The down side of choosing not to choose.
The epic story of Mahabharata has numerous learning embedded within its stories and symbolism. One such story highlights a lesson that is truer today than ever before. The strings of this story echos louder than ever in present scenario where more and more people tend to be oversensitive and diplomatic with absence of logic, reason and to an extent dharma.
Barbarika was son of Ghatotkacha and Grandson of Bhima and could change the outcome of the battle of Kurukshetra. Lord Krishna wanted him to fight for the Pandavas, thus he went to him asking for the same. Barbarika told him that he would fight for both the sides, he would fight with the side which was weaker. Lord Krishna understood that if he does that, there will be no end to the battle, so he chopped of his head, tied it to a tree and told him to watch the battle from there itself. When Krishna was asked why he did that, he replied that most destructive people for the society are those who are on everybody’s side or on nobody’s side.
What about this approach is so destructive? You may ask. First of all, it entails within it the fundamental premise of dishonest and manipulative behavior. You can’t speak for everyone or no one without being dishonest and ultimately a coward. The more people follow this path, society moves towards destruction. Secondly, there will always be a conflict. Think of it within your own mind, there are always two voices in your head. At some point you’ll decide to listen to one and act on it. People who are playing the centrist card, always hesitate to do what is right because for them it always comes at the cost of choosing one side, and ultimately, they lose their title of being a centrist. Moreover, if we leave society, the world and everything else aside and focus on just the individual itself. They always struggle to choose their own values and purpose, as a human being everybody has an orientation they live by. It can be either philosophical, a set of values, or religious principles. People who have an approach of being for everyone or no one are never able to choose this orientation, they slide back and forth between whatever favors them in the short run. This in and of itself leads to lack of trust, inability to have stable connections and to an extent narcissistic behaviors.
As a great philosopher once said, you’re always choosing, and what you chose entails with it the responsibility of facing the consequences of that choice. It’s difficult, it’s uncertain but that is what makes us human. To choose and take responsibility of what we choose. Those who never make that choice are also choosing not to choose and without being responsible as well as being consciously aware of the consequences of their choice. The great philosopher is Mark Manson btw.
