When I watched “Gladiator” starring Russell Crowe, two things stuck in my mind:
- Russell Crowe, what an actor!
- How this atrocity was allowed?
Ok. The King was consumed with the lust of power and I can get why he revived the tradition.
But how could an entire generation of people support this AND
More importantly, could such similar traditions flourish in present day too???
Crowd cheering for Gladiators
Was something wrong with the people?
They were builders of Colosseum… and they were common people like us concerned with their day-to-day activities, taking good care of their families, helping their friends, abiding by the laws. Everyone, simply, cannot be humanity-bereft.
If there was nothing with the people, we should have such tradition. Right?
We do have… WWE – Two wrestlers fighting in a fixed match and why not, smash the chair in somebody’s head while I am encouraging you.
Why take something of which we are simply a spectator? Why not something we are a part of? Something we are a lot closer to. Birthdays in hostel. You all must have experienced the thrill of hunting down the birthday boy and showering him with chappals, sandals, kicks, etc… Out of the million ways to make him feel special, we choose the trashing way. Why we are not satisfied and call others? If I were a 3,000 A. D. kid, how inhuman this celebration would seem?
More importantly, why is the birthday boy himself not happy internally unless he is hunted or beaten? (I have been there).
Ragging… or to give it a moral justification PDP (Personality Development). Is there any sense in creating more fear in a guy who is probably first time away from home, having difficulties in new surroundings, no friends? Because you want to prove you are superior? If one argues it opens up, the image of troll “Are you ____ kidding me?” Ask yourself, is this the only or best way? My friend, when he met his tech-daughter, he simply talked to her. Making her comfortable, listening to her, advising her (in the faintest hope of following) and she is quite open to him till date.
So, Why?
Answer lies in the question. We don’t ‘Why?’ Are the answers meted out by society accepted by my standard of logic? Think of it… Sati, caste system, widows are inauspicious…
Man, what we do is less atrocious in nature. I think we are equating two different things…
No one thinks we are ‘evil’. Everyone is righteous in their perspective. This not raising “Why” mindset is capable of creating evil without us recognizing it and even making us perpetuator and propagator. (Devotees becoming rioters…)
So…
We all are logical creatures. Let’s try thinking the logic. Let’s try thinking ‘why’ in traditions. If ‘why’ is valid, bring on. Until that, old traditions will be phased out and new traditions will be established and our future generations will realize how naïve and stupid we have been and similarly they would be stuck in the same obsolete loop.
P. S.: Think about ‘Why’. (If nothing comes up, I will once again highlight a tradition in upcoming posts.)
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