May 14, 2006

Despise-List

Most people are alive because its illegal to shoot them.Someone had said. And that's true to the last of its word in my opinion. To be honest I was a bit apprehensive at first to write a post on the demeanour of others, but after 4(+3) days of futile procrastination, I finally decided to let go it.

Well to put it straight - Man is a social animal. And I just can't stop laughing because that phrase holds a very special and cliched status in my local friend circle. But its pertinent here for the kind of double meaning it circulates, one which implies that Man is unlike Animal because Man is social, and the second that Man is after all an animal. Carrying this foundation forward to the the point I intend to bring in - That its natural for us as 'residual animals' to not like certain individuals, or group of people around us because of their demeanor. So that 'despise list' of ours, consisting of those, whom we despise for one or the other reasons( and at times without reason also), automatically becomes a natural product owned by each of us.

Speaking of which, I would like to present with some quintessential of the very like, who in one or the other manifestations would be present in the despise list of everybody. So the first place in my hit list is occupied by the - The Uncle Jacks' ( basically the jack of all trades..and masters of none..) -
Though you may at first instance not be able to relate them as any distant relative of Uncle Sam, but it takes a few minutes of chinwag, that you start disliking them (like you do Uncle Sam) for the reasons,you cant even dare to tell them. They know more than you about the profession you are in. So, obviously you just cant undermine the complex of self-ignorance by discussing theirs with them. They would not mind giving you advice on anything ranging from a cure for common cold to whether your computer needs a DDR-I or II RAM. They are the best possible local ( and moving) britanica's available around you, without any guarantee on the veracity of their informational content. Personally, I just hate to even see such people around me, but that they unfortunately keep popping somewhere among my relatives, gives me a bad bad time on social occasions.

Next in the list are those who can be straight away classified as despicable for no reason at all except for their mirror cracking,ugly and unwelcome faces that you have to encounter everyday in your workplace because like the lyrics of Enrique's song goes - You can run, You can hide, but you cannot escape - their faces. That's the case, there are faces in your office which make you delighted, which give you a pleasant feeling, and then there are the faces of these second kind - which will keep hitting you, for you dont like to see them. Don't know what's with these faces after all. I agree that an ugly face doesn't qualify as a demeanor at a person's level, but tell you what, most of the times an ugly face entails an equally forbidding demeanor which can piss you off.

And yes, the third kind - Hypocrites. Can be found in abundance everywhere. Maybe you can count yourself as one among them. Infact I have tried many a times during self inspection not to relinquish myself as yet another brick in the wall of hypocrites, but I think its just not possible. Hypocrites in themselves are not bummers, its the preposterous act of boasting the hypocrisy which can make you kill them. They can talk about the impotency of government one minute and in the next flaunt their ingenuity by telling you the ways of tax evasion. They can argue on cons of prostitution if legalised in India, and beg you the same hour for the next MMS clip. They can proudly speak of their agnosticism and pray in the temple next day for the exams. Such are they , that you woudn't feel bad to have them executed for being what they are.

But Off all the reasons one can have for despising others, I feel its this despise list which keeps you from following or doing or behaving in a manner you dont like in others. Thus its as necessary and vile as a list to have one.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Shishir,

I hope im not an unwelcomed guest here;)...just 3 on your despise list?but frankly i feel you can let go uncle sams and mirror cracking materials...they aint that despicable.

i think theres lot more genuine class of ppl that can suit the despise list

1.The spammers
2.your boss
3.social stalkers(man they really suck!)
4.plagarizers..
lot more...

Shishir said...

Vyshali(I hope its spelled correctly),

To begin with you are most welcome to put your views and opinions here and I will surely be looking forward for the same.
Coming to what you said, I would say that definitely, I wasn't even close to present an exhaustive list of ppl who can be despised. I was just trying to accomodate the ones who would most probably be present in the despise list of everybody. But as you pointed out there are more who can at any time be added in the list - but not as generic cases. Particularly the 'bosses' category , which on a personal level, I would not include in my list, atleast as of now. Though seems like you are not lucky as I am ;).

The thing is that your experiences with ppl around you provides you with the input for your despise list. So its as subjective and illusionary as the word 'taste', which can be varying and conflicting between different ppl.

~Shishir.

Anonymous said...

hey,

certainly the despise list is very subjective and can vary for different indivisuals.though i have been as lucky as you :)the boss category is a generic case than varietal.experiences of ppl around us can give us the inputs for a despise list but the one that i have presented is more generic than exhaustive :P..what is varying is that uncle sams and ugly ducklings hardly take my attention.of course,the latter is again more subjective.

Shishir said...

Well, am glad to see you in luck!!
A bit of justification first. I dont intend to sound contentious or start an argument here by what I am writing below.
So, when you say that 'boss' category is generic, I dare not buy that view. Just count how many ppl around you have a boss, and that too of the despicable kind. It goes against the vox populi, and if am allowed to go by which, I can bet that the Uncle Jacks', and forbidding faces are more generic and abundant.
and yes, ofcourse the subjectivism still holds in my case.

Anonymous said...

hey,

we are just putting forth our views,i dont see it as an argument at all..ur boss must be one lucky guy to have you;)..just kidding...i see no issues at all...few ppl like their bosses,few ppl dont..so ,no big deal..im sure none of us are trying to change each others views here,what seems good to you neednt be true to someone...and visa-versa...so i dont see any argument here at all...im sorry if anything i've said has subtly offended you as i told you,they are just my views..

Shishir said...

>>im sorry if anything i've said has subtly offended you as i told you,they are just my views..

No, there's nothing you wrote which seemed to be offending. Infact in my previous comment I'd put tht as a disclaimer/justification, for just in case I sounded like an 'Argumentative Indian'.
This is very much a place to exchange views and opinions and I appreciate your stand on the subject.