The piece discusses repentance and habits, emphasizing the importance of personal responsibility and the societal impact of individual actions. Ultimately, positive contributions are vital for individual and societal growth.
After failing to make easy money online and being ditched by the advertisement, Bunty’s natural after-effect action was repenting. It followed days of restless nights, desperation and frustration. The only thing he did besides damage control was self-promise so as not to get trapped in such a scam again. Bunty did the same, but the feeling of repentance persisted for long.
Days after this, the wound healed, leaving no scars. One day, Bunty looked restless again. He divulged the cause in a rather terse tone. An email had popped up on his computer screen informing him about a hefty traffic challan. He was directed to deposit the amount of challan within the stipulated time, failing which legal action was to be initiated. It was a worrisome notice that made him furious. Recalling the incident, he said that he jumped a red light wearing no seat belt. He often flouted traffic rules but was not caught before. It made him casual and careless. “It all works,” he would say, shrugging his shoulders. Now, he was furious and repenting his action. Once again, he promised himself not to repeat it.
Bunty is not single. People act in their way, sometimes in ignorance, and at times deliberately. They repent when something goes wrong or are caught on the wrong side. Instead of accepting their mistakes, they try to defend themselves on frivolous grounds and give lame excuses. A few people self-curse and start flogging a dead horse.
My neighbour’s son did not get through his examination. He became gloomy thinking he was caught between the devil and the deep sea. Why? “My father, who has great expectations would curse me and beat me blue and black.” He had said. The teenager was under pressure from his parent. The boy was not sad because of his failure but because of the terror of being beaten. Though he was realizing his unsuccess, he couldn’t accept it. Ultimately, down with a fever, he felt fatigued.
Repentance is natural, but lugging it is not healthy for the individual.
Failure, mistakes, and unconsciously flouting the norm are normal. It is rightly said that to err is human. Repentance is natural, but lugging it is not healthy for the individual. Nevertheless, there are habits or compulsive actions that must be given serious thought, especially when it affects the life of those attached to such a person. It leads to nowhere but to a blind alley. Relations start straining, sometimes reaching a dangerous level and leading to an untoward incident. Returning becomes impossible. It not only ruins their lives but shatters all attached persons or family members.
Habits are the outcome of repeated actions of a particular type. Smoking, for instance, starts as a wish to show oneself as special and different from the crowd. It then becomes a hobby. During the early stage, it causes nausea and vomiting, but with time, it becomes a habit. Conditions vary, but most growing children pick up habits copying peers and people whom they consider their heroes like silver screen stars. The formative years are very crucial. It needs careful planning by the parents and close watch. Similarly, devouring excessive and uncontrolled liquor ruins the life of an individual. The list is long.
Image-conscious people, caught within the trap of obnoxious activities, often regret and task themselves not to repeat it further. The habit, yet, compels them to repeat bad things, hindering them from not doing unethical and unlawful activities. There are people also who deliberately do not want to be involved in harmful activities damaging to them or the people around them. The accidental trapping, pressing conditions or compulsions, nevertheless, push them to the brink of a dangerous trench. They fall if they do not get prompt help.
Self-flogging is sometimes taken as atonement by a wrongdoer. They feel that the act of euphemism will wave off the harm they did. Reparation, though, can’t fill the void. It gives a chance for self-healing and coming out of the labyrinth of guilt. It is for those who are innocent and pure in their behaviour. An analogous example will illustrate the point.
There had been an incident of cold-blooded mass killing in India during the colonial period. Jallianwala Bagh saw cold-blooded carnage in 1919 when people gathered for a peaceful protest in a walled area having only one narrow passage to go out. High-headed General Dyer ordered fire on the unprovoked and peaceful crowd. They were not warned, nor were they given a chance to disperse. Blocking only passage, the armed and intimidating force started firing on order, killing more than one thousand people and an equal number of wounded. Britain has yet not taken note of it. Instead, they tried to glorify Dyer. This is the audacity of Britons.
Society is governed by set norms and customs. It has been framed in the broader interest of Society and human beings. Human actions have broadly been divided into two categories. The deeds which contribute to the welfare of society and overall development and betterment have been termed good or worthy deeds, while negative and destructive actions, behaviour or deeds are bad or ignoble. Most ignoble actions have been termed as illegal and punishable under the law of the land. Some human traits are detrimental to the individual, and some extend to others as well. It is like parasitic plants which siphon off nutrients from the tree they grow at. The personal non-malignant negative traits of an individual are impediments to personal growth and development. Excessive shyness to the degree of timidness pulls back a person, hindering interaction and communication. People become self-confined. The negative actions or deeds need to be shredded off.
An individual is a part of society. The actions of an individual impact not only their family but also society and the nation as a whole. Swami Vivekananda once stated that playing football can lead to greater fulfilment than merely reading the Gita. A healthy individual is more capable of serving their country than someone who is frail and not contributing to society, which ultimately benefits the nation. As human beings, we must contribute positively to society and our country. Embracing all, thinking good for all, and doing good for all has been the mantra of our sagacious primogenitors. It is the spirit of “Vasudhaiv Kutumkam” (The whole world is one single family).
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