7 Things Society Expects from Us

Disclaimer: This article doesn’t target any institution or group of institutions or any human values. The only purpose of this article is to enlighten the often ignored facts about our system. Please do not compare it to any religion, institutions, or any community because it’s not related to any such.

It’s a known fact that our learning begins from our home. We learn from our parents. We learn from our families. We learn from our society. We learn from our culture. Then, we learn from the education system. IN THE SAME ORDER. (Difficult to believe). We grow up in often a protective environment for a certain number of years. And, at one point, the IMPATIENT world expects us to be more responsible, mature, and independent when they didn’t give us a chance to experience any of these from childhood. In the transition of immature to a mature individual, we often fail to identify and challenge the shortcomings. And, we repeat it often that when we become parents, we impose the same on our children. Let me backup my words with a few often heard statements.

• DON’T TRUST ANYONE OUTSIDE. (Instead of nurturing the idea behind trust).

• DON’T TALK WHEN ADULTS ARE DISCUSSING. GO PLAY OUTSIDE!. (Instead of involving them in serious but not harmful discussions)

Does it ring a bell already? Here are the list of things that the society expects us to know:

1. Life is Tough: Yes, it is. The sooner you believe it, the better your ability to direct your life. Nobody tells you this but the bitter experience from the same society that expects from you.

2. Disciplined people are often Responsible: It’s not vice versa. Often discipline is overlooked and ignored but you cannot fulfill any of your responsibilities unless you don’t learn to discipline yourself. Hey, you are NOT a perfect human being so you are going to do a few things that you’re NOT proud of. Learn to acknowledge it or the same society will teach you in a hard way.

3. You cannot ace everything: There is always someone outside who is doing better than you. If you’re good at dealing with money, someone is good at managing people. If you’re good at driving a car, someone is good at riding a sportbike. Accept it.

4. Treasure before it’s too late: Although the first three are important but can be managed at times but this is different and known. Value things and people that you have instead of running behind things that are temporary. If the journey of life is like a treadmill and you’re running on it, you can only hold a few things at a certain pace. The faster you run, the less items you can hold. Learn to respect and cherish things on the way!

5. Dopamine isn’t everything: You can search more on dopamine and its possible implications on the internet. The point is, everything that excites you and makes you happy, isn’t good for your health. If you’re on social media watching videos of cute dogs and cats doing humanly things, people mocking others, memes, and trolls for hours, it looks like you’re addicted.

6. Question your source of knowledge: Everyone of us are clever. We possess unique skills but only some of us are courageous enough to use them for personal gains. In this fast changing and social media filled world, knowledge is everywhere (Mostly Free) and everything. But how much of that is true? Nobody knows! It’s good to be humble to learn the truth but it’s foolish to believe what you see (Without questioning the authenticity).

7. Be Down to Earth: Nothing that you haven’t heard of. Nobody lost anything by being practical and realistic to others but by foolishness. If you’re choosing to be in a toxic relationship despite your sacrifices and compromises, that’s being foolish.

Let’s Summarize with a short story:

Sumedh’s parents were one of the richest people in the neighborhood. They often brought him costly toys and clothes designed by famous artists. With every birthday until he turned 25 yrs old, he had the latest gadget and coolest clothes in his room. Although he was good at academics and gaming, he lacked motivation and people-skill. Neither of his parents thought to nurture him on this. After his graduation, all of his friends were busy with their career but himself. His father, a wise man, advised him often to focus on a particular thing that he is good at but he paid no attention. As years passed, he turned out to be an undisciplined and addictive gamer. When his father forced him to take over his business after his retirement, Sumedh, presuming it to be a piece of cake, happily agreed. As a few months passed, the other investors and board members started to question his caliber. They demanded his resignation. To save himself from sheer embarrassment, he searched for a few easy tips that would make his life less embarrassing. ‘Get out of Toxic Environment’ was one article he found to be useful. Without introspecting much or discussing with his father, he immediately resigned. The next moment, he was all over the news. People who worked in the company during his tenure went on strike and the share price fell to the ground. After a few months, the company was declared bankrupt.

The question is not “Who should be blamed?” but “What is your takeaway from this?”.