Justifications....

Justification is an heightened form of insecurity. The author has come across so many people, including himself, who justify almost anything and everything that they do on the earth. Often, when one faces a dilemma, he/she thinks that he/she is taking the road less travelled. This is fine for the purposes of personal satisfaction. But then, what about this paradigm - "There were no two roads in the first place".

Every hobby, sensibility, action, thought-process, passion, profession, way of life, religious preference, sexual preference, etc. needs to be justified. At times, amongst the people in the circle of life; and most times, with the conscience. I have come across so many cases, that it only makes me all the more bewildered. Does the human being need so much attention/acceptance amongst the self and his/her circle of life?

When you love what you do, why should it be justified?

To highlight a few of the often come across cases, with no need for any justifications whatsoever, (given along with a few of the author's comments):

• I want to serve my country. I do not want to spend my life outside India. I have my parents to take care of.

Do they think twice before working for an MNC? What about entrepreneurships and work related to the social sector?

• Why should Hindustani Classical Music system give so much importance to time? Isn't it foolish? Cannot the musician bring about the moods and emotions along with those related to time by playing soulfully?

Who is more qualified to pass such a judgement? You, me or the legendary legends who have embraced the practice of time for centuries?

• I cannot do a PhD. I am not fit for it. It is not a lucrative affair, and involves spending 4-5 years of prime time.
  

No comments.

• Life in US is great. I like it. I cannot imagine going back to India. I like this freedom and the exposure to an international way of life.

What makes you look down upon the Indian way of life? What about the 20+ years of life over there? Isn't life in the US a big compromise too? Don't you seek the very Indianness that you look down upon there, here?

• What am I doing here in India while most of my friends are in the US? What sort of work am I doing?

The grass is always green on the other side. Unknown to many, life in the US has its own fair share of trials and tribulations. Work anywhere, can get mundane. It all depends on being at the right time, right place, right group, right work environs and right company.

• What is Western Classical Music? Very rigid. It doesn't appeal to me.

Ignorance is not bliss. It would be better not to pass judgements without being in a position to do so. Bach, Beethoven and Mozart have survived for centuries. Your liking it or not liking it doesn't really matter. Blessed are the souls (kindly exclude me) who can appreciate fugues, counterpoint and harmony.

• Classical music is not for me. It is highly evolved and beyond my comprehension.

Giving up without trying is plain cowardice and lack of strength. Classical music has that innate power to sustain and enchant our lives. Be it carnatic, hindustani or western. They are all no doubt, highly sophisticated and evolved. But then, aren't we getting into a Catch-22 situation by avoiding them?

• Reading books is a waste of time. There are better things to do than that.

When one counts the hours wasted everyday doing nothing, reading books is definitely not a waste of time. Arts, be it literature, painting, sculpture, music, cinema - are the most powerful forms of human expression.

• I love management. It being a more lucrative option just happens to be so. All technical persons finally end up on the management route, managing projects and people. Let me get into it right after my engineering.

With no offence meant to people related to management, some jobs essentially involve selling soaps. It is perfectly fine if you love management and quit the technical side. However, there is no need for any justification.

• How can you love that piece of trash? (book/music/movie/whatever)