Author: Pooja Bisht

Is Fashion Really Important?

Fashion is a worldwide phenomenon. From small kids to old people, almost everyone is familiar with the latest trends whether they like it or not. Fashion cannot be undermined especially given the sale numbers. For instance, the global apparel retail market is currently worth $1.34 trillion in retail sales per year. If footwear and jewelry are included, that value rises to around $2 trillion. These numbers may show fashion as an indispensable tool however I’d like to differ from this argument. Fashion, in reality, has put immense and unnecessary pressure on individuals. It has created such high standards of evaluation that people have forgotten the true meaning of fashion; to dress as one likes. Therefore, fashion is not really important because it puts the individual in a position where they cannot express themselves freely without wanting to keep up with others.

The first argument as to why fashion should not be considered very important is because it’s unrequired. Fashion is given too much importance in society. So much that the level of obsession regarding fashion statements has only been increasing. With the emergence of e-commerce and focused apparel branding, the ‘importance’ of fashion has been restated again and again. In 2017, a total of 60 million online transactions occurred on the fashion e-commerce sites themselves. The market for fashion from then has only grown. Buying apparel is not bad, however, the mentality of wearing one to prove yourself is wrong and people who tend to divert away from fashion trends are often targeted by fashion lovers or ridiculed for their ‘fashion sense’. People have forgotten that what defines an individual is their ideals and personality, not some high brand clothes.

Secondly, fashion does not restrict itself to clothing sense but also extends to body style.
What most people neglect while talking about fashion is the requirement of it to have a particular body size and shape. The fashion trends demand you to not only wear clothes of a particular style but also for you to have a certain body size and weight. This puts immense pressure and creates self-doubt and complexity amongst people who do not possess these “standard” bodies. An example of how fashion induced ‘body-standard’ can lead to harmful situations was seen in August 2018, when a 22-year-old aspiring fashion designer committed suicide for the continuous body shaming attacks that she was bombarded with.

Thirdly, fashion can become an unhealthy addiction. This statement especially rings true for kids and teenagers where keeping up with latest trends and incorporating them in their wardrobes becomes an addiction. With every change in trend, the addicted individual is made to change their sense of style. The addiction can sometimes become so severe that individuals tend to spend a huge amount of their time just dressing up. Research has indicated that shopping addiction affects even the adults. It is estimated that 5-7% of the adult population, who stay in developed countries are addicted to shopping. The constant anxiety and social appearance that comes with this addiction can only lead to worst-case scenarios in the individual’s life. Hence, fast fashion addiction can prove lethal in daily lifestyle as everyday worries like ‘looking good’ and ‘keeping up’ can occupy a major part of the individual’s thought process.

To justify fashion as important, many arguments have been put forward by the fashion-lovers. One of the argument states that fashion is a way to ‘express your personality’. The way one dresses reveals the type of person they are and can help us judge them better. For instance, a person who is well dressed and in formal clothes is chosen for a job prospect over a person who wears joggers or simple informal clothes for the interview. This is because, formal clothes imply your seriousness towards the job as well as showcases your personality to be that of a neat and immaculate manner. But I’d like to emphasize that this argument does not stand true for every section of society. Fashion comes with money restrictions and not everyone can afford ‘branded’ or even ‘good-looking’ clothes. Nowadays if you wish to look fashionable you are required to have money in your wallet. As the trend rises the cost of fashion apparels also rise, making it impossible for poor people or middle-class people to look ‘fashionable’. Hence, limiting our perspectives to just people’s clothes is very superficial according to me.

In conclusion, fashion in its regular description is not ‘very important’. One should not be pressurized to follow a certain trend or certain clothing style in the name of fashion. Not only is it utterly wrong but also insensible. A person should dress according to their comfort and likes, not to some forced trends or fashion “standards”. After all, ‘Beauty lies in the beholder of the eyes.’

Indian vs American Education System

Being literate is not enough today. Being educated is what we require. Standing and living amidst a competent world, the ability to identify, think, and evaluate for oneself is of utmost importance for any human. The foundation for this is built through education. Hence the education system plays a major role in shaping an individual. It’s inevitable to not discuss and compare the different education systems around the world, however, the American and Indian education systems tend to garner huge attention in contrast to others. It’s especially evident from the large number of Indian students’ who flock to America to pursue their further education. In this article, I too am going to elaborate and sketch out the different characteristics of the Indian education and American education system with the help of expenditure, education structure, course structure, teaching focus, and flexibility of subject choices.


The Indian System of education has long been influenced and changed since the British Colonisation. With India’s independence hurling better opportunities, the education system itself has witnessed very few changes in its learning methodology. It is found that an estimated expenditure of around 6.3 lakh crore in the year 2019-20 is spent by the Indian Govt upon the education sector, ranking India at the 35th position on the ‘Worldwide Educating for the Future Index’ in 2019. India’s education system currently follows the 10+2+3 learning system and the grade levels are divided into Pre-Primary, Primary, Secondary, Higher Secondary, and College. The course structure followed by the schools and colleges is highly rigid as it focuses on certain subjects such as Science and Maths more compared to others and provides absolutely no choice to choose subjects until Higher Secondary. The learning methodology used in early education is solely dependent on cramming and memorization techniques with no room for creative aspects to flow. Students are made to focus on academic subjects more than non-academic and extra-curricular activities. Another unique characteristic of Indian Education is that the teachers are often made in charge to handle 40-50 students per class. This ratio may even go up to 100 students per class in rural areas. Furthermore, students are not required to answer any exam to enroll themselves in universities except for a few selected courses like Medical, Engineering, and Architecture (NEET, JEE, NATA). The admission process for universities is usually based on the marks received by the students in their Higher Secondary Board exams.


America on the other hand, also known as the ‘Nation of Dreams’, proves to be very different compared to the Indian education system. The American government spends over $700 billion every year on its education sector making it the topmost nation to invest in education. American Education also varies in its structure as it follows a 10+2+4 system. The level of grades remains the same as Indian Education, however, they possess different terminologies. For instance, Elementary school refers to Pre-Primary and Primary Education, Middle School refers to Secondary Education, High school refers to Higher Secondary Education and Post-secondary refers to College in the Indian Grade Systems respectively. The American Education also offers a highly flexible course structure from the beginning of lower grades where students are free to opt for courses that they like. Math and Science are not the dominant subjects and activities like sports and non-academics are given equal importance as academic courses. The learning methodology focuses on enhancing the child’s creative and critical thinking skills while minimizing the memorization load. For every class the teacher is assigned not more than 30 students, making it easier for the teacher to pay attention to every child in the class. Lastly, for admissions in Universities/Colleges students are required to answer SAT and ACT compulsorily. In addition to all this, both the Public and Private divisions of American schools have better infrastructure and well-equipped technologies compared to the Indian Government schools.

