First Impressions?

Are the last? When you meet someone you create notions about them that may or may not be true and on the basis of that you decide your actions, right? In psychology the first impression is the event when one first encounters another person and forms a mental image of that person. The first impressions of another vary from one individual to another, and greatly influence how that person would be treated and viewed in everyday life.

According to psychology ( thanks wikipedia!), the choice between individualism and collectivism is a great influence on a first impression of a person. There are several other factors influencing it but in this post, we're gonna talk majorly of this aspect. I happened to have an individualist approach as observed by peers so for more accurate understanding, I'll first explain to you what individualism exactly is. 

Individualism is a social theory advocating that an individual's interests and goals should precendence over external influences. It is the act of taking care of oneself, stating that each person is unique and self-reliant. Individualism is the quality of being individual and exercising your own ideas and actions without any social context. On the other hand, collectivism suggests the exercise of ideas and thoughts in a more socially aware manner, they analyze situations in terms of the social groups formed. 

Back to the topic at hand, if your first impression is based on what society suggests to be proper and appropriate then you're bound to be a collectivist. For example, Racism. Racism is the view that there is a race of people, usually determined by skin color and appearance, and that they're all basically the same. Racism is fundamentally collectivist. Instead of viewing individuals by their own actions, values, or attributes, the group is judged and the outcome is arbitrarily assigned to the individuals. In other words, you get praised or blamed not by your own actions, but by the actions of someone else (or more than one person). This is a huge injustice, and it turns the whole concept of moral judgment upside down. When you see an african-american or a society name which is "black". You haven't talked to them or have been personally introduced and you don't even know their name but yet you make up notions of them as a rowdy bunch. Do you not have a mind of your own to function with?

First impressions are subjective to everyone but being a collectivist, you'll be at ease till your opinions are in alignment of the group, but when you're compelled to change your opinion you're more likely to change the views of all the members of the group for peer acceptance. Now flipping the coin, an individualist is confrontational and is willing to change their views at ease according to their own mental images, after the uncertainty.

Look at it this way, thinking with your mind and analyzing a situation according to your own mental ability is much more beneficial than just accepting what the society says. The society grasps what they hear, not what they think. Think about all those wonderful people you might have missed out on by listening to others?

First impressions are stable most of the time so listening to your thought process is the right way to go, you can't actually believe what the other says when you haven't seen or experienced it for yourself.

Happy Realization! :D

A First.

A first to something is always scary and somewhat surprising. When I was a little kid, I was scared to go anywhere alone and maybe I still am but that doesn't bring me down. Life requires you to step up your game every now and then and it isn't always a slumber party. 

I had a first not so long ago: First day to college. We all dream about the college we wanna go to and fantasize on how our first day would be like. I perhaps, thought the first day would be quite entertaining and full of new stuff to take in. In reality, first day was a really surprising surprise. For people like me who are so used to being in an inside and protected environment, college is a new land where you're divided into kings & queens, courtiers and peasants. Now for all those who made a frustrated look on this statement, let me explain before you stop reading. 

Kings and Queens: The 3rd year undergrad students i.e your super seniors. They will not look at you nor acknowledge your presence let alone greet you on your first day. They have better stuff to do like sort out their assignments or laugh it off with a buddy. Now not all are the typical snotty rulers but some turn out to be really friendly. 

Courtiers: The 2nd year undergrad students i.e your seniors. Now they have put it on themselves to either make you super comfortable on campus or super uncomfortable in their presence. For example, on my first day I met two contrasting personalities of seniors. One was friendly, helpful and comforting while the other was snobby, intolerable and discomforting. To be honest, I can write quite a lot about this section of people because of the amount of interaction I have had but that won't make this post any better or worse.

Peasants: The newbies i.e the first years. We wake up and wear our best clothes and put a notebook in our bags just in case. Enter college to be all changed by the fantasies we've dreamed of but what do we get? Surprises. College isn't school, this will be repeated to you hundred times till it resonates in. 

