So the other day I was talking to a friend and she mentioned a game going around in her circle. The game is basically to answer a question: Who do they want to be in their next life? (The question already assumes the validity of next life existence and all that.)
So she asked me the same question. Who would I want to be in the next life? The first answer that popped into my head was: someone normal, doing normal things. You know someone who blends in and is not different.
Her next question was so you want to be T. Now T is an acquaintance whom I despise. But by all standards she is one of the most normal, conforming person I know. She got married when she was 25. She had a kid when she was 29. She has a career and family. She never had any parental or childhood or any kind of issues. EVER. She is not bothered by what’s going on in the world, she has no inkling about the latest news. But then she also don’t have any common sense or sense of humor.
So yeah, may be like her but with a bit more common sense and sense of humor. “But then isn’t that the catch?” My friend asked. “As soon as you have common sense and sense of humor you are no longer normal. You don’t conform. You don’t fit in.”
She has a point, doesn’t she? What do you think? Does having common sense sets you apart from the crowd?
And what would you want to be in next life?
P.S.: 1. If you are wondering, I went to a desi party on new year and was surrounded by the typical normal desis. I felt really out of place which explains my answer the next day.
2. The most asked questions in the party were:
- So your husband work in which oil company? (Houston is the world’s oil capital, hence the assumption about oil company).
- You are not married! Are you engaged?
- You live alone and you cook everyday?
Not that I was surprised by the question, just out of place.
hmm.. if 'T' does not have common sense, then she is the one who is not conforming, isnt it? Because, common sense is nothing but what a majority of people think, or what people commonly think, or its that sense that has evolved to be known as 'common sense' because people over the years have thought in that particular manner.
ReplyDeleteAs far as being normal (or not) is concerned, even the definition of normal is debatable. What seems normal to one, might seem abnormal to other. After all, we all live in our own small realities, dont we?
@Neha: Guess you haven't heard the expression:
ReplyDelete"There is nothing more uncommon than common sense".
Common sense doesn't necessarily mean what majority thinks or what is common but something that is obvious or logical conclusion that can be deduced in any situation. Merriam-webster dictionary defines it as:
sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts.
It doesn't necessarily mean that majority will draw the same conclusion. The use of the word "common" in common sense can be confusing but it means logical and not thinking of the majority. And hence it is so uncommon.
I agree about being normal, it depends on how you define it and hence I also used the word "conforming" to describe my definition of normalcy. Not to stand out from the crowd but be part of it.
But again, I guess the conformity with one group of people/culture can be very easily considered oddity with others. Like arranged marriage. Conformity with Indian and a lot of middle-eastern culture, an oddity in western culture.
So I agree, that we can't completely be normal but some of us don't conform in their natural habitat/native culture. And even if you conform in other cultures, you still would be an odd one out as that is not your native culture: dhobi ka kutta, na ghar ka, na ghat ka...