Hello.

I am writing this essay, because I believe I can be better that the twelve other entries submitted at this time.

I am also going to college because I believe that in the end, I can chase away and rid student debt with an exceptional job more efficiently than everyone else that has tried and failed in the past.

I go to work at a minimum wage, ludicrously average job. I can withstand this, simply because I know I’m better than most there.

Oh, and you guessed it. You know that lottery they run all the time? Sometimes they give away, like, approximately a billion dollars?? I’m going to win that too; because well, it just seems that I’m special.

I’m going to keep buying these treacherous, repulsive cigarettes and spend the amount of money equivalent to a car payment in a month. Don’t worry though; I’m exempt from developing Cancer. They won’t kill me. However, the guy next to me should stop. Just because I’m doing it, you shouldn’t do it too.

Equality. The entirety of the human race strives to be equal.

We have fought centuries upon time clashing and disputing over “special treatment” in human rights. We have protested, discriminated and shed a countless number of blood and harsh tears over this topic. What if naturally, we want to be “equal” for the daunting fear crawling in the back of our Egos? This fear is oozing with jealousy, hatred and an unsettling amount of controversy. Our minds seem to cringe when challenged or told that we are not good enough. What is good enough? How do you figure that we want to be considered just as good as the person next to us, whilst allowing a conceding ego to chant encouraging songs on how we are actually better than the majority of the population?

Pointless would be the act of living. In my perspective, this seems quite uncanny. Entitlement allows us to feel a prevalent presence of superiority to the person next to us. There isn’t a single person that enjoys failing. We all have this absurd drive to succeed within ourselves. I like to think of this as our will to be alive. If we did not feel a tangible purpose attached to our shell of our soul(s), there would be no life. We all consider ourselves above average, simply because if we all knew we were well below average, there would be no accomplishment or strive for betterment within ourselves.

Circumstances, talents and intelligence dance within the minds we each possess. We all are given a set of skills. Somewhere along the line, another person gave us a spark. Exhausted, we picked ourselves up to meet the leveling  eyes of another individual. Someone saw something in us; our family, a peer, a coach. They said that we could accomplish anything; they believed in us. Our egos digest this as validation and positivity. A spark in the blackness. If we were all truly, “above average” why would we naturally consume and allow validation and confirmation from other humans?

If our natural state detests the feeling of being less than equal to our human associates, but thoroughly enjoys toying with the idea that somehow we are better simultaneously; that leaves the majority of us at good. Not exceptional. Not remarkable in some sense. It leaves us very comparable. No brilliance lives in good. If you think about the act of insulting someone, why is it that it can be so degrading and wounding? If the majority of us truly believed and understood what it meant to be “above average,” nothing would touch us.

When people are asked if they believe they are above average, the statistic is 94% of the answer ‘yes’. Doesn’t that make the 6% the above average, if the average response is, ‘yes’? I’d like to meet with the sample size of the 6%. Just maybe, they hold all of the answers. I certainly don’t want to fall in a category of “above average” if that is the majority. So many people consider themselves good. With this shivering statistic and the ignorance of everyone who truly believe they are outstandingly unique in some sense; I don’t want to be above average. I don’t want to be good. In fact, I’m as bad as it gets.

Reddened palms, and severe strained perception. 

Sunken stones, and a misplaced direction. 

Torn out pages, and faltered steps. 

Unkissed lips, and regardless contempt. 

Barren wastelands, and cigarette smoke. 

Heaviest affection, and a wind well blown. 

Induced oblivion, and ascending peaks. 

Plummeting valleys, and willows that weep. 

Provoked altercation, and hands that shake.

Well kept promises, and earths that quake. 

One simple stature, and one complicated mind. 

She knew what it all meant, and it drove her blind.

When I was travelling from Bharat Nagar Chownk to Aarti Chownk in an autorickshaw , I noticed a hoarding, "Keep Your City Clean And Green"

I was so shocked to read this statement and a voice came up from my heart which asked ,"Why it isn't 'India' instead of 'City'?

I believe that it doesn't make sense to keep just one city clean when we have to unite together to make our country clean.

If people would see only one banner, 'Keep India Clean And Green' in every city and state, the message will be clear for all.

This reminded me of one of the famous dialogues of Chakde India, "Play for India first, then for your team members, and if you are still left with any strength, then for yourself."

Some of you may think, "India will be clean only if its cities are kept clean. I agree that action takes time and is a gradual process. However, I am talking about 'Vision' here.

We must have a broader vision so that our actions are focused in one direction.

#SwachhBharat #CleanIndia

Keep Learning :)

Keep Sharing :-)

Rohit Sood

Facebook: @penmanrohit

Instagram: @penmanrohit

Twitter: @penmanrohit

Freedom,

in the way where no one has a claim on me.

From my childhood, I've owed people,

my parents, my teachers, my friends,

and now my bosses, my banks, my government,

my nonexistent lovers.

So I hustle, I sell my soul,

and they whisper,

but I will be free,

any way I can. 

Prejudice.

Isn’t it what rules us all?

When I googled “Top ten prejudices most people have”, the results revolved around apartheid, genocide, and racial segregation sympathisers as well as people who believe women should only be hired as secretaries.

But I am not referring to that type of prejudice. Not prejudice against a specific race, ethnicity or gender. More so personal prejudices. Superstitions if you will.

So then I googled “Top ten superstitions most people have” and in just 0.60 seconds I got article after article listing “black cats”, “broken mirrors”, “open umbrellas in the indoors” and even “an itchy right palm” (apparently an indicator that you’re about to lose money) as examples of bad omens.

Then of course there are more optimistic superstitions featuring “knocking on wood”, “four leaf clovers” and an extremely anti-vegan “rabbit’s foot” which we hope will bring us good luck, health and wealth. We follow these bizarre rituals to welcome good and shoo away bad.