College can be a beautiful or shocking experience for different people. You don't have teachers running after you to finish your assignments, you won't have the restrictions of uniforms or rigorous 7 hours of classes. Lectures, note making and finding your classes on time are complimentary to the college experience. It might not sound like a big change for school students now but when it happens, it sure leaves a mark on you. Handling such a situation can be easy for some yet difficult to many because Indian students are used to spoon feeding and teacher pressure. Without it, they might not ever get their work done. 

 For the record, I'm loving my college days and I hope this feeling lasts. Direction is all it takes to enjoy this transition.School is an experience which no will ever forget but college is something which will bring out your real potential. In midst of  traveling alone and finishing up assignments you'll never know when you grew up. Going to a university like Jamia Millia Islamia has made me realize that it doesn't matter where you come from; it matters of what you're made of. 

Getting through a new phase requires patience, hard work and persistence. Scoring A's isn't the point, scoring the right personality is. 

You make it or you break it. 

It's all on you. 

Good Luck  :D

Color Me Multi-Color.

USA just legalized same sex marriage and what's the world got to say?

You must have seen the colorful profile pictures your friends have put up on facebook or whatsapp claiming to support The States legalizing same sex marriage. Why is it such a big deal in India when the society here just runs their own stereotype? Isn't it ironical that here if we spot a gay couple we'd say incoherent things about them? But when USA does this, we're in claps and praises? Well done India well done.
Sexuality is personal to one's being, and there's no reason for someone else to judge them about it. How would you feel if someone said you were stupid but reality check, you're dyslexic? Everyone is entitled to their own choice of sexuality and no-one; not even their parents can stop them from it. In India, being gay is a crime according to the old folks. And this is not me judging but actually observing. Why can't an individual live their life on their own terms? So what if they're interested in the same sex, it's not the end of the world. They're happy, isn't that enough for you?
I'm disappointed in the type of values our societies have to give, why is the life of the other so interesting that we make it a point to judge them? Do you not think before judging them?Sexuality is a choice. Be it straight, bisexual or homosexual. If we can live with bilingual people, why not bisexual? Acceptance is all it takes. Open up your mind to worldly things, embrace the human being as he/she comes. Like a person for their personality not their choices because if you judge them that means someone can judge you too. 
Conventional norms are gone and done with. I'm not saying that you should go wild but learn to respect each other's choices. If you like strawberry ice-cream, doesn't mean I will too right? We're all diversified creatures with different outlooks on life. Why should that be a reason to shun someone?
I know my ranting is useless to people who like having their own way with everything but come out of your closet, and look around. We're all Multi-Color.


Respect to get respected. 

The time to relax is when you don't have time for it. 

Are you worrying about everything every minute of your life? Will I score well in my exams? Will I get a good college? Will my boss give me my bonus this year? Can I afford this exquisite china? 

Yes it's normal. The devil haunting your soul is Stress. I was over with my board examinations 10 days ago and honestly even if they're over , the stress that haunted me isn't. I still wake up in the middle of the night with my sub-conscious mind telling me to study for my economics board ( not that it didn't go well) but anyway you get the point. Even if you manage to convince yourself that you're stress free , your mind will always have other plans for you. And it's not just students , it's everyone; from every walk of life. Your mother stresses about making your food in the morning, if she doesn't get up on time , everyone will be late. Your father worries about financial constraints or where you barged off with your friends without telling him ( not an ideal situation, believe me) .
So basically , everyone has something to stress about. But it's not what you think about , it's how you overcome it. For some people it's music , for some writing or dancing. Stress is a deadly virus which can only be secreted by the activity of your choice. Don't think of it as a burden , more of a challenge. Challenge yourself to be free of the unnecessary shackles you have tied yourself to. Why stress about your result when you have no control of whatever it is? Why stress about your children or husband getting late , it's just a time , it's just a temporary situation; everyone will get over it.

