The mentality that drives Indian minds

What’s MATERIALISM?-

The belief that having money and possessions is the most important thing in life. We have become a self centered society, preoccupied with materialism. Related phrases/~Greed, avarice, ego, consumerism- these terms that define a shallow person.-/definition from the Cambridge dictionary

If you should read this article?

When I say, that the decisions we make all our lives are not really thought by us. The career choices we go for. The roads we take. The relationships we forgo. All of these.  Even our conscience has been roughly impacted by the wills and so-called truths of society. And this might seem rebellious to be coming out from the pages of a teenager’s blog post-

This would have been assumed ‘sane’ if it was being delivered by a monk at his sermon attended by thousands of young men searching for hope. Searching for meaning or least, peace! Sometimes, something that incites rebellion in all of us. Something that worries us when questioned by someone. You know you are not alone. I wouldn’t say that there is even a nuance of similarity between what I’m elaborating here and what a monk would say. Well, I did read some but I questioned.

This article is based upon certain interviews and psychological surveys (basically content. I live on it!) that were conducted to study the integrals of the normal human mindset. An insight into what our lives are based upon and what we really miss!

Compiled after months of contemplation and the answers I sought to seek on the verge of becoming happy. Only to realize, that happiness is fiction!

When we question!

Well, perhaps even a monk wouldn’t talk about this. This conflict of opinion. This question people ask themselves every day before going out to work. Those deep answers we surmise before going to bed. Or conversations that keep us up late at night! The answers are not so simple. The first step to developing intellect or perhaps, being more contented and clear, is questioning the ideals one follows. To question your dreams. Whether you’re building your future on someone else’s beliefs and dreams, or your own! In short, think logically and construct your own set of rituals. By critical analysis.

As Indians, we don’t think.  Our upbringing prevents us from doing that. We live our lives behind curtains. I think I wouldn’t be wrong if I say that this particular mentality was infused inside us long back.

As I wrote in my previous article- how capitalism consumes happiness and society,

Colonial rule had an impact on us. When the British in India focused on having more technical people. Clerks had a position or the so-called ‘nabobs‘. This idea of leading ‘secure’ lives pertains because we never were meant to question things. We never were aware of conserving our native languages as English seemed noble. There had been this division of ideologies and mostly, disintegration. Thus only a particular idea persists in the market. The Orthodox conservative Indian mindset driving millions towards oblivion. It seems very profound and happening but it isn’t and never could be. At a 10×10 office cubicle, and the designation of an ideal citizen. He won’t question. ‘sanity of the golden handcuffs!’.

And you’ll only realize this when you question. Is this really your voice? Or are you just protective of this common ideology?

Thus, we still do fear taking the most important life decisions. Moreover, heavy industrialization dating back to the 60s helped in fixating this mindset. The ideal job, the ideal family, all of it has been in the minds of Indians, and anything that disregards this idea, comes out as a fear or a problem. Consumerism has played a parallel to capitalism. And we see a difference. A vast difference here. And I’ll tell you how.

Where India drives!

It eventually helped capitalists make money and brought the world closer to some noticeable issues globally, that was certainly bound to happen. But this article is more about how India sees this and what important changes we’ve noticed. If the entire world is driven by capitalism, why are we so behind? And also, is capitalism really the right solution? Or should these fictions even exist?

In an interview, CRED founder and CEO Kunal Shah said, that India could never be a superpower at this rate. And up to almost 99 per cent of people don’t know what capitalism or socialism is! How can we drive on a basic fundamental then?

While a nation such as America sees 17 per cent of its population as Minimalists. Its basic terminology is practised by a vast rich or millionaire population. Also a fraction of billionaires. Famously, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, JK Rowling and surprisingly, even Leonardo Di Caprio and Ellen De Generes.

With Capitalism, we see that the overall income/wealth of the society increases. Socialism is when everything is governed by the state and everything is divided equally and old monopolists get a chance to keep their feet stable at the market, that’s the reason for this prolonged misery and division of standards and non- acceptance. We are bound to follow not rise. The society works on very Orthodox grounds yet. And socialism has been feeding us. Or the divided low-income people and never truly allowing space to rise but to get them used to it. We are a fearful society. To put your feet in chaos sometimes is not what we usually do or ever learnt to do.

The reason for this huge difference we find between the two societies. namely, THE HIGH-CLASS AND THE LOW-CLASS is this drive for status! A drive to prove to other people. Conforming to them, fitting in and not really to ourselves. Do we really know ourselves? Does all this even matter?

Socialism is a condition true to India, but going deeper into these beliefs, we need to set the right balance for both. An example of socialism here is, MRP(max. retail price), which is fundamentally against the rule of capitalism. To make people understand these terms, it’s going to take a complete overhaul of the Indian education system.

The mindset

We’re fairly reaching there, yet we’re far behind. Socialism is deeply rooted inside the government, what we fail to notice, is most of our taxes is coming from capitalism. But we’re still operating at the mindset of getting a job! And there are many facts behind that lacking.- skills, financial aid. But most importantly, it’s the society that preaches status quo leading to a saturated sense of pride and ego we seek in material stuff and not in the work we do or we like doing.

We follow the rhythm. A set of certain goals everyone preaches, only to end up losing our voice and purpose. We really need to see this forward. The recent change in the education system was in fact a very noticeable one. And it will change things on-root. But it will take time. And India needs it’s own market and innovations. Not ending up with the society that rewards conformity, but finding our own sources of understanding and patterns of belief different from the common one!

What are we seeking?

Our country is more status-seeking than wealth seeking. In one line, people bringing down people. A status-seeking society dislikes anybody going up but in the wealth driven society system, people tend to set overall targets for equal growth and collaboration. We don’t understand this because we’re not an example of a collaborative society nor we’re likely to become one.

The need for neutral platforms in India is very high. Where people are not participating in intellectual debates or taking part in discussions about the future. Mainly, because since the very foundation, we have never been truly allowed to think out of the box and people are fearful about having a different belief. To think, or say your mind, is generally disregarded as your immature trait or your lack of wisdom and experience. That may be, because of how confined lives we Indians live, or how much insecurity we’re fed since childhood. We’re bereft of imagination and creativity.

That’s one reason why we are so clingy to our past and skip the most important conversations that are the need of the hour like, the great Indian economic recession or privatization. We’re clingy with our political opinions, we’re fighting elections on the old topics and are suck on the old principles.

We were happily celebrating past. Unknowingly.

Kunal shah says, “everytime I have seen nations super obsessed about their past, is usually when they are delusioned about their future”.

Well, I wouldn’t say that capitalism is the ideal scenario here, but it’s a better option. That could lead society towards a new start. We could easily sum this up by disregarding both, but that won’t make sure that society works fine. And we can’t let the system die or any system to stop working.

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I started by saying, ‘happiness is fiction‘. I mean that happiness isn’t a goal or a state that can mentally bring you to a state of satisfaction. Human wants are insatiable. And I mean ‘wants’ not needs. Buying stuff leads to hormonal kicks but does that last? Is this going to stay forever? Or is there more to this fundamental?

In the next blog post, I would try to define happiness in terms of Nordic Nations and on what scale happiness is popularly mapped.

Please feel free to drop in suggestions and comments in the box below. It really helps me grow and write better.