Before you reject this as an oxymoron, consider the setup. Not just in Pakistan, but all over the world. Not just in the UK, not just in the US, and not just in China. Consider all the laws. Consider the society, and the laws it sticks to.
And if nothing else, consider John Grisham’s The Firm.
There is a cultural and social pressure on all of us to have a house. A family. A car. Kids. The more powerful you are, and the more ‘stable’ you get, the more weaknesses you are expected to adopt.
Focussing on the culture in Pakistan, almost everything around us is supposed to push us into adopting weaknesses.
The first rule of being a Pakistani kid is to be better than every other Pakistani Kid your parents know about.
The second, and more important rule, is to get married, have kids, and give your parents some grandkids to play with.
The third, and the most important rule, is to look after your parents.
There are other things that are added to the mix like building (yes building, not buying) a house, because that is how people role in Pakistan, having a car, and other such things.
But constantly, all the time, we are reminded how we have not fulfilled these responsibilities.
The powers that be constantly remind us to grow our weaknesses. They constantly force us to adopt them. They are the only way to happiness, ours and others.
Then there is the case of the banking systems around the world.
There is mortgage, credit cards, loans, and many other things. The false belief that you can buy things from the money that you don’t have. Once again, we are fooled and rushed into gaining weaknesses in the name of happiness and prosperity.
There are our jobs, and our careers, and there are contracts and there are signatures and there are deeds, and there are millions of things that tie us in to a hidden lock. Even passports come under this category.
Why is it that we have led ourselves to believe that our prosperity and happiness lies in weaknesses? And how are we simply allowing different forces to become powerful just by signing up to them?
Is there power in our weakness? Is THEIR power in OUR weakness?
Also published on www.borderlinegreen.com.
And if nothing else, consider John Grisham’s The Firm.
There is a cultural and social pressure on all of us to have a house. A family. A car. Kids. The more powerful you are, and the more ‘stable’ you get, the more weaknesses you are expected to adopt.
Focussing on the culture in Pakistan, almost everything around us is supposed to push us into adopting weaknesses.
The first rule of being a Pakistani kid is to be better than every other Pakistani Kid your parents know about.
The second, and more important rule, is to get married, have kids, and give your parents some grandkids to play with.
The third, and the most important rule, is to look after your parents.
There are other things that are added to the mix like building (yes building, not buying) a house, because that is how people role in Pakistan, having a car, and other such things.
But constantly, all the time, we are reminded how we have not fulfilled these responsibilities.
The powers that be constantly remind us to grow our weaknesses. They constantly force us to adopt them. They are the only way to happiness, ours and others.
Then there is the case of the banking systems around the world.
There is mortgage, credit cards, loans, and many other things. The false belief that you can buy things from the money that you don’t have. Once again, we are fooled and rushed into gaining weaknesses in the name of happiness and prosperity.
There are our jobs, and our careers, and there are contracts and there are signatures and there are deeds, and there are millions of things that tie us in to a hidden lock. Even passports come under this category.
Why is it that we have led ourselves to believe that our prosperity and happiness lies in weaknesses? And how are we simply allowing different forces to become powerful just by signing up to them?
Is there power in our weakness? Is THEIR power in OUR weakness?
Also published on www.borderlinegreen.com.
Syndicated from: The letters ‘S’
