I've always admonished people, for doing things out of only duty. Even my parents, at times. I hate, really really hate - even more than brinjals, if you may - when people say they're doing things 'cuz it's their duty. Parents go to office everyday to keep food on the table, not for satisfaction. Sometimes they even love, only because it's their duty to, not because they do love you.
It's really one of my greatest fears. And is, I think the biggest force that holds me back. Duty. Doing things out of a sense of duty. Point is, these voices in my head have finally cleaned my ears of all the wax and cobwebs that there were and MADE me face the fact that the very thing in life that I'd decided was needed to make life worthwhile was, in fact, what I was keeping away from.
I am not quite doing anything out of duty, presently. But then, I'm also not quite doing anything, at all. And that's the sad part. For all the times I've barked, literally, at people and made them gather their wits about them and get on with life, I really am just not doing anything. Not now, at least.
Holding me back was also coming so close in contact with death. Death, up until now had been something that happened to people you didn't know. What happens after it? One option, like some wise person said would be you stealing my identity, robbing me off all my money and running a drug ring from my house. Another one would have to be - nothing. You just turn into dust. Yet another would be- just existing. I could go on - point is : It all happens in a matter of seconds. All of the stuff you've done, lived for, feel for - all gone. Just like that. And then, what?
It's an abstract state of mind. I don't know how to explain it without sounding crazier than I am.
Blah.
But then I think to myself, we'll deal with it when it comes. Why worry about something you have no idea about? And can't have an idea about? Sure, it's scary. But on some level, even that's good. Helps keep your feet on the ground.
What it is that I think really determines if your living or just existing?
It's the simple zing you feel zip through you. If doing something, being with someone doesn't give you that zing, then you really aren't doing what you want to. Your doing that duty thing again. And hence, wasting life.
The voices in my head are also telling me that if a person comments on this post at least twice he/she will get a call from the person they've been secretly crushing on. And that it's time for me to go feed ourselves with chocolate ice cream.
Nuff said.
Yours forever sthupitly.
Comment no.1
Comment no. 2.
And now. Waiting for the call....
And here I was, worried about whether people would get the last para.
Yours forever sthupitly.
a question:
"if not for duty. would this world still function. duty let's say is a form of fuel. keeps people going."
refer to above comment.
phew. that makes two comments.. common jessica alba call me!!
Na-huh. Don't agree with it. Duty sucks. If your talking about running a company, maybe it's k. Actually, even then it's not. If you don't want to do something, you can neither do the thing justice nor yourself.
Sure, she'll call! But the only way she'll get through is if you switch the damn phone on.
Yours forever sthupitly.
methinks that you are confusing duty with lack of aim.
duty i feel is way more noble than any of the things that run this world...and if you are careful enough to do your duties properly, you surely but slowly starting loving them and that when it stops being a pain in the ass.
i hope i've made some sense...and i ain't commenting again...coz i already got someone who calls me each day :P so there, you ain't tricking me into increasing the no. of comments to your post :P :P
I'm hearing what your saying, but I'm not liking it.
Let's see if me can make myself clearer(?)- Take your grandparents, for instance. Or mine, for that matter. Or anyone else s. You get the point. Oh they have the quirkiest of habits, they nag and they want all the attention in the world. There's two ways:
1) "Keeping" them with you because it's your duty and after all they did it for you. It's pay back time.
2) "Being" with them, 'cuz you love them, and it's tough on them- adjusting to being jobless and what the hell - you were ten times worse. It's all in a day's work.
See the difference? They can feel it, you know. When it's duty it hurts them, when it's for love, well it's for love.
Kinda senti... hope I could make the point I was trying to.
You DO!!!??? Who? What? He/ She? ;)
And to repeat myself... here I was worried about whether people would get the last para.
All my love,
Yours forever sthupitly.
Duty or Responsibility or worse, freedom?
Like one of friends put it so aptly: "We have the liberty, but do we have the freedom?"
What it means is if I want to do something, I am at a liberty to do it, but can I go and IMMEDIATELY do it? Then we don't have the instantaneous freedom to do it.
Our sense of duty is, to a large extent, influenced by the freedom we have at a given point of time. And the freedom we have is restricted/constrained by our responsibilities (at least, those that we have accepted).
Or something like that. ;D
About your identities in life, (yes, the plural) well, it comes around to the same.
You have your duty, you have the liberty, but your freedom is determined by *your* sense of responsibility.
And talking about responsibility, well, that's something Irresponsible Stinger is absolutely clueless about.
So, there.
Cheers.
Shri.
PS: Long posts = Long Comments
PPS: I still haven't been called!! Fowl!! Faoul!! Faa-ulll!!!!
since am a lazy bum,I'll do it the easy way :
Comment 1,comment 2.
And now,on to the real thing...
Hmm.Funny you see it that way.But can you hnestly tell me you love each and every single thing about another person you love? :) When your grandparents go on about your bad habits and all,can you honestly tell me you adore them for it? But then you see,you respect them.For what they did,and hence you listen.Not out of love ,but out of respect :) And if it wern't for duty,things wouldn't get done,AT all.
As Srikanth says above,duty comes from responsibility....as others are answerable to you,you are answerable to them..thats how society works.And where there is society and civlization,you cannot avoid responsibility and duty....
Unless that is,you pack your bags and head for the himalayas ( not one of those mountain climbing things,this one has to be one way ;) ...)
ahh alright already,am a desperate single loser too.comment 2.call me...someone..anyone :(
@abhi:
Har Har.
Having said that - my grandparents were probably the last people to find faults in me. I think my parents got it, for ever finding faults in me, in fact. But I get what your saying... and that's exactly my point. As a kid, you know less than two hoots about respect, and at that time you can give them unconditional love. I'm saying, that that it should stay that way all through your life.
I understand, if it doesn't. But I was using that as an example. It's like the going to office thing- how can you ever be good at what your doing, unless you love it?
Blah.
All bleddy abstract nouns anyway.
@ bs : I'm not even going to pretend I understood what you were trying to say. All abstract nouns.
At the end of the day, you either love something, or you don't. Whether you came to love it after having started working with/at it 'cuz of duty or out of your sense of responsibility. Fact is, you either do, or you don't.
If you don't... chuck it, and start doing something you do love, else your just wasting yourself and making yourself miserable- you'll only come to regret it later. If you do, then you go dude!
Having said that,
Har har to you too.
Thanks for dropping by you guys,
Yours forever sthupitly.
I know what I am doing, do you? :)
As for the har-har. I finally got the call.
I am lovin' it!!
kewl!!
I do know. If i don't I rectify it immediately.
You got a call!! You mean these things really work? And if you say it was your ma, your dead meat.
Yours forever sthupitly.
the point being....that someone will call me
that you-know-who will call me....
is why i am commenting ;P
sorry for long absense of stupid comments
Of course he will.
Only he's not cute.
:P
That's k.
Yours forever sthupitly.