 Stress demands to be outwitted. Take it all out. Listen to music, write it all out , dance your worries away ,read to escape reality, play your favorite sport BUT don't keep it in. Never keep it in. Mental stress can result in physical destruction of your body which is not desirable. So take it out. Remember that this too shall pass. The situation you are in today will not be there next week or next year. It's temporary. Everything that happens to you is for a reason and for a specific time period. You do not need to drag yourself to melancholy for a thing which will be over before you spell out mississippi ( see I can make humor with sarcasm).

So chill out and be yourself because your mind is yours. Tame it , endure it and learn to enjoy it. 

Know Yourself

The more you know who you are and what you want , the less you let things upset you.

“Be yourself; everyone is already taken” ~Oscar Wilde

Do you indulge in activities to prove yourself? To impress acquaintances? To establish self worth? To build up self -esteem?
The best way you can prove yourself is by discovering yourself.
Find out what you're good at instead of following the whole world.
You deserve to be appreciated and approached the same way others are , that doesn't mean you have to be SAME.
The sole purpose of discovering oneself is to not fit in but stand out .
You should be able to assess what your likes and dislikes are and present your opinions more freely.
We have been given some rights which deserve to be exercised 'eh?

A society consists of a number of indigenous people. 
Everyone is different. Everyone is unique. 

Our society requires intelligent and people who speak for themselves .
There are , you say? WHERE?
I only see groups not individualism.

Discover your passion , your hobbies , your interests cause your opinion matters as much as the one's next to you. 

You do not have to justify your worth. The thought of proving yourself is entirely wrong and destructive as it presumes that some hierarchy of people’s worth exists. The truth is that everyone is worthy of love, respect, and kindness.

Take time to try different things to figure what you enjoy.
Time provides us with insights we never could discover ourselves. Give time to yourself. Be alone , do what makes you happy ; discover what makes you happy. 

Let go of expectations. This is not what you think , what I mean is to be happy with what you have rather than idolizing a situation whose definite occurrence is not known to us . Why stress out on things which have not happen or things we do not have and believe our world to be crumbling in front of us ; why not just cherish what we have at hand in the present.

Look after yourself. Always find time for self care . Celebrate with yourself cause you are your own best friend.  Even if it means spending a friday night indoors reading a good book cause you like it instead of going to a party you don't wanna go to just cause your social circle thinks it's 'cool'. 

Fitting in is overrated. Don't try to fit in a particular group. Be yourself and you'll attract authentic friendships. Your friends should be with you cause they enjoy your company and unique qualities. Some goes for us , we should like a person for their personality not because they are associated with a particular group or tag. 


"I think it's very healthy to spend time alone, You need to know how to be alone and not be defined by another person " - Oscar Wilde. 

And You Thought Dragons Didn't Exist...

They exist in you. 

The supernatural? The imaginary? The Undead? No , No and No.
We're talking about you , me and everyone .
There's no possession inside you , don't worry bud!

Have you ever done something nice recently for someone else other than yourself? Have you given up your own happiness for the sake of another? If the answers to these questions are a NO with a sigh , you my friend have a dragon trapped inside. We all want happiness, but finding it isn't the easiest venture. Many of us conceive of it as the end-product of material wealth, career goals and family harmony. With that in mind, we seek out the things we believe will deliver it: better cars, nicer houses and bigger paychecks. Others of us work to put together a large network of friends or find a spouse. But as soon as we get used to this stuff , it just doesn't make us happy anymore does it? We're selfish ; human wants are never-ending.
Ever done something for someone else? A SELFLESS act?
There is a completely different essence of life in doing something like that ; the smile you put on a street kid's face when you give him/her his ice-cream , giving a blanket to the homeless in the winter , teaching the less fortunate?
If you've eaten the ice cream yourself and shooed away the kid , open your shell and let the dragon out.
Let your dragon burn in front of you :')
Be NICE. Be SELFLESS. Be a HUMAN for a change. You don't want Karma chasing you down your driveway now do you? Find happiness in the happiness of others , be the good one instead of the bad one! Be the person that makes other feel special , be known for your kindness and sympathy.
Next time you step outside , you'll smile at a kid and he'll smile back :')
That is called the different essence !
Go on and charm your surroundings..