It’s clear that the American Education System is distinctive from the Indian Education System in many ways, yet it’s not the best in the world. Education Systems should not be focused only on flexibility but should also take into account the needs of its citizens and country. The NEP is a step forward in terms of education in India and this is what every country needs to strive towards. As the years go by the education system needn’t stay static but strive to be dynamic to accompany and enhance the educational power in every citizen. In the end, we should never forget that ‘Education’s true purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.’

Why Conserving Biodiversity is Important and How we can conserve it?

Biodiversity describes the whole range of the different varieties of living things and systems of this earth. Biodiversity can be found everywhere – it includes animal species, plant species, genes, ecosystems and landscapes. Biodiversity is what allows ecosystems to work and flourish. Over millions of years many different species of plants and animals have come to live in the same habitats. Over time they balance each other and hold the ecosystem together. And this biodiversity has been facing a constant decline and adversity. As humans become greedier, we forget our roots and the sole source that keeps us alive and goes on exploiting all the resources available to us in order to gain large profits.


For billions of years the loss of biological diversity has been caused by gradual natural occurrences such as glaciation or extreme events such as volcanic eruptions.
However, for the last few thousand years the main cause has been the growth of human population and the enormous pressure we exert on the planet. We transform our natural ecosystems into agricultural fields and urban areas, we release pollutants, CO2 and invasive species into the environment which damages our ecosystems. Our economic pursuits have led to the extinction of many animal and plant species. When a species is removed (biodiversity is reduced) the ecosystem can lose its balance, causing it to break down. One iconic example of this is sea otters in kelp forests along the California coast. Sea otters feed on sea urchins and sea urchins feed on kelp. If sea otters are removed sea urchins multiply, eating large portions of the kelp forest, destroying the habitat and eventually leading to the death of other animals that live there. The whole ecosystem falls apart. The loss of biodiversity is therefore compromising the quality of our lives. The grave importance and impact that our biodiversity has on us has been described in the previous answer. Biodiversity acts as our main base for ecological balance in the world. If this balance is destroyed, there’s no doubts that destruction will be upon us.


Therefore, if we ignore our responsibilities in protecting the biodiversity we will inevitably end up destroying our future. Thus, it is important for us to conserve our biodiversity. Biodiversity conservation refers to the protection, upliftment, and management of biodiversity in order to derive sustainable benefits for present and future generations. Here are some ways that we can conserve biodiversity.


(1) Government legislation – Governments have the power to control what is done to the habitats within their country. Legislation that protects natural habitats by outlawing development, harvesting of natural resources, or other human exploitation has a huge impact on maintaining natural biodiversity.
Protecting habitats before they have been altered is the best form on biodiversity conservation and is most successfully implemented by government regulations.


(2) Plant local flowers, fruits and vegetables – Research the plants and vegetables that are local to your area and grow a variety. Each plant and vegetable helps to protect biodiversity and supports the wider ecosystem of your local area.


(3) Conserve Your Water Use – Fresh bodies of water are essential to biodiversity.
Reducing the amount of water you use, by having a 5-minute shower or not running the water when washing up the dishes, can help protect vital wetlands.
Plant scientists are also working to help conserve by developing crop varieties that use less water.


(4) Reducing amount of invasive species – Invasive species are sometimes introduced to an area on purpose, but also sometimes by accident. To limit the number of invasive species moved by accident planes, ships, and cargo must be thoroughly checked before it is offloaded in a new country. Additionally, people should not bring new species of animals or plants to an area without consulting ecologists knowledgeable on the region.


(5) Reduce, Reuse and Recycle – Recycling lessens pollution by decreasing energy, electricity, and water consumption and the need for landfills. Not only can you recycle bottles and cans, but your local recycling centre will usually allow you to recycle clothes, electrical goods and batteries.
(6) Support Farmers – Farmers play a key role in conserving biodiversity. With the help of biotechnology and plant science, farmers can grow more food on the same amount of land. This takes the pressure off the need to convert natural habitats into farmland.


(7) Maintenance of Wetlands – Maintain wetlands by conserving water and reducing irrigation. Avoid draining water bodies on your property.
(8) In-situ conservation methods – The most effective way for us to conserve biodiversity with our present knowledge is probably in-situ conservation, that is the conservation of species within their natural habitats. Sometimes direct measures can be taken to protect a species or ecosystem, like creating a wildlife refuge or bird sanctuary.


(9) Ex-situ conservation methods – In some situations, though ex-situ conservation methods are essential. That is, the conservation of biological diversity outside of the natural habitats. We are all familiar with efforts to save the last members of endangered species by capturing them from the wild and transporting them to a zoo where many of their natural threats are removed, their health can be monitored and breeding efforts made. The goal is to grow the population and reintroduce them to their natural habitat. Some plants that can no longer survive in nature unaided are candidates for ex-situ conservation. These are generally maintained in botanical gardens. In addition to plant tissue, microbial cultures are collected and saved.


(10) Purchase of environmental-friendly products – Use environmentally friendly products. Dispose of hazardous material safely. Chemicals that enter the sewer system can contaminate freshwater and ocean ecosystems.


(11) Take a Walk – Climate change can have devastating consequences for biodiversity. Reducing your carbon footprint by taking the bus or walking can help protect it. Plant scientists are also working to combat climate change every day. One example is through innovative developments in conservation till age, which uses less fuel and therefore reduces the emission of greenhouse gases.


(12) Educate Yourself and Those Around You – Learn as much as you can about nature and share your knowledge with others. Educating people about the importance of biodiversity conservation increases public awareness of the issue. Visit ecological interpretation centres, natural history museums, and native fish hatcheries to study local ecosystems. Volunteer at an organization that focuses on conservation or restoration of habitat.


Biodiversity is the utmost gift that we are blessed with and it is our duty to preserve it and let our future generations enjoy the benefits of it as much as we did. As E.O. Wilson rightly said, we should learn to use our biodiversity in the right manner, understand its connect with humanity and learn its importance because it is the most priceless possession we can ever have.

A Look at the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism

Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, is credited for the four noble truths. The Four Noble Truths contain the essence of Buddha’s teachings and principles that he gained after enlightenment.

