some opinions that are best left said

This is part of the email I sent to a friend of mine. The article in question is this one - http://www.suhaibwebb.com/ummah/women/a-letter-to-the-culture-that-raised-me/

Is this oppression or is it an expression of their free will?

"I do find this interesting. The conversation and the article. And here's what I think of it (I know no one asked me for my opinion, but I'm used to giving it nevertheless). It doesn't matter if she believes that God asks her to cover her body from men for respect. It doesn't matter if she, or rather another woman with a different point of view, wears short skirts to impress men. And it doesn't matter if gender is a dividing line in religion. Each individual life form (or at least every sentient life form) has the autonomy to decide what is best for them. So if one woman wants to wear makeup and pretty clothes and make men go gaga on her, who are any of us to tell her that she must not be so? If we say that she is more than just a pretty face, then we must also say that she has the ability and the right more so, to decide if she wants to be just a pretty face. If another person wants to cover herself, let her do so. If a man wants to wear a burqa, let him do so too. I think where a lot of movements go wrong is that when a particular point of view arises that tries to impose on others, then a contrary opinion arises that tries to impose too. And that's where we go wrong. All of us. We make the same mistake that the other side does. Believing that our moral stand point is the right one, or the superior one. I don't wear a burqa and would feel constrained if asked to do so, but that doesn't mean someone else would too. Unfortunate it is that we usually judge others by our own experience, and believe we have the right (in a moral sense, not in a legal sense) to tell others what is best for them. Like our parents did with us. Like we realized that they don't know what's best for us. We do. 

(sorry that was really long. i was just mostly thinking aloud)"

just thoughts

I was going to write about something else but now I want to say first that I don't like this new layout of blogger. Or maybe I do. I don't know. I could get used to it I suppose.

I was talking to my friends about internet security. I'm always talking to them about internet security. I'm not entirely listening to my own advice though am I? Writing on blogger and stuff. But then again, my opinions have always been public. So all I need to do is to make sure that I only write opinions on blogs and stuff like that. There was this article I was reading the other day that my friend sent, that spoke about how what we all really want is to be heard. And that is really true. That's why we write on blogs and go on facebook and stuff right? Because what we want is to have other people watch us. We want them to see our lives as we want them to see it. Pretty neat in a way.

I'm really zonked out today. At work, but can't concentrate or socialize. What am I thinking of? Lots of things. Right now, internet security. And also how there are some people who are just born with brilliance. And there are others who are born with slightly less brilliance. And all the slightly less brilliant ones can do is admire the more brilliant. I think brilliance is something that comes easy to the brilliant. I think there are few brilliant people who would actually believe that they are brilliant.

What am I getting at? Nothing. I just wanted to write. Put myself in the public domain so to say. I'm done now. 

continued from the last post

Here are the labels I came up for myself -

1. Female
2. Indian
3. Mallu
4. Bi-sexual
5. Urban
6. Student
7. Upper middle-class
8. Liberal/progressive
9. Leftist
10. Political
11. Agnostic
12. In a non-exclusive relationship
13. Tom-boyish
14. Intellectual
15. Foodie
16. Vegetarian
17. born christian
18. lawyer to be
19. Feminist
20. Human rightist
21. Non-conformist
22. Fat
23. Morbid
24. GOT fan

that's where I stopped counting

Labelling

We love labelling. Us, humans. Everything needs to have a name, a label. Homosexual-heterosexual, asian-caucasian, friend-boy/girlfriend. Why can't we just people be? Let ourselves be, actually. I wear 'boyish' clothes sometimes, and speak English, and have lived all over India, and like both women and men - sexually and otherwise. I study law and want to teach in a school and love old hindi songs and Beethoven. I'm also in love with (and sexually attracted to) a fictional imp who in turn is fascinated with whores. (which ofcourse is a very politically incorrect thing to say cuz imps are "little people" and whores are "sex-workers", which would usually lead me on to a tangential line of politically correct words, which I think is bullshit cuz I don't think it fucking matters what word you use and what really matters is the intention with which you use it). I'm apparently a feminist who wears the symbol of female slavery, the anklet. That makes me a whole lot of labels. I counted 23 and then got bored. 

