26 March 2010

There are times when you are fuming with anger and you need true empathy. There are times when you are terribly sad and hurt and you need heart felt sympathy. You need that friend who truly understands you. Who is either capable of comforting you with words or gives you the other perspective, thereby broadening your point of view. A friend, who can be your sounding board and show you the mirror. Who can be your critic and take a stand.

I know a lot of people who are unable to do just that. Some simply have no opinion on anything and others are cowards who don’t want their opinions heard, for they won’t even want to be responsible for their own actions and words. They just avoid conflict and confrontation. They simply behave like spineless jellyfish and can’t decide even on the obvious right or wrong, correct or incorrect. They are ignorant of a lot of things and dispassionate about everything. They just can’t take a stand. Whether a quarrel between two neighbours or two countries, they are always undecided and hence either unsupportive or supportive of both. They can never answer closed ended questions. They are misled by an overpowering desire to be Mr/Ms Popular, which they try to fulfil by always being neutral in their responses.


It’s sad that they fail to realise that this blissfully detached attitude of theirs won’t get them anywhere. It’s great to be flexible and accommodating, open to interpretations embracing different school of thoughts, but not oblivious and unconcerned. There are times and situations that demand diplomacy. But an attempt to be politically correct all the time can be irritating. You just cannot be in the good books of all at all times. You see it is not at all easy to get along someone who is opinionated, but it certainly is very difficult to get along a person who is exactly the opposite.

I am not saying be hurtfully blunt or arrogantly straightforward. Just have a point of view. Know what you don’t want, even if you don’t know what you want. Stand up for your own beliefs. Stand up for someone or something else. Let us know where you belong…… Shake off the undecided and cynical in you. Your friend, family, colleague, neighbour, city, community, society, environment, country needs you. Be there for them. Feel for their cause. Have courage to voice it. Hear and be heard.

There is a spark in you waiting to ignite. Let it light that torch. Just raise your hand…….. Just take a stand.