Wednesday, December 04, 2013

The Danger of a Single Story - Perceptions and stereotypes!



What a wonderful writer and narrator she is. I really enjoyed every bit of the writer's narration. I have my own bit to add. A single story or cliches or stereotypes, as we call it, are in abundance in society. Notions, perceptions, often incorrect or based on others' views about people, communities, religions, regions etc remain engraved in most minds. Because people believe what they hear and read or what they see around them and use it to measure the entire lot of similar people.

Often such wrong perceptions lead us to make wrong decisions about certain people, be unduly fair /unfair to them and in some cases result in hatred.

Perceptions can be of many types. Just like negative perceptions about good or normal things exists, so can incorrect good perceptions about wrong things can exist. We need to go a step beyond and learn and research the truth about a thing, people or events before we start to believe it blindly. Its like having a mind of your own. But people have no time to know and understand. Believing the first story that's doled out before one is the order of the day. We are connected by the web, community sites and the world's getting a small place. But our hearts are getting smaller as we are getting intolerant. Our minds are contracting as we often believe the negative stories. Our sadist brains enjoy them.

I have seen unjust people in oft termed 'unjustly treated societies'. I've seen unethical practices in so-called traditionally rich and pure cultures. And I've also seen happiness and love being spread by those who have got only hurt and hatred. Such are the paradoxes of the world we live in. If only we open our minds to see. Cause no longer is seeing believing. But feeling it with your heart is definitely believing.

I pray that we do not restrict ourselves to single stories alone. But look beyond such stories that we read or hear.

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