Black and White

In our world of colours, its quite fascinating to know how everything boils down to black and white- day/night, black/white, dark/light..and so on. To a few who share literature classes with me, I am sure you know what I am talking about and where I am getting to. It may be that and a little more!

I was actually thinking about how these binaries govern our lives in almost every possible manner, whatever may it be. Our thoughts and actions are always revolving around these two colours. We often let ourselves get stuck midst 'this or that', trying to fit in on either of the sides.We don't even make an attempt to find more shades. We want to be organised, trying to maintain uniformity and order in everything we do. In order to achieve this, most of the time, we end up becoming followers, and followers are dangerous people. I say this not without any kind of reasoning. The problem with followers is that they wear blinders. They see in only one direction,with only one aim in their mind- to follow. They don't even make an attempt to understand or pay attention to what they are following or who they are getting influenced by!

The main problem is that we are always trying to compartmentalize everything, including ourselves. We try to become like these glasses that are filled to the brim, so much so that there is no scope for further addition and/or improvement. And the unfortunate part is we don't see this as a problem. We think of everything as the way it 'should be' or 'ought to be' and never 'what else can it be?' I know many such people who often keep saying,"This is how it is to be done period." leaving no room for others to even think of other ways.

My problem with this whole system of compartmentalizing is that it makes us Judgmental, constantly trying to find flaws in all others who don't fit into one of the two sides. Literary theorists, for an instance, are quite the same. They are always trying to define something, and for doing so they constantly negate everything any other person has to say. All theorists in fact do the same thing. They keep jumping from one glass to another, trying to find one place to rest, and quite certainly failing, just to jump back to the other. All of us that way are quite the same. Despite saying we have so many choices, we end up seeing only two colours-Black and White. It's either good or bad, right or wrong, this or that, and that's it.

I think what is important is to stop trying to find something definite. There is no harm to fill our glasses, only as long as they are halfway filled, leaving room for other ideas too flow in. We shouldn't judge people only because they fail to fit into our completely filled glass, cause they wont, they can't, your haven't left room for them to blend in.

There are just so many colours in the world, so many possibilities, so let your fill your palate with all that it can mix. Don't restrict yourself to this or that, but keep asking yourself what else! Only when Black and White blend together do they create Shades of Grey!