*Random rant start*
When we were very young our parents told us about the Poochandi(Boogeyman) - a scary man, to scare us and make us compliant. 'Eat your food or else he will take you away', 'Take your medicines otherwise we will send you off with him', 'Behave well, if not he will come and catch you' and so on.
And when we grow up and are no more afraid of the Poochandi, our parents use the 'Society' to do the trick, albeit for different reasons. 'What will the society think if you do this?', 'What will the society think if you do that?', 'What will the society say if you behave like this?', 'What will the society think if you act like that?','The society wont accept this' and so on.
If you come to think of it, there are somethings common between these two.
Both are used to scare us and coerce us into doing things which we do not want to do.
Both of them are non-existent.
And even if they do exist, they don't give a rat's ass about you or your life.
I would have said the same about God and religion too. But they are also used for various other reasons. But Poochandi and Society are solely used for the purpose mentioned above. To scare and coerce us into doing/not doing things which we don't want/want to do.
*Random rant end*
When we were very young our parents told us about the Poochandi(Boogeyman) - a scary man, to scare us and make us compliant. 'Eat your food or else he will take you away', 'Take your medicines otherwise we will send you off with him', 'Behave well, if not he will come and catch you' and so on.
And when we grow up and are no more afraid of the Poochandi, our parents use the 'Society' to do the trick, albeit for different reasons. 'What will the society think if you do this?', 'What will the society think if you do that?', 'What will the society say if you behave like this?', 'What will the society think if you act like that?','The society wont accept this' and so on.
If you come to think of it, there are somethings common between these two.
Both are used to scare us and coerce us into doing things which we do not want to do.
Both of them are non-existent.
And even if they do exist, they don't give a rat's ass about you or your life.
I would have said the same about God and religion too. But they are also used for various other reasons. But Poochandi and Society are solely used for the purpose mentioned above. To scare and coerce us into doing/not doing things which we don't want/want to do.
*Random rant end*
Very interesting thought and it is true also. Both don't give a rat's ass!
ReplyDeleteGlad that you too agree. :-)
DeleteWhat will society think if you blog these things about it?
ReplyDelete:P :P
Bring that society to me, I will punch it in the face if it thinks anything at all. :P
DeleteThe silly part is, a lot of times valid things too get lost in this bogeyman/society thing.
ReplyDeleteIf my parents want me to get married because they think it brings happiness, I will think of it. But if they tell me that it is necessary, and that relatives/friends will think ill of me, then of course it will kind of push me into not thinking about marriage.
Though not really related, have you read this article on lies that adults tell to kids?
By the way, in which language does Poochandi mean Bogeyman? Tamil? (you mentioned a Tamil movie before)
Yes, that's right. When parents tell us about Boogeyman, it actually is for our good. Like, to make us eat food, behave well and other such things. But the means they use, scaring us, that's what I'm talking about. And its somewhat ok when we are kids, as we don't have the maturity to understand the goodness in a lie. But when parents do the same thing even after we grow up, its worrisome.
DeleteSo the point of this post was just that. Scaring used as a method to make us compliant. As kids and as adults. And the worst part is, many people succumb to it, even when they are adults. :-)
That's a good link. It talks about the lies of a very wide range told to kids.
Yes its in Tamil. :-)
That is strange but, I always thought the same about the "Boogeyman" but, I never related that to the society. I can't agree more. That is so true. Very interesting point of view.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with God and Religion. They are the too strongest at the same time, weakest, weapons one could ever own.
Thanks for reading and sharing your views. :-)
Deletelol .. very true , that.
ReplyDeleteThanks. And welcome here. :-)
Deletevery true. We lose a lot more in the fear of losing approval.
ReplyDeleteRoger that.
Delete