Society does not matter to me…really?!!

In my first post I did mention about 'society's rights and wrongs unknowingly conditioning my mind...and that being one of the major cause of the confused and constipated mind. I think I was trying to tell myself that society does not matter to me. And hence when I blog here, I would like to speak my heart out without inhibitions in the light of societal righteousness.

I wrote whatever that came to my mind at that point in time. However, I have been ruminating over that question, whether and/or should society really matter to me or anyone as an individual.

Come of think of it...last time when I had gone home, I almost fought with Amma (Mallu word for Mom) when she expressed her dislike towards my attire, when we were ready to go for a family function. I tried to reason it out with her that my cotton churidar was comfortable and convenient than the silk saree she was insisting me to put on. Amma's (Mallu word for Mom) fear about 'what others will think' invariably in anything and everything in her life was nothing new to me. She might not want to agree to this completely and explicitly though. She has given society the right (silent obedience) to decide as to what she should wear, where she should eat out (if at all..rarely though..), what her daughters should/should not wear, how she/her daughters should carry themselves during interaction with others so on and so forth...had she not been in our village, still she would have been the same i guess. The only difference I can think of is in terms of consideration bracket changing according to the permissible perceived limits imposed by the society in each of the things.

I have always been called as a rebel inside my home, against my folks' (generally elderly) general preference towards society's so-called rights. I had huge disconnects in why they always go by what is proper according to the society than by their personal convenience and happiness. It used to impact me some way or the other since going against what is acceptable to my family is an issue for me. I have inhibitions in doing things which are completely unacceptable to my folks.

Now, sitting here at this juncture, I am utterly confused. Amn't I too acting like Amma did? She has inhibitions in going against the rights of her 'society' and I have the same in case of mine. The only difference I can see is that for her, the community to which she belongs to, the villagers who stay in the vicinity, all the people who are remotely related to her family, so on and so forth...Whereas for me, my society about whom I am bothered when I take a decision (depending on the seriousness of the subject under consideration, the bracket might/not include a few others as well though) is limited to my immediate family and my close friends circle.

This takes me to another conflicting thought...

Here I see a young generation (though not sure if belong to that) which flaunts 'cool' 'I dont care' attitude to the world around. A generation that wears what they want, eat what the like, which literally follows their heart in everything and anything. The generation that take the plunge, live in present, which wants to be free from everything. This generation goes for all that is 'cool'...starting from the drinks that they sip to quench thirst to the glass they wear to the music they listen to...the list is endless... everything and anything that their circle thinks as cool and trendy...they go for it...make it 'their' brand. So here, aren't they also going by the perceived rights of their society?? I think I have to say 'yes'. There could be cases of aberration. I know generalizing a generation based on my limited exposure might not be the right thing to do...but one thing I can tell you is that I am just being honest and blunt ...in hindsight I don't see much of a difference between what Amma did and what I do..

In the middle of lots of talks about individuality and following one's heart and such stuff, I genuinely think that society does matter to each of us at an individual level somewhere deep in some corner of us ...though as a matter of fact I would prefer to think otherwise..for it satisfies the fake 'rebel' in me ;-)