While waiting for my Schengen visa to be approved, I knocked my knuckles red by attacking every piece of wood that crossed my path. My friend, refused to cut his hair for the entirety of his senior year of highschool because he passionately believed that snipping off his locks would give him terrible exams results. My father doesn’t cut his nails on a Saturday, my mother never leaves the house at nineteen minutes past the hour and my philosophy teacher never eats both dark and white chocolate on the same day.

Five superstitions all passionately followed yet all five unrelated to each other.

It is important to note that I was granted a Schengen visa and my friend scored the highest in our year and to this day has not cut his hair. But most would argue that’s just confirmation bias.

My passion for studying personal prejudices started this year when I was trying to make up my mind on religion. I was brought up as a Hindu, taught not to eat beef, witnessed some religious ceremonies involving a lot of standing and high calorie sweets, and even visited the temple a couple times. We only visited the temple during difficult periods and right after good times to show gratitude for good blessings, in hopes that they continue. Pretty close to how I don’t go around knocking on wood when I am not waiting for good or avoiding bad.

Let’s move on to religious belief systems.

I have a Muslim friend who prays five times a day, fasts every ramadan and has visited Mecca twice over. I have a Jain friend who doesn’t eat non-vegetarian foods or anything that has roots. I have a Christian friend who visits church every Sunday, commits to lent and whole-heartedly believes in the ten commandments.

I also have an atheist friend who is probably the reincarnation of infamous anti-theist Christopher Hitchens. He describes life as we know it as 7 billion meatless sacks experiencing events on a floating rock in an ever expanding universe. He also refused to cut his hair until he received his exam results because he was certain it would bring him bad luck.

I am not trying to equate religious practices to superstitious ones. I am trying to make the argument that if I can admit to having a belief system where my personal prejudices and superstitions determine what will bring me good or bad luck, then I don’t really have the right to make any comment on religion or other people’s belief systems.

Essentially my argument is that just because I don’t believe in religion doesn’t mean I can criticize those that do because as an individual I doubt any of us are exempt from having personal prejudices or superstitions. Alternatively if you do believe in a religion do you really have the right to criticize say an atheist with a fear of the number 13? Wouldn’t you be criticizing someone from simply believing in a concept in the same way you believe in religion? It’s not equating religion to superstition, it’s evaluating the strength of our beliefs and to what extent we let them rule our daily lives and consequently our right to judge the beliefs of others.

I have been trying to conclude on what role religion would play in my life, whether I believed in the after-life, is God real and if so how can such an entity be omnipotent and omnipresent simultaneously and of course the question of theodicy. After not being able to answer any of these questions in my seventeen year old mind, I decided religion is probably not my thing. But then I thought to myself, how can I hold these ridiculous illogical superstitions yet still criticize religion or those who identify with it just because this specific belief doesn’t logically make sense to me individually.

As someone who believes that listening to Taylor Swift before an exam will grant me an instant C letter grade, how can I also judge someone else for praying five times a day or for not eating beef or believing in the ten commandments. Wouldn’t it just be the height of hypocrisy?

It seems silly to equate superstitions to religious practices, reason being it is not my objective. My aim is to express how belief in superstitions can be as strong and passionate as those in religious doctrines. It could be argued that humanity’s trust or belief in an idea is to some extent unparalleled. Faith is powerful, comes in different forms and so what right do we as individuals have to judge someone else’s faith?

Religion can run a country. Superstition can run an individual.

I am not trying to explore whether it’s right or wrong. I am trying to conclude that identified atheists, agnostics and anti-theists or any individual who criticizes faith should also consider how every individual can so easily fall prey to superstition and personal prejudice.

We as people motivate ourselves by believing in someone or something. We keep living and wake up each morning believing that happiness is around the corner by following a specific path or being with a specific someone or working a specific job.

Belief comes in many forms and I say whatever you believe in you go right ahead and continue as long as it doesn’t harm you or anyone else. 

Make me big, make me small, let my body contort to suit you all. Tan me up, bleach me pale, put me anywhere on the scale because of course my body is all about you. Dye my hair, blue, blonde, black, ombre,  white, red, green, die my hair until it all falls out, then give me a shout I'm being trendy apparently, what with all these things you've done to me. My freckles are out, cover them in nudes, my curls are out singe them thin and straight.  My clothes are out of date, give me something whose name is so loud I have to sacrifice my own to wear it. Give me something skimpy something small,  because why would it matter if I'm comfortable at all. Don't be too easy, Whore.  Don't be such a Prude.  Don't say anything when he touches you when you don't want. Ignore the comments on the streets. Ignore being called gay because you turn men away. Don't bother reporting that sexual harassment, dressing that way means you deserve it, means you were secretly asking for it. You're straight right, then of course you wanted the attention . It couldn't possibly be that you aren't interested in me. After all, a woman must be in want of a man. A woman must but be in want of husband. A woman must be, because society says so, and no matter how many freedom rallies to which we go, it seems there will always be a portion of society that thinks so. That thinks there is a certain way a woman MUST go.

Cutting the pattern of alter ego

     I trace my image on dotted lines,

     hand slips and reflection shatters,

     ego slides to one side away from me.

You whirl and twirl in vivid impressions

     but polish on your toes is not like mine.

     I stroll down my path on timid feet

     but you spiral and spin the other way.

I smile plaintively at your reflection

     you turn your head and don’t smile back.

     I painted your echoes to be my shadow,

     to numb the pain of walking alone -

     but you flash back on my emptiness.

I wear the stretched skin of alter ego

     if you had your way, you’d erase me

     so you could waltz completely alone -

     nobody’s watching my early demise!