The Four Noble Truths are as followed:

  1. The truth of suffering
  2. The truth of the cause of suffering
  3. The truth of the end of suffering
  4. The truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering

The First Truth talks about the identification and acceptance of the presence of suffering. Buddha says that life is not ideal as it often fails to live up to our expectations. The only things that are certain and unavoidable are old age, sickness and death.

Buddhism encourages its followers to view the world with a pragmatic approach and see the world as it is. Free from any illusions or enchantments.

The Second Truth, seeks to determine the cause of suffering.
Buddhism says that the root-cause of all sufferings is desire and ignorance. This comes in three forms known as the Three Roots of Evil, or The Three Fires or The Three Poisons.

Buddha says that these three roots of evil are

  1. Greed and desire
  2. Ignorance or delusion
  3. Hatred and destructive urges

Buddha explains that desire is the craving for pleasure, material goods and immortality and all these are wants that can never be satisfied. Therefore, desiring them can only bring sufferings. Although he does clarify that there are positive desires like the desire for enlightenment, good wishes for others, desire to learn, teach etc.

About Ignorance, Buddha says that ignorance is not being able to see the world as it actually is. He argues that, without the capacity for mental concentration and insight, one’s mind is left undeveloped, making it unable to grasp the true nature of things and leading to vices such as envy, hatred, anger and greed.

The Third Noble Truth, the truth of the end of suffering, talks about the possibility of liberation from suffering. Buddha taught that the way to extinguish desire (the root-cause of all sufferings), is to liberate oneself from attachment.

The Third Nobel Truth also has a dual meaning suggesting,

  1. Either the end of suffering in this life, on earth or
  2. In the spiritual life, through achieving Nirvana (after death)

Buddha was the living example of the former.

The Fourth Noble Truth, prescribes the method for attaining the end of suffering. This prescription is known as the Noble Eightfold Path, which is as followed.

  1. Right Understanding
  2. Right Thought
  3. Right Speech
  4. Right Action
  5. Right Livelihood
  6. Right Effort
  7. Right Mindfulness
  8. Right Concentration

These eightfold paths are further divided into 3 themes.

  1. Good Moral Conduct (Understanding, Thought< Speech)
  2. Mediation and Mental Development (Action, Livelihood, Effort)
  3. Wisdom or insight (Mindfulness and Concentration)

My View on the four noble truths

I do agree to some extent that one should pursue to reduce sufferings in life. However, concentrating only on the elimination of suffering is not the ultimate goal of life, because this will deprive us from seeing the other beauties of life. When we consider pleasure and happiness as a desire that we should aim to extinguish, I believe that one would not really be able to live their life to the fullest. Life for me, is the combination of sad, happy, boring and all other moments, that challenge us to grow into a better person.

Apart from this, the fourth noble truth, the eightfold path, is an extremely difficult thing to stick to. In our ordinary lives we as humans tend to make mistakes, tend to do wrong things and learn from them. The eightfold path requires us to be all good which is an extremely difficult command and requires one to be fully devoted to the Buddhism Teachings. This makes it extremely difficult to attain enlightenment, which is why, after Buddha, there have not been many people who were able to truly attain enlightenment in their lives.

Purushartha

Purushartha is a key concept in Hinduism and Indian Philosophy. The word Purushartha comes from the Sanskrit word “Purushartha”, where ‘Purush’ refers to human beings and ‘Artha’ means purpose, object of desire or meaning. 

Together the word Purushartha translates to ‘purpose of human being’ or ‘object of desire’. There are 4 main Purusharthas or aims of human life that one must attain.

The first Purushartha is Dharma. Dharma means truth, the right way of living or the accepted behaviours one should follow to maintain the order of things in the world. On a larger scale Dharma refers to the cosmic law or rules that created the universe. On an individual scale however, it refers to the ethics on which we should live our lives. Dharma advocates that humans should be obedient to their teachers and elders, follow law and justice and practice good virtues such as Ahimsa in life.

The second Purushartha is Artha. Artha signifies means of life. In simpler terms it refers to wealth and materialistic things. It is believed that if you have the security of material comfort then you can live in the world with much ease. Artha does not reject the materialistic nature of the world but teaches us to accept and be content with the material benefits that we are provided with. Some of the examples that Artha include are career, love knowledge, friendships and good health.

The third Purushartha is Kama which means ‘pleasure’. The most common misconception that people have when talking about Kama is the belief that Kama means only sexual pleasure and this is completely wrong. Kama in reality refers to sensual pleasure. Anything that provides pleasure to our 5 senses is a way to obtain Kama. For e.g. apart from sexual intercourse, humans feel pleasure while listening to music, looking at art or other aesthetic entities. Love is also a part of Kama.

The fourth and last Purushartha is moksha. Moksha is the ultimate Purushartha as it is the most difficult to obtain. Moksha means liberation, to free or let go. In Indian Philosophy it is believed that our souls are eternal and never die. It is believed that souls just inhabit one body after another leading to a cycle of deaths and births. Moksha refers to the freedom from this cycle of birth and rebirth. It is also believed that when one attains Moksha, the soul (atman) is truly able to become one with the Ultimate Reality (Brahman). Moksha is also said to cease Karma. Because Karma is the major factor responsible for birth and rebirths. Therefore when one attains Moksha all his Karma ceases and so does his cycle of death and rebirth. In addition to all this, in Hinduism, Moksha is defined as a state of complete bliss and knowledge.

It’s important to know the types of Purushartha as they are heavily discussed in Indian Philosophies. Each of the Purushartha, if toned down to simpler meanings can be applied to our daily modern life and help us achieve self-improvement. Because if you have a clear mind then you have a clear focus.

The Concept of Karma and Re-birth in Hindu Philosophy

Karma and Reincarnation are one of the central concepts of Hinduism. Although it is also a concept that is explored by many Western Philosophies. This article however is restricted to the concept that is discussed in the Indian Scriptures and Indian Philosophies. Karma and re-birth also comprise the core of Indian Philosophies as it is through this that the difficulties in overcoming suffering is measured. The path that needs to be followed in order to attain liberation or freedom from bondage is often by annihilating Karma thereby annihilating Re-birth. 

The knowledge about laws of Karma and reincarnation is believed to be first revealed by God to sages who underwent deep and focused meditations. Thus they are considered to be direct revelations by God made to the sages (rishis) 

The concept of Karma is simple. Action and Reaction. According to Karma every action we do will have an equal reaction. Therefore if we do good things we may get good in return and if we do bad things then we may get bad returns. However, this Karma is not limited to present human life but also extends itself to upcoming lives of humans. If the deeds that we did in this life were full of evil then our next life will also be full of suffering. 