Because I'm so mad this sounds like a diary entry

There are few things that I'm prickly about - books, my intelligence, and (I realized right now) my appreciation of good humor. I'm a comedy fan. It is my favourite genre, of movies, music, books, tv....anything. I enjoy a good laugh. But it's more than that. Comedy is to me what fantasy fiction or science fiction is to some people. It's almost a religion. And I feel just as outraged when someone says or implies that I don't appreciate humour as when a Harry Potter fan is told that s/he is a muggle! So today I got irked. Okay, more than irked. I got mad. I got mad because three of my friends who are big fans of the tv series Friends implied that I don't appreciate humour because I don't like that show. And I know this probably sounds silly, but I actually could not stand that!! The essence of appreciating comedy is understanding the difference in tastes of humour. Not everybody likes the same kind. And here's the deal - Friends is NOT about comedy!! It may be a great show, but it isn't about comedy. I'm not saying it's not funny. It is. But the show is a sitcom - it is some drama and it is some comedy, and most of all it "endears" to people as the very same friend says. COMEDY DOES NOT ENDEAR!!! I know all the Friends fans will kill me. But I'm so sick of this! Enjoy the kind of funny that you like, but do NOT tell me that I don't appreciate humour. Because if this is ever done to me again, I will watch all of Friends just to criticize it as a work of comedy. And I don't want to do that. Because as a fan of comedy, I must accept that every person likes a different sort. And really, shouldn't friends keep away from sensitive topics? Pulling someone's leg is funny, but even comedy has a limit and when stretched too far, just becomes sad and terrible. 

Why I read - Part 1

Life is all a matter of perception (or MoP as my boyfriend calls it). Everything that you and I say, do, believe is determinant on the perspective that we have on life. Which is why if you are observant enough, you can be "psychic". When you 'know' someone, you can predict their behaviour; you can tell if so-and-so person will like such-and-such music or whether x and y will get along or hate each other, all kinds of stuff. (I spend my life trying to make myself as unpredictable as possible and I think I'm proud to say that I think I've succeeded to some extent at least).

But I digress (like Austin, except it's shorter). Back to MoP. Now, since everything in our life is so dependent on perspective, isn't it then important that we cultivate this, that we choose which perspective we will live our life by and have the opportunity to change that if given good reason to? I think yes. So it's really surprising that most of us spend such little time and thought on creating the right perspective for us. This is where reading comes in for me. It is obvious that I can't go through all the varied experiences that a human being could go through. So instead of going through them myself, I go through them vicariously, by reading.

Writing, any form of it, is basically a perspective laid down by somebody. This perspective may coincide with mine, it might be totally contradictory to mine, or it may be something completely new. If coinciding, it can help reinforce my own perception and even give me stronger reasons for believing that I am right. If contradictory, it allows me to see the good points of that perspective, maybe rebut some assumptions or conclusions, or simply decide that it doesn't suit me. And something completely new, well, there needn't be much said about that right? Broadening of horizons and all of that.

So the more I read, the greater my understanding of the world and its workings etc. It helps me sort out my beliefs and understand why I think the way I do.

But getting different perspectives on life is only one of the reasons for reading. In later posts, I will talk about other reasons for reading. Maybe. 

Fans and obsessions

I can't obsess. No I mean it. I can't. I want to, but I can't. Everything I've 'obsessed' over...has lasted hardly a month. It didn't even start until 3rd year in college..can you believe that? So I spent 19 years of my life without a single obsession - not one actor, not one show, not one singer..nothing. Kinda sad. And now I realized I can't anymore. My attention span is too short. Too short. So I went mad about Jim Parsons, the actor from Big Bang Theory for a little bit. And then I moved on. And then I obsessed over Star Trek, the show...for a bit. Moved on again. Obsessed over Arthur (Camelot, Merlin and stuff). But it seems I'm moving on from that too. Moving to Game of Thrones...I'm trying to learn Dothraki. But learning a language is difficult. And I don't know how long my attention will stay. And I forget things. I have to read something over and over to remember it. I don't know why. So many people just remember things they love. I don't. I can't even remember Jim Parson's birthday now. That's how sad I am. I don't know why this is so. Maybe I'm too sensible, maybe I can't concentrate on one thing or one person, or I don't have persistence. Yeah that's what it probably is. Anyway whatever the reason, I just don't know a whole lot about anything. Because I get bored. I really hope someday I will be able to. That there'll be this one topic that I will be like a real expert on. That will be sooooo cool.