I hate how none of us, by us I basically refer to Bengalis from Calcutta are ever taught to be individualistically great. Our limitations of greatness is so constricted to exam performance and getting into engineering colleges into far-off godforsaken lands that its sickening. There is no REAL inspiration to tower over others, to lead the way, rather our motto is always to herd in. To be a successful worker, a banker, an engineer, an accountant, a doctor, a lawyer, a professor, but always humbly be true to home and hearth. In fact, its sickening that its always ingrained in us that we should learn how to be humble before striving for greatness or even achieving it.
As a race, who are the luminaries that we have given to the world? Well, those can be counted on our fingers and most of them would be dead a couple of centuries ago. Also, most of these men/figures, with the notable exception of one chose philanthropy and social reforms to achieve the tag of 'greatness' rather than forge a blazing path of Napoleonic glory. It was all about society, about 'them' as opposed to 'me' or 'I'. I don't think any shred of whatever philosophy Ayn Rand was peddling in her novels would've ever applied or been thought of in Calcutta. Why? Why do we have to cower and let others overshadow us. Why do we awe at the fortitude and strength of others and console ourselves with false and fancy notions that they might be 'great' but we're 'honest', we're down-to-earth, that we're 'safe'. Why are instilled with this sense of comfortable numbness like mice groping around to find a warm hole in a winter's night?
Why don't our parents speak about going forth, expressing a zeal in entrepreneurship and discovery. Did we need some British arrogant scumbags to enslave us and make us realize that we could be something worthwhile? And if they did, where has all that zeal and industry gone now? Do we need another phase of a 'contact' with a second colonial power before our glory days return?
Acceptance and not enquiry is our credo and its disgusting.
As a race, who are the luminaries that we have given to the world? Well, those can be counted on our fingers and most of them would be dead a couple of centuries ago. Also, most of these men/figures, with the notable exception of one chose philanthropy and social reforms to achieve the tag of 'greatness' rather than forge a blazing path of Napoleonic glory. It was all about society, about 'them' as opposed to 'me' or 'I'. I don't think any shred of whatever philosophy Ayn Rand was peddling in her novels would've ever applied or been thought of in Calcutta. Why? Why do we have to cower and let others overshadow us. Why do we awe at the fortitude and strength of others and console ourselves with false and fancy notions that they might be 'great' but we're 'honest', we're down-to-earth, that we're 'safe'. Why are instilled with this sense of comfortable numbness like mice groping around to find a warm hole in a winter's night?
Why don't our parents speak about going forth, expressing a zeal in entrepreneurship and discovery. Did we need some British arrogant scumbags to enslave us and make us realize that we could be something worthwhile? And if they did, where has all that zeal and industry gone now? Do we need another phase of a 'contact' with a second colonial power before our glory days return?
Acceptance and not enquiry is our credo and its disgusting.
