by following our inspirations.
But getting bullied, and not even knowing you have been bullied, is the worst form of slavery.
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