The Admission Blues

Back to square one : The rat race

It's that time of the year again? Oh , you know what I mean! Admissions , Scholarships , Quotas , Donations and what not! Students with even 95% get left behind because of the cut offs being as high as 99% . Quite quixotic , you say? Well that's how they roll in India !

Admissions in top colleges are supposed to be hard but not so much so that we'd have to go through such unrealistic demeanour. Why go through so much stress and tension for just mere admissions?
Yes , MERE admissions. Your identity should not be defined by what college you belong to instead you should define yourself . When you're 70 years old , you might not remember what chaos you went through to get in a top ranked college instead you'll remember your much cherished memories in the college canteen or bunking classes to watch a movie !

In my opinion , these rat races we all indulge in are a waste of time and emotions. Why cry over marks? Life has much more to cry over and laugh about. These are the days when you'll find every third house in your locality complaining about the tough admission processes and how long they stood in queues to get one form ! What's the use of that much sweat and tiredness when you can't admission without a 98% aggregate ? It's better to settle for a college which gives you credit for your talent and not the marks you get after mugged up vomits on your answer sheet. It's surprising to know that me writing so much would go a waste when I approach for admissions . I would have to go though the same tedious procedures because my society obliges me to do so. It's not us but societal pressure which forces us to be like we are. In fact any college with good faculty and facilities can provide you with a suitable degree and placement , not necessarily the top one but how does it matter when you're provided with the best alternative ?

Thrive for what's best for you not what makes you best in your peer or societal group.
Talents are not only academically driven , you could be a good sportsman , a good musician , actor , artist , writer , dancer etc. It's up to you not your marks on what you become or what you are.

Go on , discover your talent.
Don't cry over marks cause they'll just be printed sheets at the end of the day . 

Sarcastic Retard

Above all is the pain of a sarcastic comment taken seriously.

The almighty Google defines "Sarcasm" as the use of irony to mock or convey contempt. Everyone uses sarcasm as a way to outshine themselves or bring in humor in a conversation. But when the opposite person takes your sarcasm seriously , that's when the humorous conversation turns into just a conversation you never wished for.

Okay folks , we know you don't like being offended but a joke is merely a JOKE.
Not supposed to be taken seriously , not supposed to be thought of , not supposed to be even talked about later on. Now why go through the tormenting thoughts of being insulted ?

There are many sarcastic retards out there who love to be sarcastic and condemn anyone and anything possible. If you can't tolerate them , simply don't. Sarcasm is basically a defense mechanism though it's not a very good one . If you need a positive defense mechanism, make it laughter.

Why is outwitting someone considered a sign of smartness? Well sorry to be honest , but it isn't.
Your sarcasm shows how judgmental you can get. Showing sarcasm in a generalized sentence is acceptable but when you target a person , you're totally wrong buddy.

Use sarcasm as a way to make people laugh together not on each other.
Next time , think before you speak . You never know what the other goes through.

What's in a name?

That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet.

These above lines are from Shakespeare’s play, ‘Romeo and Juliet’. In the recent years people, particularly Genx have had a declining interest in works of literature. Few authors have proven as timeless as William Shakespeare, Nearly four centuries after his death, his plays are still performed around the world, and he continues to inspire writers, filmmakers and other artists.
Shakespeare was a genius; he worked as an actor and playwright, quickly gaining attention for his comedies and historical plays. He wrote 37 plays in all. The richness and complexity of Shakespeare’s writing make his plays rewarding to read as well as see and hear. His writing is full of figurative language and wordplay.
A timeless poet and playwright, his works are cherished and ought to be read by us. They give us meaningful insight of the Victorian era.
Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, The tempest, The twelfth night, Romeo and Juliet and Taming of the shrew are all credible works of Shakespeare. There are many more his plays which deserve appreciation from our generation.
Go on; unleash the theatrical side of yourself.