Reincarnation comes as a concept that mainly concerns soul. According to Hinduism soul is immortal. It never dies. It just jumps from one body to another. And this cycle of human birth, death and rebirth (jumping from body to body) is called samsara or reincarnation. 

The reason why reincarnation happens is because our soul is on a journey to maturation. In order to evolve to its maturity and finally become one with God, the soul has to go through this cycle of reincarnation until a certain number of times. It is said that when a person dies, the soul moves to a Second Realm where it temporarily stays in some other kind of body and when the time comes for rebirth, the soul moves to earthland and again possess a physical body/form. How the next life will be and how many times one will reincarnate majorly depends on our Karmic Deeds done in this life. It is also said that when a soul completes its number of physical rebirths and reaches maturation it further undergoes a cycle of inner development which eventually makes the soul to dissolve and become one with God.

All of these concepts are deeply explored in the Vedas and Upanishads. Most of the orthodox schools that has Vedas as their foundations also expound upon this concept with their own twists and philosophies. In some philosophy the concept of Karma and Re-birth is accepted however none of them accept God as the being who is responsible for Re-birth or Karma in any way. Philosophies such as Buddhism and Jainism do not accept the existence of God however they do believe in birth and re-birth. 

Hence, the concept is widely explored in almost every Indian Philosophy whether they agree with it or disagree with it. 

Charvaka Philosophy: Epistemology and Metaphysics

Charvaka is a heterodox school of Indian Philosophy and is materialistic in nature. It believes that true knowledge can be achieved only when it is perceptible to our 5 senses and our mind. Therefore Charvaka accepts only ‘Pratyaksha’ (perception) as its epistemology. It rejects Anumana, Arthpati and Upmana because these epistemologies include pure ‘reasoning’ which is denied by Charvaka. However, it does accepts Shabda (authority/testimony) to some extent if and only if it is perceptible in nature i.e it accepts only Authorative epistemology of perceptible objects. The denial of Anuplabdhi ( non-existent/non-perception) is clear because Charvaka’s philosophy does not believe in what can’t be perceived. 

The criticisms to Charvaka’s Philosophy are many. First, due to Charvaka accepting only one source of knowledge (Pratyaksha), it restricts knowledge. Second, perception knowledge is not always valid knowledge. For e.g hallucinations and mirages. Third, to understand the objects we perceive we require the usage of inference no matter how small. Lastly, it is impossible to have a discussion and it stands impractical if we ignore the other 5 epistemologies.

Charvaka’s Metaphysics follows the logical consequence of it’s epistemology. There are 3 aspects to Charvaka’s metaphysics. 

1. Acceptance of 4 elements

Charvaka accepts only 4 elements out of the 5 i.e Air, Water, Fire and Earth. It rejects space because space can’t be perceived. Using the 4 elements Charvaka explains the creation of consciousness. It states that the 4 elements are independent and have a conscience of their own, due to which they come together and merge, leading to the creation of life or consciousness. 

2. Denial of God. 

Charvaka completely denies the existence of God. Charvaka states that God can’t be perceived and that which can’t be perceived does not exist. Secondly, Charvaka has already credited the 4 elements for the creation of life and therefore denies that God is the being responsible for creation. As for any other belief related to God, Charvaka states that it is purely based on human faith and has no proof. 

3. Denial of Soul

Since soul has a consciousness and Charvaka cannot deny consciousness Charvaka comes up with its own theory of soul. It denies the regularly accepted definition of soul i.e. soul is eternal and is a separate entity from human body. Charvaka says that soul is nothing but a body endowed with consciousness. Soul and body are one and inseparable. 

To this there rises a criticism that if body and soul are one then why is it that the body can be perceived but the soul cannot. Thus leading to the self-contradiction of Charvaka’s own soul theory.

Charvaka although a less known philosophy compared to others does stand with its own point. There are contradictions but what makes Charvaka a worthy philosophy is it’s courageous stance in an era where Vedas and Upanishads were everything. Charvaka has shown their strong views despite the heavy criticism. What makes interesting is their theory of Hedonism and pursuing what one wants for the satisfaction of their life. 

SEX VS GENDER (IDENTITY) VS SEXUALITY (SEXUAL ORIENTATION)

A long-time running misconception among people is that sex, gender and sexuality are the same. And that there exists only 3 genders/sex/sexuality in the world i.e. Male, Female and Intersex. Often people do not even know about Intersex and believe that Male and Female are Bisht 2 the only two beings possible. Therefore, before we move forward, I’d like to make these concepts clear and spread some basic knowledge about the difference between them.
Sex: In general terms ‘sex’ refers to the biological differences between males and females, such as the genitalia and genetic differences. (Chromosomes) Gender (Gender Identity): Gender refers to the socially constructed characteristics of women and men, such as norms, roles, and relationships of and between groups of women and men.
It varies from society to society and can be changed. This is the ‘binary’ view of gender, where only two genders are accepted i.e. man and woman. The norms laid for the way a man and a woman should behave in society is known as gender role.
Gender Identity on the other hand, is an individual’s view of themselves. It is one’s internal sense of being a man, a woman, both or neither. How much do you feel like a man, a woman, or something else? This is your gender identity. Gender is a spectrum, because you could feel a little like a man, a lot like a woman, and maybe also a bit like something else. Or you could feel like none of these. That would make you agender, meaning that you don’t feel any of these gender identities fit you. Since every individual has a unique sense of experiencing things differently, gender can’t be restricted to just male and female.
When talking about gender we have many gender related terms that are a must-know for anyone. Here are some of them listed below!

  1. Gender Expression: Gender expression is how a person publicly expresses or presents their gender. This can include behaviour and outward appearance such as dress, hair, make-up, body language and voice. A person’s chosen name and pronoun are also common ways of expressing gender. Therefore, you should always ask a person’s Bisht 3 pronoun when you meet them in order to address them properly and not misgender them as it can be hurtful and disrespectful.
  2. Transgender: “Transgender” is an umbrella term that describes people whose gender identity or expression does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. For example, a transgender person may identify as a woman despite having been born with male genitalia.
  3. Genderfluid: Gender fluidity is a gender identity that may change over time or according to relational or psychological state, and also incorporates the feeling of not having a gender. In practice, gender fluid people may express masculinity, femininity, or an androgynous self in their personality, sexual experiences, and self-concept.
    Sexuality (Sexual Orientation): Sexuality or sexual orientation describes a person’s enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to another person. In short it is the individual’s preference to the sex he/she/they feel attracted to, be it sexually or romantically.
    (for e.g. straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual) Coming Out: Coming out is a process of understanding, accepting, and valuing your sexual orientation/identity. It involves both exploring your identity and sharing your identity with others.

