Indeed, whether one is reading or telling a fictional or nonfictional story, without conflict, such a story will not be worth reading or relating. To get a better understanding of this topic, I would like to start by defining two key words in the topic — ‘conflict’ and ‘stories.’ The Oxford Advanced Learners’ dictionary gives
Month: October 2019
“If there’s no conflict, there are no stories worth telling – or reading”
Conflict is a problematic occurrence that is usual in every society, but which no person or society at large willingly intends to experience. In spite of the problems it proves to humanity, conflict also acts to ingrain itself in the psyche of humanity, making unforgettable events in human life. Where and when there is prevalence
If You Cannot Love, Don’t Hate!
Love may or may not attract love, but hate always attracts hate. Love and hate are like the two sides of a coin; they are not very different emotions. They are just positive and negative, respectively. Human nature is known to soak up negative vibes faster than positive ones. It is much easier to go
‘Ignorance’ and ‘Want’ are Grown Up Now
176 years ago, Dickens’ apocalyptic expression of the children of humanity, Ignorance and Want, warned us of what was to come if we, as a society, did not change our ways. Only 70 years later, Henry Ford kickstarted his assembly line amidst the thundering steel and roaring fire of a mechanical revolution – captains of
Custodians
“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” – Henry Ford. Perhaps it would be rash to open by bringing to the fore the likelihood that the above statement is apocryphal and may have been in fact spuriously ascribed to Mr. Ford. For there is no real evidence that
Hate- The Enemy Within
My mother used to tell me a story about two kingdoms when I was a child. The kingdoms were good neighbours and existed peacefully for a long time amidst beautiful and flourishing flora and fauna. But one day, one of the kings planned to attack the other. He attacked, won, and swiftly killed the captured
It’s Deadly to be Trans in America
Ten black transwomen were killed in the first six months of 2019. Compared to nine fatalities in Afghanistan, it’s now more deadly to be black and trans in America than a US soldier fighting in Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. The death toll reflects a 17% overall spike in reported hate crimes from 2017 to 2018. Seven
The First and Last Story
The whole of recorded history, the whole of recorded human achievement, appears to be one which is intrinsically linked with conflict. Even the beauty and glory of Nature hides the forces of destruction and survival. Civilisation itself is the result of conflict. The tribes of yore are now the superpowers of today. Any other time
This Is Not A Game
La haine attire la haine, hate attracts hate in English, is a saying spoken in the 1995 French movie La haine. The movie put a magnifying glass to the Parisian lower cost housing projects, the French government’s over policing of the neighbourhood and the resulting chaos from the poverty and crime that sprung up due
The World Is A Story
The action of conflict among humans is like a spill of petrol into a flaming fire when humanity refuses to look at the world as a story where individuals with their opinions, and beliefs are characters. The world is an excellent book, written by God: the earth is the setting; human beings are the characters;
The Dynamics of Hate
The mind, body, and soul are three important components of the human being. These three amazing features enable the human to perform some of the most amazing things. The mind, when filled with the right energy, has a way of passing along positive energies to the body which in turn energizes the soul, making it
Not happily ever after?
Not Happily Ever After? There is an incredible magnetism to make the goal of a person’s life revolve around happiness. The pursuit of happiness. I think it stems from our inclination towards comfort. Who doesn’t want to be comfortable? Who doesn’t want to feel good? How cozy it sounds to find our nice little niche
What’s In A Name?
Foucault tells me that it isn’t “necessary to know exactly what I am. The main interest in life and work is to become someone else that you were not in the beginning.” Admittedly, it’s a statement that sounds both wise and aspirational; but what if the goal isn’t to become someone else? What if we
Give That Horse A Rest
The phrase, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses” commonly attributed to car manufacturer and industrialist Henry Ford is a perfect example of how we bind ourselves to our ideas. On August 29th 2011, the Harvard Business Review published an article written by Patrick Vlaskovits questioning whether this
Social Media: How it provided the voiceless with a voice
Historically, women have been a powerless group and today this social marginalisation still exists. Yet over time, we have seen the power of the establishment of social media, providing a platform of exchange for those discriminated against to share their experiences with the rest of the world – giving a voice to the voiceless. Suddenly
Love overshadows everything
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”- Martin Luther King. We can witness hatred in simple games like Cricket and Football. People would be furious during India versus Pakistan, England versus Australia matches, and Manchester United versus Barcelona. It’s just a game,
Our Multiple Identities
We humans possess multiple and changing identities. Our identities are only temporarily fixed within certain contexts; if we should take up one identity it may remain dominant for a certain length of time. But our identities are fluid and constantly shifting as we interact with other people and environments throughout our lives. I see these
Not Just A Four-Letter Word
Human beings and the emotions they feel and express are inherently complex. And not only that, the world is a sphere dominated by randomness and unpredictability. It is tempting to think of hate attracting hate. Because if hate did congregate in this fashion it would be, in many ways, easier to deal with. I certainly
‘Become someone else that you were not in the beginning.’ – Foucault.
There is only one thing human beings never cease to pursue: evolution. What made me learn to walk, I believe, was the desire inside me. I know without doubt that as a nestling baby on the breast I desired to walk like everyone else. I began the challenge by crawling. It was a great feat