When asked what the nature of failing societies was, the Russian writer Anton Chekhov replied: "In failing societies, there are a thousand fools for every enlightened mind, and a thousand coarse words for every conscious word. The majority always remains ignorant, and the reasonable man is constantly defeated. If you see trivial subjects dominating discussions in a society, and the fools taking centre stage, then you are in the presence of a very failing society." For example, songs, bombastic acronyms and meaningless words find millions of people to dance to and repeat, and the singer / politician becomes famous, known, and loved. To the point where people take their opinion on societal and life issues seriously. Most people like triviality and anesthesia. Someone who anesthetizes us to take our thoughts away, and someone who makes us laugh with trivialities, is better than someone who wakes us up to reality and hurts us by telling the truth. That is why democracy is not suitable for ignorant societies, because it is the ignorant majority that will decide your fate. This rings very true of India today, Chekhov was prescient.
VINAY DWIVEDI, Benaulim