Thappad And The Volume It Speaks

Thappad: Bas Itni si Baat? Is a Hindi Movie directed by Anubhav Sinha, starring Taapsee Pannu as the main lead, Amrita. Some other cast of the movie include Pavil Gulati as Vikram Sabharwal, Amrita’s husband, Tanvi Azmi as Sulekha Sbharwal: Amrita’s mother-in-law, Kumud Mishra and Ratna Pathak Shah as Amrita’s Father and Mother and many other artists.


The movie’s main plot revolves around the orthodox Indian belief that woman should bear the responsibility of protecting her marriage and for that sake bearing any form of injustice or violence that she is faced upon with, in a silent and obedient manner. Thappad movie subtly touches the hearts and minds of the audience as it conveys a strong moral message that is highly needed in today’s world. This makes the movie stand out from the regularly entertainment-based movies that are preferred by the present generation in great demands.


The movie starts off by showing the dedicated house-wife Amrita who puts forth the needs of her husband and his family before her own wishes. Her husband Vikram, who is a workaholic is seen to prioritize himself and his needs before Amrita’s and expects Amrita to do the same. The story takes a major turn when Vikram slaps Amrita in the party organized at home, in anger and frustration due to some promotional issues in his company.
After this, the movie rolls forward with the decision of Amrita to take some time off from Vikram and his family in order to sort out her overwhelming feelings that occur after the slap incident. Thereby Amrtita deciding to return to her own home.


This whole plot raises not only a question of ethics and moral rights but also gender inequality.
The female characters in the movie are trodden and looked down upon by their own husbands and in-laws, just for the reason that they are females, thereby highlighting the thinking of Indians towards female.


The movie shows how even when a woman faces inequality in her marriage, the society and her own family expects and teaches her to bear the inequality and domestic violence all for the sake of protecting her marriage. We see the mother-in-law making comments like, “log Kya kahenge” and “Aaurto ko thoda sehna siklhna chaqhiye.” Throughout the story when Amrita suffers from the dilemma after the slap, no one comes for her comfort and neither does anyone blame or tell Vikram that he is at fault. Again, highlighting the concept of Man to be always right no matter what he does in his marriage.


Amrita’s fight doesn’t start because of a single slap, but the story perfectly weaves the injustice that she has been bearing up and moving on all along. It’s just that it takes that one slap for Amrita to realise how she has been living all along in her marriage. How she had to kill her only wish in life, which was to have respect and be happy. She realises how after her marriage all she did was become a submissive housewife. Though Vikram plays the negative role, who even after slapping his wife thinks that it was just an act due to heat of the moment and does not feel sorry for his action, is still empathised towards the end as he finally realises his mistake. This portrays how parents play a major role in the upbringing of children, as they are the first teachers from whom they learn the right and wrong in life.
Another gruesome scene that wrecks the heart of the audience is when the female lawyer is being raped by her own husband. One who does not know the definition of rape might not consider this as rape, however the definition of Rape is having sex with another person forcefully and without the consent of the other person. This applies even in relationships and to married couples. The female lawyer clearly denies the husband’s approach to have sex with him, however she finally gives up her struggle to resist when her husband forces himself upon her. The outline drawn from here is how women are expected to please and be sex objects for their men. A disgusting conventional ideology that still pertains in India is how husbands have the right to do whatever they like with their wives even when the wives do not agree to it.


The movie satisfies to a great extent and conveys a very important message that how women should stand for their own happiness and respect even if it means going against the odds. It also talks about how the preaching’s of the society are not always right. Although I liked the movie on a whole, but I was a bit disappointed by the ending of the movie. According to me, it ended on a positive note, with Vikram realising his mistakes. This may make the audience lose faith in the concept of fighting for their rights because it’s not always going to be this easy for your significant other to realise his fault. Also, the ending in a way hints the possibility of Amrita and Vikram getting back together ion future which may not always happen in every case. Apart from this, I feel the movie was great and is a really nice movie to watch and teach the present generation.

What You Can Learn from Anne Frank’s Diary

A 13-year-old girl who was introduced through her relatable chapter about teachers was how I remembered Anne Frank before reading her diary. I still remember her phrase, “Teachers are the most unpredictable creatures in this World” because it was the funniest and most truthful statement that I had ever come across in my grade-school life. But it wasn’t until recently, years later, when I decided to give a shot at reading the complete diary of Anne Frank. And let me tell me, it totally wowed me away.

Anne Frank was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1929. She was a Jew and her full name was Annelise Marie Frank. On her 13th birthday, her father Otto Frank gifted her a diary as a birthday gift. However, this diary became a place of solace and the chronicles of German-Nazi events as recorded by Anne Frank when she went into hiding with her family from the German Nazi in ‘Secret Annexe’. (1942- 1944). She died in 1945 after her family was captured by the Nazis and later killed in Holocaust. Her father Otto Frank, who was the last survivor, discovered Anne’s diary and decided to publish it.

Anne’s diary carries her confessions, philosophies, and convictions. The beginning of her diary starts on a casual note as Anne confesses her emotions to her diary ‘Kitty. She talks about her social life, crushes, and school. However, these entries change once she goes into hiding with her family and admits her worries, faults, anxiety, and ideas that she faces in the ‘Secret Annex’. Her thoughts are profound and simple, exploring the tiniest details of life and her longing for the joys and sorrows of ordinary life.

When I first read her complete diary, there were many instances where I was shooked by her maturity and thoughtfulness, and there were moments where I sympathized, related, and longed for life with her. What was more intriguing for me was how the thoughts that I began to have when I was 18 were the thoughts that Anne had at the age of 13. Her keen observations about life and herself made me realize so many things that I was blind to before. There were instances where I found her childish side and there were instances where I saw the grown-up in her. At each stage she made me feel for her and her philosophies.

So here is a short compilation of her profound thoughts that I have picked for you. I hope you can learn and appreciate life and people the way Anne did, and maybe get a bit more curious about this girl and decide to grab her diary to explore more of her life and thoughts.

At such moments I don’t think about all the misery, but about the beauty that still remains. This is where Mother and I differ greatly. Her advice in the face of melancholy is: “Think about all the suffering in the world and be thankful you’re not part of it.” My advice is: “Go outside, to the country, enjoy the sun and all nature has to offer. Go outside and try to recapture the happiness within yourself; think of all the beauty in yourself and in everything around you and be happy.

