How True this is!

I happen to read this quote of the day today and thought I did share this bit with you.

“I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones.” - John Cage

I really like these smart quotes. They say a lot in just a small sentence. Whereas, I have seen people with logorrhea effectively making no sense.

Somewhere one needs to understand that ‘old’ here refers to rudimentary ideas and not traditional values or knowledge of the ancient civilisation.

I have some points to show the comparison:

Old: A man never cries
New: It’s perfectly ok for a man to cry.

Old: Cooking is for girls
New: Boys can cook too

Old: Woman’s place is at home, cooking and taking care of children
New: Well it can be the other way around and still better it’s a joint responsibility

Old: Man can do whatever he wants
New: So can women too

Old: Confess and your sins will be pardoned
New: Why sin in the first place

Old: Homo sexuality is a disease
New: Whatever, its real and lets accept it

Old: A boy must take the first step in proposing
New: Come girls don’t be shy, you can do it too

Old: One must visit church, temple, mosque or whatever
New: You heart is where GOD lives, no need to go no where

Old: Educate, Graduate, be a responsible citizen
New: Doesn’t matter, as long as you take the responsibility for being a good citizen

Old: Hide your emotions; they are sings of your weakness
New: Go ahead, confess that you love someone

Old: Respect the elders
New: Yes indeed one must, but why only elders, why not all human beings

Old: Do something so good that when you are gone world remembers you
New: Don’t bother, just do good things and aspire to die unknown

Old: USA is saving the world
New: Actually it is ruining it

Old: Never quit till you die
New: Hey, save your head, you will have another chance to put a hat on

And I can go on with many such silly notions that still prevail in the year 2005. It makes me wonder if the world as a society has really progressed. We still have famine and poverty. There hundreds and thousands of people dying for no natural reasons. The old idea of control and empire has failed and we are still living the same. The modern kingdom is in form of multi billion dollar corporations and big countries like USA. They have very interesting ideas like WTO, Global village etc. They we also have their cousins, extreme opposite radicals like the Green Peace. I can understand the green part of it but I don’t see peace anywhere.

Once I witnessed the rally put up to demonstrate against G8 summit in Australia. Or it could have been some similar summit with so many international dignitaries attending the conference. The protesters were screaming, shouting, showing placards and making a huge hum drum about it. I was there. I was watching. I spent time on the sides observing the protesters. I was amazed from where did they get that energy? Not for long. As I walked over to nearby 7/11 shop to buy a drink and pack of smoke, I saw a few of the protesters there buying their own stocks. Stock of Red Bull energy drink!! This led me to investigate a little.

I came back that night and started talking with some protesters who were taking a break. Offered them some sandwiches and cigarettes and started talking about it. Many of them were high on one or the other mind altering substance like cannabis or ecstasy. I praised their efforts and expressed how much I admired their courage. They could not take this praise longer. Looking around making sure no one is hearing us, they confessed, the entire thing was not genuine. Many, not all, but many of the protesters there were paid to be there. Paid? I asked them who paid this and no one had a clue but they were all members of some labour union which sent them to protest around Australia and also paid them some money.

More I asked more I was convinced that it’s not exactly all that meets your eyes is what is actually happening.

This is where I am saying we are still living in the old ways. The ways of expanding kingdoms and controlling masses by any which way one can. Is there true freedom anywhere? Perhaps not. Perhaps there is, but we haven’t found it.

Tragedy is no one is even looking for it. Someone told me how can they look for something they haven’t known yet. With a deep sigh I realised how true this person was. How can we find that true freedom when we haven’t experienced it. Then again I feel we were born free but got conditioned by the old ways. That is why, maybe, we are afraid of new ideas.

Well whatever, do send your comments.