Classic Obsession

Literature at it's best 

We all read books , everyone reads according to their preferences. Nowadays people read the newbies or have new fandoms for books like Hunger games , Harry potter or  " Twilight " ( which I think is overrated ) . 

Reading them is totally okay but we should develop interest in classics as well. We must not read classic literature simply because it has been revered by previous generations. It is every generation's duty to read and assess whether the literature canon has something of this generation's relevance. Literature is not supposed to exist as a historical artifact , it must do more. It should engage it's reader and assert it's relevance.
Some part of this generation must think "  why should we read classic literature ? It's not of any use to us" . Well , you my friend are wrong in this assumption.

Classic literature teaches us numerous things . For example : Wuthering Heights teaches us how to respect everyone's choices and how to deal with inter family relations. Jane Austen teaches us  the warmth of love , her stories teach us the moralities of life . Shakespeare was yet an exceptional writer , his works are masterpieces . Jules Verne , the science fiction lover gave us so many books to drool on !

Classics teach us moral skills , apart from that they enhance our vocabulary . In the olden days , people had a refined tongue , nowadays people just follow their own made up slang . Literature is like a art , so deep and elegant . Classics are true gems to the book world. The writers wrote books on basis of their lives and that's why these stories touch our hearts. They're assumingly true and give us the right amount of reality and fiction. 

The most enjoyable aspects of reading classic literature is watching the most talented artists engage in an exchange of ideas; it enriches the reader's mind and allow him or her to sit back and observe profound ideas explored and interrogated throughout decades and centuries past.

Classics expand our understanding of the world. They're are various secrets to be unlocked by the reader by simply reading which will deepen and expand their understanding of the world and their consciousness.
 Be a classic lover . Classics will love you ! 

Once Upon A Time

No , this isn't a fairy-tale , it's the reality. 

We all live a really comfortable life but we aren't the slightest aware of how life was back when we weren't born (   we : I'm talking about us teenagers and early 20's "adults" ) . 

We watch TV , listen to songs , go out for movies but all yesteryear's entertainment was the one -channel radio or on lucky days - a day out to the park. Believe it or not luxuries were a dream back then. We long for ice-creams from gianis , pizzas from dominoes , pastas and macroni but those kids longed for their mother's made custard.

The world has evolved to become more citizen-friendly and everything we need is easily available. Back then , holidays meant spending time with uncles , aunts and cousins at their places ; now holidays means going abroad to exotic countries and staying at five-star hotels. Birthdays are celebrated with extravagant parties and delicacies from fancy restaurants but in the yesteryear birthdays meant "family time" and maybe the child's favorite dish in dinner.

Human desires  changed the world with a modern outlook. We all are so used to such a luxurious lifestyle that we can't even spend one day without TV, internet or delicious food items! One day isn't much to ask , it's just 24 hours in contrast our parents and grandparents spent years without such comfort.

We should respect what we get because our parents work hard for us to be comfortable. Respect their struggle through hardships. Try to empathize with them !

#Lived Happily Ever After

 

It Happens Only In India

India is the only country where you'll find charity giving beggars , companies claiming to change your lives by chocolate biscuits , Overloaded trains , nationwide hunger strikes and what not ? 

India is one strange country ! Earlier today I witnessed a gate saying " The Dog is Ok Beware of the owner " in Delhi . This is one country where you'll find billionaires building entire skyscrapers and living in them as homes. The English spoken here is unbeatable !
Let's not talk about all this ? There are plenty of things India is known for : bad specifically.
But the good things are the one which go invisible to us. The same day when I noticed the gate I saw a man ( seemingly of a lower strata : economically) feeding a street dog milk from a milk packet bought from a store. Even though he is struggling economically , he maybe sacrificed his own one time meal for feeding that dog. My dad and me both thought the same thing : " It happens only in India" . People aren't that bad here. We Indians know how to work our way around any situation ; be it cheating in an examination or bargaining with the local vegetable vendor.