We aren’t allowed to have any opinions. People can tell you to keep your mouth shut, but it doesn’t stop you from having your own opinion. Even if people are still very young, they shouldn’t be prevented from saying what they think.

How noble and good everyone could be if, every evening before falling asleep, they were to recall to their minds the events of the whole day and consider exactly what has been good and bad. Then without realizing it, you try to improve yourself at the start of each new day.

As long as this exists, this sunshine and this cloudless sky, and as long as I can enjoy it, how can I be sad?

I soothe my conscience now with the thought that it is better for hard words to be on paper than that Mummy should carry them in her heart.

Because paper has more patience than people.

Kamala Das: The Woman Who Broke Barriers

In an era where women were enclosed within the walls of customs and traditions, Kamala Das rose ferociously against the world. From expressing her relation struggles to her sexual desires Kamala Das is a writer who laid out her life in literature despite the criticisms she received for it.

Born in Punnayurkulam Kerala in 1934 Kamala Das was introduced to literature from a young age thanks to her parent’s literary background. However, Kamala spent her early years in Calcutta. She was married quite early, at 15, to a bank officer who was fairly older than her but encouraged her passion for writing. Kamala Das wrote in two languages, Malayalam (her native tongue) and English, and has expressed the criticisms she received for this in her poem, An Introduction;

Why not leave

Me alone, critics, friends, visiting cousins,

Every one of you? Why not let me speak in

Any language I like?

The language I speak

Becomes mine, its distortions, its queernesses,

All mine, mine alone. It is half English, half

Indian, funny perhaps, but it is honest,

It is human as I am human, don’t

You see?

Her most famous works include her poetry collections included in Summer in Calcutta (1965), The Descendants (1967), and The Old Playhouse, and Other Poems (1973). Her novel and short-stories such as “A Doll for the Child Prostitute” (1977) and her other Malayalam works were some of her most significant works. However, her most criticised work was her own autobiography My Story (1976) that invited harsh criticisms for her open and intimate sexual confessions.

The poet-author apart from her confessional poetry also sketched out the experiences of being a woman in India. The strong patriarchal opinions and her strong feministic yearnings make Kamala a woman who followed her own principles.

Apart from the negative lime-light Kamala’s literary art is one that speaks volume. Her poems are often filled with rich and intense imagery emotions with the verse outlined creatively to convey Kamala’s feelings and bring the experience of her abyss to her readers.

In her poem, Summer in Calcutta the beginning verse goes;

What is this drink but

The April sun, squeezed

Like an orange in

My glass? I sip the

Fire, I drink and drink

Again, I am drunk

The main idea of the poem is that Kamala Das is drunk on the summer vibes of Calcutta. She describes the April sun as an orange juice that is making her feel happy, satisfied and worry-free. She loves the heat of the sun and forgets all her pains of the past momentarily. One may assume Kamala to be drunk on alcohol while sitting in the sun although this cannot be true as Kamala re-iterates again and again that it is the sun that makes her drunk. The whole scene in the poem describes the transient happiness and pleasure that Kamala receives by being under the sun and away from her marital life.

In another poem, My Grandmother’s House, Kamala describes the sense of security she felt in her grandma’s house when she was young. She also explains how apart from being a haven how the house comforted her and made her felt proud for who she was. Her present life is so full of devastations that she now longs to go back to her past.

Kamala maybe majorly known for her explicit use of sexual imagery but her art always spoke for her, portrayed her emotions honestly and made her a woman who stood strong with her convictions.

Visistadvaita Philosophy

Vedanta Philosophy is one of the Indian Orthodox Schools of Philosophy that is primarily based on Upanishads, Bhagavadgita and Brahmasutras (Prasthanatraya). The Vedanta system, with the course of time has branched off into 3 categories: Advaita, Visistadvaita and Dvaita. The Visistadvaita which is mainly taught to have been originated from Ramanuja, is in reality much older than him. Ramanuja has taken the ancient teachings of the Prasthanatraya and has given it a definite shape like others. However, since Ramanujan was the best exponent due to his excellent work, Visistadvaita rightly gets its second name from him; Ramanuja Darsana. After the death of Ramanujan, his followers were divided into Vaḍagalais and Teṅgalais which literally translates to followers of the northern schools and followers of the southern schools respectively.

Visistadvaita is essentially a philosophy of religion. In it, reason and faith combine together to become ‘reasoned faith’. Epistemology: Visistadvaita accepts mainly 3 sources of knowledge, Pratyaksha, Anumana and Testimony of scriptures (Agama or Sabda). The three main principles of Visistadvaita are as followed:

1. Dharmabhūtajñāna – refers to the consciousness of the individual as its attribute. It is through this consciousness that one comes to know the nature of the external world, self and Brahman. This consciousness is all-pervading, however since it is bounded by Karma, it fails to recognize this.

2. Logical rule of aprthak-siddha-visesana – states that a quality resides in its qualified substance and is inseparable from it. They are separate but inseparable. E.g., Rationality is inseparable from man but rationality is not man.

3. Grammatical rule of sāmānādhikaraṇya – It means the application of two terms to a single entity through connotation of its 2 modes. (implicitly)

Visistadvaita accepts the satkaryavada (effect pre-existing in the cause) theory of Samkhya Philosophy. Visistadvaita believes that the world is a transformation of the Brahman and thus is real and not illusory. (Advaita)

Ontology:

Visistadvaita accepts three entities: Brahman, Jiva and Prakriti as the ultimate realities. They are aka ‘tattvatraya’. However, only Brahman is an independent reality and the other two are dependent realities. Therefore Visist (specific) Advaita (non-dualism) is a philosophy that accepts only one Reality, but with attributes or modes.

1. Brahman (Ishavara) Brahman of Visistadvaita is the absolute of philosophy as well as the God of religion. Truth, knowledge, infinity and bliss are its attributes. He is the whole and Jiva and Prakriti are its parts. (saguna brahman?) He is also free from imperfections and any defects. According to Visitadvaita, Brahman enjoys the play of creation. It creates the universe from its cit and acit portions and remains unaffected by it. Since Brahman creates in accordance to the past deeds (Karma) hence he is impartial and good-hearted.

2. Jiva (Cit) The Jivas are countless but they are identical in form and nature. Each Jiva is separate from its constituent attributes such as buddhi, body, mind etc. Jiva is a part of Brahman and is controlled by it. Jiva is the knower of knowledge, doer of actions, and experiencer of their results. The jivas are further divided into 3 groupss.

