Of Proposals and Psyches: A Glimpse Into Two Worlds

Hello, so I was just scrolling through YouTube short videos when I stumbled across one—a teacher proposing to one of his colleagues in a class full of 5th graders. The whole classroom setup could be seen, and you could hear the excitement, the feel-good drama, and the curiosity of the children in the background—curiosity about their teacher’s personal life, the awareness on these matters, and last but not least, the sheer excitement to be involved, talking to the teacher, seeing him propose in front of everyone. All in all, very joyful.

Now, this is where it kind of hit me. I am born and brought up in a conventional Indian family. Is this something possible in India? Spoiler alert – not by a long shot. After all, we are the same generation of people who blush even in their 20s and 30s when talked about a girl at home—when our mom teases us, “umm umm, kaun hai vo kanya.”

So, what psychological impact do such things have on the kind of person they become in the future?

Is it something related to freedom? Is it something related to their expressiveness? Is this something related to societal conventions or the impact it has over the daily lives of the family?
Short answer: YES.

Let’s address a few of the issues I could think of in the matter one by one—or in a collective manner. Whatever seems good throughout the article.

Freedom? What is it? Is it to do something altogether without worrying about consequences? Is it something to have free will? Or is it complicated enough to get a job and earn money and spend as you like?
MY OPINION: The simpler things are put up, the simpler they are to know.
Freedom: is free will—to let a person dream, imagine the world they see without being bound by the psychological walls and lack of awareness of their own self-being.
So can human beings ever really be free? Theoretically yes, practically I guess not.
Now, you may argue, what about Shaolin monks and babas practicing yoga for decades—or maybe centuries, who knows?
In a way, yes, I too believe they are. But are they really? I cannot say anything about it, as I do not understand the choice or the reason they do what they do. But personally, I do align with the teachings and concepts of yoga. I would love to learn that art. “Yatha pinde tatha brahmande.”

Note: Freedom is not about right or wrong—it’s the morals and principles that make a choice right or wrong.
The world goes with both sides of the coin: good-bad, right-wrong, being-non-being, beautiful-ugly, difficult-easy, long-short, high-low, and many more.
The question is: on which side do you want your own self to align with?

The world was working before you were born and the world will keep working after you die.

Expressiveness? Well, the word explains itself—to share, to tell the world what's going on inside you, to let emotions or calculated thoughts be shared with your peers, friends, family, or simply a piece of paper.

Conventions and Family? I believe both can be better understood hand in hand. I need not speak/write anything on that. Each has their own beliefs, their own perception of how they see the world, and at last, their own system of judgment.
The whole standardization of these things builds the foundation of human society. It is what constitutions, societal norms, rules, and regulations are formed for—to help society function irrespective of their differences.

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Now, finally, the foundation is set. Let’s talk raw—the country flag in classrooms, the proposal in classrooms, the sheer excitement and involvement of 5th graders, the fundamental awareness and expressiveness prevalent in the whole society. Amazing! Really something to be discussed.
But does it also have a subconscious flaw in it—or is it all cherry-cherry?

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To Be Continued ….