So basically what I'm trying to say is that India is a divine nation and we should respect our own nation despite the selfish billionaires or billboards in broken English . I hold tonnes of respect for that man who fed the dog. He deserves a salute because of his humane and loving deed.
On the other hand , the gate ; well the owner sure knows how to crack a joke on himself. 
Well , go on Respect yourself. Your nation . And do something good today. Your name might end up in my blog !

Thrilling Adventures

The need to do something adventurous once  in awhile So that life isn't just a stupid timetable.

Begin at once to live and count each separate day as a separate life.” ~Seneca

Do you regret on not doing something once the moment fades away? Do you remorse when a good movie is aired on TV and you miss it ? Do you throw tantrums when your friends go for a movie and you don't? Of course you do !

We only live once in every life ! ( yeah once , no Indian theories please : 7 births ) . Why should we cry on things we missed? Do something the moment you come across it! You're 50 and wanna go a slide? Well , go on ..SLIDE! But mind you that back pain will cause trouble in the long run! With caution , if you must ! 

Life your life to the fullest with no regrets. Sky dive , Scuba dive , Dance in the carnival in Spain ..do anything that pleases you. Happiness is not the result of squeezing something everyday , it's the result of the moment enjoyed every day. If you get a chocolate one day , that makes you happy right? So why not eat the chocolate ? Participate in life rather than just letting it pass by you !
Appreciate every moment of the day . Life gives us bad and good experiences. Forget the bad , cherish the good. Thank life for the goodies it gave you. Throw away the rotten apples , they might infect your good ones ! Enjoy each and every moment of life. Every day is a new challenge and opportunity to discover something new . Have new experiences. Go on a coaster ride . Go to the beach with a two year old. Never regret. Do something when you can ! Enjoy life. Value life . Live life.
Live and let live !

So what have you done today to live life to the fullest?

Leading A Virtuous Life ...

                          ..A reality show rather than reality.

Truth and lies are the angels and demons of life. We all have a so called angel and a truthful demon inside us.
How many of us actually speak the truth all the time? No one , right ? You come home late from partying , you don't tell your parents that , now do you? " Mom I was at the library finishing my history report"!! Yeah , right ! Anyway , the main point I'm trying to make here is today's generation is infected by the lying syndrome . Children , teenagers , adults , the elderly , everyone in fact ! We fret by the consequences we'd have to face by revealing the hurtful truth . A lie is a powerful weapon at that time , it saves us from the unwanted reactions . Lying sure helps but it is sure not a virtue of life and plus it doesn't help in the long run. I know what you must be thinking that who actually says the truth nowadays and why should if we're happy ?

Well , the thing about virtues is that they come out straight from a good human being and lying is like the bad evil of the society. Saying the truth is like a fantasy now ! We all think lying is rhetorical in any XYZ situation . We need to learn to be truthful to ourselves , Believe me you'll be much more happy then ! The inner satisfaction we obtain is the gift of truthfulness.
Don't lie , it hurts the other person more when they find out it was a lie . Don't break someone's trust cause trust is like glass ; if you lose it it breaks. Learn to say the truth. It's a good virtue ! 

Given the choice between a great mark and a great story, I think you should go for the latter.

Marks don't matter 

Well , It's back to the time of the year when tensions are high in the households of 12th pass-outs and former 10th class students . The examinations are held and students slog it out their respective D days and puff , it is all over ; the results are out ! The successful ones cheer , the not so ones grieve. Astonishing marks are hence  scored however there is some food for thought for those who think education is the primary tool to progress of a nation. Do marks alone matter ?

Education is a process which empowers a student to think for himself/herself and make his/her decisions in life. However, the present day education system puts emphasis on rote-learning and unhealthy competition. Critics have often pointed out the inadequacies of our education system. The general complain is that the school curriculum is too much academic. It is not practical or job oriented. So bringing full marks or A+ grades won't help students to make adequate progress in the future. 