(i) Bound – the jiva that has not attained moksha and is still bound to Prakriti.

(ii) liberated – the jiva which was previously bound but attained moksha

(iii) eternally free- the Jivas that are always free from samsara and any attachments.

3. Prakriti The Prakriti id insentient (devoid of feeling and consciousness) and through it is the material universe formed. Prakriti is ever-changing hence it can never be the substratum for knowledge. Just as skin, flesh, seed, colour, taste and smell can all exist in the same mango simultaneously, so also cit (jiva) and acit (prakriti) can exist in Brahman.

Means of Liberation:

The means of liberation, is five-fold: karma(deeds), jñāna(knowledge), bhakti (devotion), prapatti (self-surrender), and ācāryābhimāna (strong faith in guru and his affectionate attachment to disciple. Prapatii is self-surrender and is for those who can’t follow the path of Karma, Jnana or bhakti. Its main characteristics are: to conceive what is in conformity with the will of God; to reject what is disagreeable to him; to seek him alone as the protector; and to surrender one’s self to him in all meekness.

State of Liberation:

The liberated soul has a direct vision of Brahman and is absorbed in the eternal bliss of union with him. To him, the pluralistic world remains however his pluralistic views abolishes. The distinction between him and Brahman still remains and the personality still remains. But the liberated soul forever enjoys the state of bliss by serving Brahman.

Buddhism and Suffering

Suffering is part of the core teachings of Buddhism. In Buddhism, to study, understand and eliminate suffering is considered to be the ultimate goal of human life. 

It is said that when Buddha attained enlightenment and started his altruistic sermons, he stated the following; 

“O Monks, two things I only teach, dukkha and the cessation of dukkha” Buddha could see suffering at each stages of human life. He understood that from the moment of birth till the state of death, suffering was part of human life. 

Hence, we have the 4 Noble Truths given by Buddha that deal with sufferings in Buddhism: 

1. The truth of suffering (dukkha) 

2. The truth of the cause of suffering (samudaya) 

3. The truth of the end of suffering (nirhodha) 

4. The truth of the path that frees us from suffering (magga) 

Collectively, these principles explain why humans hurt and how they can overcome suffering. Furthermore, Buddha taught that there are three kinds of sufferings. The first type of dukkha is the physical and mental pain from inevitable events like sickness, old age and death. The second type of dukkha occurs when we fail to get what we desire or to lose something that we hold dear. This type of dukkha appears due to impermanence and change. 

The third type of Dukkha is the suffering that arises due to man’s conditioned state of existence. In other words, it’s a kind of existential suffering arising due to the angst of being human, the very state of our existence and being subject to rebirth. 

Buddha, in his 2nd Noble truth explains the reason why humans are subject to suffering. Buddha says that suffering is part of a universal causal link. Universal causal link is a link that is a cycle of cause and effect. It states that for every effect to come into existence, there lies a cause of its origination. Hence suffering is a part of this cycle of causal link. From this causal link Buddha extracts 3 main reasons for humans to be subject to suffering. 

1. Birth According to Buddha, existence leads to suffering. i.e. From the moment we take birth we are bound to experience suffering in our lives. 

2. Attachments and Desires Buddha believes that the root cause of suffering is attachments and desires. When we attach ourselves to materialistic things or desires that cannot always be fulfilled, we are afflicted with pain and suffering. Buddha says that man has a sense of ‘I’, the belief that his existence is individualistic in nature. This belief leads him to feel the obligation to achieve all his desires. What we fail to understand in this belief is that these desires are temporary and momentary, thus we cannot always satisfy our desires and needs. In addition to this Buddha also says that there is no end to human desires, hence one cannot always achieve the things that he or she wishes or desires.

3. Ignorance According to Buddha this is the ultimate cause of suffering in human lives. Due to ignorance humans fail to gain knowledge about suffering and remain ignorant to reality. 

Ignorance also leads to the creation of the false sense of ‘I’. Thus, ignorance increases our infinite desires and attachments that later cause us suffering in our lives.

HOW TO END THIS SUFFERING? 

In his 3rd Noble Truth Buddha affirms that suffering can be ended. And in his 4th Noble Truth Buddha gives us the path to attain this end to suffering. 

Nirvana in Buddhism is a state of freedom from suffering. It is said that when one attains Nirvana, he or she is left with no desires, no attachments and no ignorance. 

Nirvana is a state where one feels ultimate happiness and peace. However, Nirvana is not always a static life but can also be an active life. Thus, there are two types of Nirvana 

1. Jivan Mukti – You attain Nirvana when you are alive. Example: Gautama Buddha 

2. Videh Mukti – You attain Nirvana after your death. Example: End of Rebirth

Since Buddhism accepts Karma and rebirth to be the main causes for humans to take birth and experience suffering, hence Nirvana is also a state where all Karma is annihilated and rebirth comes to an end.

To attain Nirvana, or to attain freedom from suffering Buddha further gives a middle path, i.e. an 8-fold path that advocates neither extreme self-indulgence nor extreme self-denial. It’s a middle path of these two extremes.

THE 8-FOLD-PATH TO ATTAIN FREEDOM FROM SUFFERING 

In no particular order, the Eightfold Path of Buddhism teaches the following ideals for ethical conduct, mental disciple and achieving wisdom: 

1. Right views Buddha said that in order to attain freedom, one needs to acquire right knowledge. Since ignorance is the ultimate cause of suffering, by attaining right knowledge about the 4 Noble Truths it will eventually help an individual to eliminate suffering.

2. Right resolve Right resolve refers to the act in accordance with right knowledge. An individual needs to have the right determination to make the right choices in life. 

3. Right speech Right Speech advises individual to not use harsh or abusive languages. It advises to refrain from cussing, cursing or hurting other people by using abusive words. 

4. Right conduct This talks about the behaviour of an individual. Right conduct is further explained using 5 ways. 

i. Non-Violence (Ahimsa) To not practice violence in any form; physical, mental or emotional. 

ii. Truth (Satyam) To always speak truth and never lie, no matter what condition one may be in. 

iii. Not Steal (Asteya) To never steal or shoplift no matter how much pleasure or happiness one gets from doing so. 

iv. Contentment (Aparigrah) This talks about how one should be satisfied with what he or she has and teaches to be grateful for the things one is blessed with. 

v. Celibacy (Brahmacharya) Celibacy here does not refer to an ascetic life but rather talks about how an individual should learn to control his/her emotions and desires.

