SILVER LINING

Silver Lining

When a person’s actions are based on the quantity of pleasure and pain surrounding it, he becomes “utilitarian”. Thinking about “greatest good for greatest number” becomes the ideal thing to do. Then there are those who think about themselves, self-centric, and the universe revolves around them. Generally they are pleased by the materialistic pleasures and hence can be an example of consumerist or materialistic mindset. There are others who believe in destiny and have a positive vibe about things, no matter how bad the weather gets, they are the optimist and diametrically opposite stands pessimist.

There are sophists, realists, hedonists, pluralist and plenty of other heavy words to describe the behavior of a person. Philosophers/ phycologists tend to categorize people over certain key traits and then behave accordingly. There is no right or wrong in it. It’s just the way a person thinks or behaves in a given condition.

But is that all? No. There certainly can be a general pattern but the circumstances play a major role in how people behave. “Every philosopher is a child of his time.” Similarly, traits are akin to externalities. There are factors which are beyond my purview still I am responsible for my behavior. Why?

Human nature is the most complex creation of Almighty. The audience just sees the performance or the text and never the context. What happens behind the curtains always remains the mystery and yet a judgement is passed which will leave a scar forever, adding to the long list of adversaries these eyes had to see, this heart had to feel and these tears had to roll for.

The mask which you see wasn’t created in a day. Just like a pottery, it needed the clay of innocence, and the skilled hands of externalities. It was baked in the rough sun of reality and painted with the fake colors of sweet betrayal. And still so fragile and yet eloquent.

Another burden that a happy face carries is of fulfilling the expectations. Whose? Doesn’t matter, never defined. Somehow, expectations become a one-way path where your own doesn’t count and the others weigh a lot. Punching beyond your weight leaves you exhausted at the end of the road, looking at the infinite ether with a sense of hollowness and nadir of sorrow depicted in your eyes. So, what to do?

One moment of happiness. Too much to ask? Sometimes, yes. Sometimes the series of misfortunes and misdeeds defines the character of yours in the Book of Destiny. Or is it just your perspective towards life? Why are there so many motivational speakers and quotes, asking people to keep hoping for the best and be positive?

What’s the ingredient of being hopeful and being positive in life? Can you experience positivity with every failing attempts? No. The basic thing you need is a silver lining. There has to be something to hold onto. There has to be a sense of even a flickering candle at the end of the tunnel otherwise the darkness reigns. How do we get that sense of positivity?

I think that’s not the right question. Because we can’t. That’s why we are asked to focus on our work and leave the rest on God. But it’s not always possible, especially when you are not a blind Believer. Then, what can be done?

We all have read the Gandhiji’s Talisman during our school days and I just picked a leaf out of it. Nobody is standing at the extremes of the queue of Pleasure and Pain. There will be someone having more or less of it as compared to you. The best way to cope up with your pain is to share others and distribute your happiness among others. There is nothing else you can do. Just keep walking and one day you will reach where you were intended to. Maybe the journey is not smooth, but it certainly is a road to walk over. If you want to know life, you have to walk. A stagnant life is not worth living.

Next time you see a face, try to bring a smile over it. Who knows that might be the silver lining you were looking for.