Posted:
and yet we feel embarrassed to follow our heart and adopt/ adapt to that culture, even if it is alien to us...!!why don't we uphold our culture...is it because we fear being ridiculed??
I love this discussion. Culture is a shared, learned, symbolic system of values, beliefs and attitudes that shapes and influences perception and behavior -- an abstract "mental blueprint" or "mental code."
Our beilefs are shaped by our environment and upbringing. With exposure to the outside world through life's experiences or formal education we have an opportunity to observe a much bigger world out there. Yet our inner world decides what we will or won't or can't adapt too bec' of our self-imposed limitations in our minds. All it takes is a willingness to learn something new, try something different while being aware of the pitfall of being judgmental of the unknown. Those who have self-acceptance and self-love are secure enough to not let another person's criticism or ridicule affect their choices or feelings. We fear that which we don't know or understand.
An example: A child having a public meltdown for any number of reasons with a chagrined parent helplessly trying to calm the child down. Some onlookers empathize with the parent and/or child, some get annoyed and shake their heads in judgment and believe their world has been disturbed, others openly ridicule the parents for poor parenting skills without a thought to whether there may be underlying medical cause to the child's behavior and really didn't have anything to do with the parent at all?
We let society and it's rules dictate to us what is right and wrong, good or bad forgetting that it's all up to the individual's perception. The very thing that we say is wrong in one situation becomes good in another bec' we say so. We overlook and forgive those we love but get judgmental of the ones we don't know or care for. I believe that giving up the need to judge is the first step in self-realization. A very wise relative once said "we point out to faults in others of that which we refuse to see in our ourselves." It's called projection. How true! We give to others what we are willing to give ourselves and what we hold within ourselves at any given moment. We yell at someone out of anger and fear bec' that's what we feel in that moment. We are reactionary creations by habit. An employee who can't stand up for himself with his/her boss will come home and take it out on their family.
The only real education in life is self-realization. We pick and chose what we want in life from the myriads of things out there that fits our inner world. We eat what we know we like, at times try something new and decide whether to include it in our repertoire for future reference. We do it in every area of our lives consciously or unconsciously all the time.😃
Yes, to some the purpose of education is to get money but how can u ignore the fact that to some, education is just a medium to enhance their knowledge? To some being educated might be a medium to get respect, but u can not ignore that to some, education makes them realize their own self-respect!!! Do u seriously think people respect the Thakurs'? Why would they be called as goons then??? They fear the Thakurs NOT respect them! If educated people are scared to lose their lives and bow down to the Thakurs' guns, it does not necessarily mean that they r bowing down to the Thakurs' illiteracy! Just coz some educated folk use education as a means of gaining status, does that mean ALL educated people think alike? IF the Saxenas were pinning for status via education, wont they have easily sold their daughter to gain the same status as the Thakurs? Why would Prof. Shyam be a loyal professor instead of taking bribes and increasing his status and money? 
