The term ‘Go With the flow’ literally means to be relaxed and accept a situation, rather than trying to alter or control it. From here we can conclude that rather than getting involved in any sort of confrontation, we should let things go and let things happen how they are supposed to. My question here is, is this valid for every aspect of life? I do agree to an extent with this saying as it cuts down on the worry and anxiety. However, these few words are heavily laden with meaning and if taken too literally, we may find ourselves in waters too hot to get out off.
When we look at the current scenario, it is clear that a large number of us have followed the ‘go with the flow’ attitude to the present. Just because some traditions have been passed down, without even questioning the validity and relevance in today’s world, we follow them. Why? Because ‘it’s tradition!!’ Yes tradition is wonderful, it keeps us rooted and all, but how much is too much? And how far is, well… too far? Do we question the rationality behind certain things? For example, the caste system. I can picture a number of you shaking your heads and thinking to yourself ‘oh that’s old and forgotten history’, well no, it’s as current and as rampant as it ever was. It’s just that people are being more subtle about it.
When we look at recent breaking news stories, we are shocked into the realisation of how the mob mentality can take over scores of people and how these individuals with wonderfully well working minds lose their ability to think for themselves and choose the right action from the not so right. Our problem is that we react first and think much later. And as we all know, sometimes, our thought processes are a little too little a little too late. These are a few of our human flaws that people in high places like political parties take for granted. With charismatic personalities, they weed out the issues that will strike the loudest cord, spin it to a tune that people lap up, and before we know it we are tricked into following a way of life we don’t really understand. The mighty can call a tree a shrub or a creeper, or an animal an insect or a reptile, do we still go with the flow? Sooner or later they will tell you that human is a term that is manmade and hence we ought to abolish it and call ourselves something as strange and joke worthy as the above. All to appease the requirements of a few, we are willing to listen and accept and live in ‘peace’.
The fear of being singled out and pointed at has never hindered the greats like Albert Einstein and many others. However, we still don’t have enough role models to yank us out of our comfort zone. The policy of breathing fear into the hearts of the masses is what has actually caused our development to be staggered and interjected with less than exceptional. We often wonder why our country, being so large and having such a high population of intelligent individuals has progressed so slowly. We have all the resources at our finger tips. What we lack is the drive to achieve greater heights, the guts to stand for what we believe in and the power to think out of the box. In every decision we make, we think about what others will think a thousand times before taking the plunge, but if someone says something and that person has any power at all, we will run in circles and jump through the tiniest hoop to conform.
Conformists and those who have just flown with the tide have never found their manes in the pages of history. We don’t write sonnets about them nor do we commemorate them. We need to break free from the shackles that bind us to places that don’t allow us to grow. It is very important that we encourage free expression, take our life’s control back from who we have handed it over to and start living as according to our will. Each of us has a clearly defined conscience and if we let ourselves listen to that inner voice there is no limit to how great this country can become.
Following the masses and going with the flow is actually the point where development and creative thought come to die. If we continue at this rate, all we can envision for our future is a graveyard of broken dreams, misguided aspirations and futile and unfinished journeys. Why go with the flow? When we can get stronger swimming against the tide?