The academics, on the basis of it we are judged, can it give the education of life? Can it give the life skills which we need in our lifetime? No at all! The history or English we study today won’t help us to cope with problems in the real world. We need to know more than just bookish knowledge.

Anyway , the point is that marks aren't the only things that matter. Many students lose their other abilities like good interpersonal skills because of their unbeatable study skills. In reality marks don't matter in the long run , they're just the pillars to get into your desired stream in 11th and college in 12th. After that , who is gonna ask what grade you got in 10th in maths ? So don't worry right now because later on your skills and knowledge will help you , not your marks or grades. Don't just study , LEARN.

People will ask what you know not what you got.

How Music Affects Teens

Music is something that every person has his or her own specific opinion about. Different people have different taste, and various types of music have many ways of leaving an impact on someone. It can be relaxing, angering, soothing, energizing, and much more. Music sends out either good or bad messages that have big impacts on how people act. People usually become friends with others who have a same taste in music as the rest of the people they hangout with, or it can be vice versa. People may not want to associate with people who have different tastes in music because they’ll argue about what they think is better but its just their own opinions.
People can use music to express themselves, in ways it can’t be expressed through behavior, or art. You can usually tell how someone’s feeling by the type of music he or she is listening to at the time. It’s a tool used by many. Groups of people around the world can come together and gather at concerts, shows, and venues to show what their interests and likings are and you see how many people have similar likings as you. Many people choose their preferences by the influence of their peer group . Others stick to their own choices. Some people dance their feelings away on music . When else is away; music lends a hand .

Music gives a soul to the universe , wings to the mind , flight to the imagination and life to everything. 

  

The Incredible Idiocy Of Chetan Bhagat

Why do some people dislike Chetan bhagat and his work?

Even though this topic has been to death a million times ; I'll write on it again !

Now, the proper argument against CB haters is, ‘If you don’t love him, just don’t read his books. The man has sold so many books. Cut him some slack.’But there are some reasons that he has a very good hate following!First of all , his bad quality writing style in his books. They are the Indian version of Twilight. Mindless. Page-turner, at the end you ask why you even read it in the first place. Essentially he is the embodiment of everything that's hopeless about the nation- love for masala, disdain for debates. He takes advantage of that, propagates it. Moreover he goes on to convince readers they are indulging in literature, while they're not. An unread person is better than one who has grown up on his books. A book has no obligation to appeal to the intellect and increase it, but what it shouldn't do is dumb down the masses further and that's what he does. The Bollywood equivalent for him is RGV ki Aag, TV equivalent is Roadies.  CB is not a good writer in the literary sense. He is no Vikram Seth or Arundhati Roy. He does not write flowery beautiful prose.He is simply earning because of the "masala-influenced" masses we have in our nation.Honestly no one can learn anything new from his books . No new words , no moral values ( of course not ). His books are made to be motion pictures .We can debate all day about why he isn't a good writer and why still his books are best sellers but it wouldn't change the way he writes nor the way we think.He has his fans and haters all over the world .Now , it's everyone's personal opinion on what they would prefer.The choice is all yours folks.#This is my personal opinion and I mean no offense to anyone or anything.  

Next to being married, a girl likes to be crossed in love a little now and then

                                                                                                                 

The above quote were the words of the honored author Jane Austen .Jane Austen is a world renowned English author and, despite her having lived centuries ago, she commands a legion of fans around the world numbering in the millions today. Her timeless works - numbering just six completed novels - have been turned into a plethora of motion pictures, television shows and modern adaptations at a regular pace in addition to being translated into multiple languages that help her stories surpass cultural boundaries. These six works have gone on to become the model formula for the romance stories of today.