5. Right Livelihood Right Livelihood encourages an individual to earn their wages or living expenses by following a moral path. That is, by working hard instead of stealing, murdering or any immoral acts.

6. Right Effort Right effort majorly talks about making an effort to develop and retain good thoughts, to remove existing evil thoughts (negative thoughts) and to prevent evil thoughts from entering the mind.

7. Right Mindfulness Mindfulness talks about retaining the good energy in our mind and encourages to constantly remember good things. 

8. Right Concentration This talks about analysing our sufferings and finding the root cause of it. It encourages individuals to concentrate in discovering our own selves and to detach from any unnecessary desires or attachments.

Hence it is only after following this 8-fold-path can one achieve liberation from suffering. 

Self-motivation won’t last long, especially if it’s an empty one

This thought first crossed my mind when I was writing a letter to one of the stranger penpals that I met online (Although I left it long back). After putting this thought into words and re-reading it again, I realized how sound this phrase was and how accurately it represented what I lacked and what I had.

For all my life I’ve been too focused on productivity, change, and self-improvement so much so that often I ended up exhausting myself while trying to fulfill any of them. As I saw the people around me go through the ‘self-growth’ phase, I always downplayed my own self. I compared their self-growth with my own only to further degrade myself for not possessing enough ‘passion’ or ‘dedication’ to make anything work. Whatever little efforts I put in self-improvement always ended up as failures for they were driven by empty self-motivation. Be it daily work-out or developing a new habit or improving a previous habit, none of them were ever achieved.

Surprisingly, I have also found a link to this exact issue. This one came to me through one of the conversations that took place between my mom and brother. My brother stated that “When our needs increase, we ourselves start taking responsibilities.” After pondering upon this for long I found a path to my own problem. ‘To put myself in situations where I am forced to take responsibilities.’

As a person for whom self-motivation doesn’t last long but for whom deadlines and responsibilities make me work hard as hell, I realized that what I needed was not self-motivation or a human nagging at me to do work but a situation where I am endowed with responsibility. I thought if I can’t take responsibility on my own then putting myself in a situation where I am forced to take responsibility would force me to change. To explain this approach to you I’d take the example of school. When you are a student, the rules of the school make you take responsibility such as doing your assignments, being punctual, etc. By being in this system of school we have definitely changed from whom we initially were.

I know it’s easier said than done, but I think this is much easier than an empty self-motivation. And I can say this because I have tried it. One of the jobs that I got was less with the mindset of money and more with the mindset of responsibility. The only first step that I needed to do was force myself into the situation of a job interview. That’s it. What followed after that were the responsibilities linked with the job and my dedication to fulfill those responsibilities.

But what’s important to note is that you can’t rashly force yourself in any situation. It is important that you choose the situation carefully. Choose a situation and assess how it will help you change the things you want to change by forcing responsibilities upon you. But don’t let the responsibilities be a big burden. Just like this internship which I decided to put myself into, I am now dedicated to fulfilling the tasks of writings almost daily. Thereby, growing not only in terms of self-improvement but also improving my skills of writing. After all, practice makes perfect 🙂

When Clothes Define Character

It’s not a surprise to come across a comment or an opinion that is often made on the character of an individual based on their clothes. It’s been a long going tradition, especially one where pre-defined ‘ethics’ have already pre-conditioned the minds of many that it’s not easy to escape from such an opinion.

When a girl is in a bikini, she is tagged as a prostitute. If a male wears feminine-looking clothes, he is tagged as a transgender or gay. A woman who chooses to wear shirts and pants unlike the traditionally viewed girls’ clothes, they are praised as tomboys. From Clothes defining character, to clothes defining gender, to clothes defining opinion, the chain of link between clothes and humans don’t seem to end.

Often under the hood of this orthodox opinion some people even go on to ‘police’ someone’s cloth choices while being condescending and prejudiced. Clothes have been exploited as a way to define someone’s character, someone’s gender or someone’s life in a nutshell. These pre-conditioned orthodox views have been passed down from generations to generations for so long that even after learning about it, unlearning this becomes tough.

From being commented by India’s well-off leaders about jeans and skirts being arousing to that common gasping stares of people when you walk out with shorts, all of them not only degrade one’s life quality but also restrain them from opportunities that they’d like to explore.

Now, it’s possible that you may argue about how clothes are one of the essentials of human life and it’s inevitable to not link clothes with character? If clothes were not meant for character reflection, then why do places such as offices, schools, etc. have a dress code? Shouldn’t we all should be allowed to wear a bikini at work?

To quench your curiosity let me reveal a little fact to you. Dress-codes actually emerged to enhance team-spirit and comfortable environment and fit for the individuals. It was meant to improve the feeling of ‘belonging’ together among the members. However, this too strayed from it’s path of goal and ended up as being one of the traditionally forced ethics. But the focus of the article is not the history. It’s the present. It is because of this orthodox view that dress-codes which started out as a way to provide comfort actually became a ‘moral police’ baton. Skin-revealing clothes started became tagged as modern and this modern-ness a trolling weapon for many orthodox people.

So, what’s the solution to this cloth-character problem?

Here are some things that you can do!

  1. Unlearn – This is definitely the most needed solution. To unlearn. Unless we re-teach ourselves the basis of what makes a person a good person, (which btw aren’t clothes) none of this will ever change. Mahatma Gandhi once said, ‘Be the change you want to see.’ And it is indeed true. Start with you. Your values. Your views. Teach yourself how clothes don’t have a gender and neither a character.
  2. Unresponsive to people holding orthodox views – Instead of trying your best to change some orthodox person’s view, who is unyielding and strongly stupid, the best you can do is ignore them. Ignore their comments and don’t let your blood boil. It’s not easy to unlearn. And what’s more tough is to let go of your wrong convictions if that’s what’s you’ve been conditioned with the whole life.
  3. Express your views – This may sound conflicting but give it a read. You need to express your views about how cloth-character assumption is wrong and why it is so. This is because unless you will tell them, no one ever will. They won’t know that a view opposite to theirs can exist. So you be the opposite one. But never waste your time by continuously pestering them with your views. You know how the saying goes, ‘A dog’s twisted tail will always remain twisted.’ So, don’t waste your energy on such people.
  4. Teach the kids – Just like how we and the previous generations have been conditioned with some wrong views, you can start on the right foot by teaching the kids the difference and the right thing about what defines a good human character. And it’s definitely not the clothes.

We’ve heard the ‘Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover’ and ‘Don’t Judge a Song by its Language’. Now, it’s time that we also learn; ‘Don’t Judge a Character by its Clothes’.