…scribbles…

There are a lot of times when one us stumbles upon the question of creativity. Especially in India, the country of my birth and present residence. Why so often, we question ourselves, asking that why we do not have a single global product, that was totally conceptualized by us. We can proudly boast one of the best brains in the world. We have so many of the people, who moved outside of our country and have given a lot to the world. (When I look at a country like Israel, I feel there is a lot that we can look and learn from them).

From childhood, we have been taught to follow the book. Its like, if its in the book, its a golden word. We donot tend to question the logic and reason behind it. I remember, when I was going for my A-Levels (which was not in India), my biology teacher told us

“Do not believe, that whatever is concluded here(referring to the book), is true. Do not think it is wrong either. Think over it, research it, with whatever means you have, based on the facts given here (again referring to the book) or somewhere, and come to a conclusion yourself”

Here, I have found it is not the way. Even the teachers feel irritated when you ask them a question, that may actually question the relevance in the book or usually the argument can be closed by simply saying the golden words “I can show in the book”

Is it only about this or more. I refer to Dostoevsky’s Idiot. Where by he raises the question of originality and how they are the ones which are not on top, but the normal person, who has no originality and not so active brain, is in a mundane proffession but still commands the respect of all and the society in general. And from birth onwards, we have been expected to take the beaten-up path.

“Beta, bade hoke kya banoge, Doctor ya Engineer??”

(Son, What do you want to be once you grow up, Doctor or Engineer?)

And your career has been decided for you, no body expects you to be any thing else, and if you are, its not up to their expectations. Why is it so ?? As I have previously talked about, in Maturity…part another, that your parents want you to take the easier path, simply because you will be more secure and safe there. To follow a routine with the same state of dullness as every one follows. As the famous line is

“I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference”

-(Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken)

Funny how we do not have the conviction to take the road that is less traveled, but are quite happy in the other wise a mundane and monotonic life. We are happy of the fact that there is no adventure, for we are afraid, of not being adequately prepared for it. And given this fact, we are quite happy and content.

Even our movies, (although we being one of the biggest movie industries), still lack in originality. Movies being our favorite pastime, and still we notice, the story being copied from an older flick. Our characters, showing themselves off in the same stereotyped roles, that they have been performing from ages, and will so do continuously until someone else does them in a better way.

Many at times, my friends will burst in to discussion about studies in their school, and recite various formulae and/or chapters, and I listen to them, stupified, wondering how I don’t remember the the whole thing word by word, but instead only the jist. Why I don’t remember the Formulae, because I was given the handbook, in which it contained all, so that before the exam, I won’t waste time cramming up various formulae. As Sir Author Conan Doyle puts it so fittingly through Sherlock Holmes

“Our brain is like an attic, with limited space…Do not crowd it with information that can be easily found”

We have been repeatedly conditioned to follow and think in a pattern, on top of that we, by nature of being Indians, always so readily accept how things are and willingly compromise. And so easily, either we just don’t seem the problem at all or if, at all, we see, we just tend to find if someone already has a solution. For long, I have not seen anything that has been original.

The problem, of lack of originality, of finding a simple, easy and safe end, leads to lack of creativity. For we are conditioned since birth, to follow an example and not create one, to think in specified pattern instead to venture out in the open. I feel myself as a perfect example of this state and for long I have been trying to change. But with every day as it passes by, I realise, I am more afraid to take the risk, and instead follow the general beaten path, in order to achieve security.

We are in country, where by have been taught, not to make mistakes…and again.. I remeber something

“Those people, who don’t make mistakes, don’t usually make anything !!”

The reason, we don’t have a product, which is totally is ours, is simply because, we do not have an Idea, that is ours !! And we will so be until we change ourselves. We tout ourselves as a knowledge based economy, boasting ourselves having the biggest knowledge base in the world. But what is all this knowledge worth of, when it does not come up with an original idea of its own, but relies on others to define a course, on which they can follow, with eyes almost shut. We can as well might be called, Computers, who are good at calculating things, like we are, but are not intelligent, as we all know.

share the scribbles

Hide Sites

Tags: Crap //