•  Pride and Prejudice         
        ....Misunderstanding prevails

•   Sense and Sensibility 
  
                      …Striking the balance

•  Persuasion
  
                      …The heart never forgets

•   Emma 
  
                     …Playing with Fire

•  Northanger Abbey           
          …Romance beyond books

• Mansfield Park     
       …Above rank and status 

Jane Austen remains as popular as ever and is revered as much as any literary figure in the history of the English language .What kind of author would Jane Austen be without a sharp mind and an equally sharp tongue? Her personal quotes reveal something of her character – a fierceness that sometimes can come out of her lead characters. She certainly maintained a unique, almost stubborn, view of the world around her and had made up her mind about a great many things.
Jane Austen’s writing style is something very commendable. It’s concise yet very meaningful. While reading her novels you are totally surrounded by the “world” of Jane Austen. It feels like a movie going on inside your head. She was one such person who can make our hearts pounding on what’s going to happen next in the romance! Her stories give a new perspective to every individual. So go on ...and pick up a Jane Austen classic and read. I would personally recommend the above mentioned six.

“Wisdom is better than wit, and in the long run will certainly have the laugh on her side “  - Jane Austen

A Fairy Tale ..Yet to be discovered

Who says Fairy tales are just stories? Who says they’re not real?They are!

You must’ve read about the French Revolution or the American civil war in High school, right?You read it in book, you read fairy tales in a book too right? So why don’t you believe in them?Belief is the only thing that drives us away from such webs. If we don’t believe, why would something be real and happen to us? We believe in the world wars happening, why not Cinderella? Huh?Belief is a portal to many worlds! Imagination is the base of creating of a belief!The French Revolution and the world wars are both “stories” in history.Now stories – where do they come from?We hear the stories of Akbar the great from our elder, stories are passed on from one generation to the next. They have been in fact being passed on for hundreds of centuries!The Grimm Brothers collected all these stories (known before as folk tales) and gave them to us in print. Maybe these stories are real...maybe Cinderella had a fairy godmother; maybe snow white did have a prince charming..! Who knows...there might be a thing like magic in the world too!Let’s take this fact – The world wars happened …we believe in them because there is proof in text . But how do we know that text is REAL? We simply believe in it.Our imagination is the only way we can believe in them. Why can’t we simply believe in fairy tale?Magic is a word for something that can do anything and everything.Imagination IS magic.We have read stories like Twilight, Hunger games and Harry Potter. These all came from someone’s imagination. Imagination is a wondrous object we possess. Magic, fairy tales are just “stories” for those who don’t believe. But imagination isn’t for anyone.Napoleon existed.Rumpulstilskin existed.Why’d you read the second statement so unbelievingly? We believe in the world ware cause they make sense. We don’t believe in fairies cause their existence doesn’t make sense to us. Why does everything have to make sense?Don’t feel ashamed or crazy if you believe in fairies or magic; Respect yourself because you’ve got a amazingly good imagination!Imagination is real.Believe and Enjoy.Imagine and make magic.(Believe me) You can do wonders!

Reading Is My Escape

Reading is my escape from reality. 

When I read I leave reality and enter a different world that is truly amazing. I get pulled into books like no other. When I read I forget what I am surrounded with and get surrounded by something better. 

It is simply one of the best feelings ever. To get pulled into a book, into a different world when it seems so real, but it is just inside your mind.
Don’t get me wrong, I think reality is beautiful, especially since it’s all we’ve got, but in a certain sense imagination is an aspect of reality as projected by our own neural circuitry. So it should be ok to enjoy escaping from time to time, right? Of course that’s right! Only a scientist would ever think to ask permission to step outside reality for a little bit. But this is where comics come in oh so handy.So if I’m looking for a bit of easy escapism why don’t I just watch a movie? Well I prefer reading, I like that it’s active. And a movie takes a specific amount of time. It’s right there on the box. For whatever reason I’m resistant to having to try and fit that in my schedule, as opposed to a comic I can carry around the house reading in fits and starts as I please. But this is all the nuts and bolts of my own preferred escapism, what’s my actual point?

Reading gives you an inner satisfaction that there is something more worthwhile and more enjoyable in this world. I face this inner urge to read cause I enjoy it and why not ?
A few hours without homework and the boring textbooks ..who wouldn't!
Go pick up a good book and READ.
You'll enjoy .! Believe me.!