Gossiping !
All of us have heard about scientists saying we use only 10% of our brains. So what is the other 90% doing ? Some say it is to connect with our universal and spiritual selves. Others say it’s all about the subconscious problem solving part of the brain.
But the theory I like the most is that 90% of our brain is reserved for an art that in our hurried daily lives we are fast loosing. The art of Gossip.
Apparently we need to gossip to come to terms with the pressures of everyday social interaction. We need to gossip, to put it crudely, to stop killing each other. And a sense of humour is so important to the Art of Gossip. In eastern societies there is an unsaid acceptance of the Gossip culture. Amost an addiction. For how would they survive some of the really harsh conditions with any form of dignity without a bit og Gossip and a sense of humour ?
For those that know and live in North India here are the keywords :
“Kya kar rahe ho aaj sham ko ?” (what are you doing this evening ?)
“chal aaja, yaar, kuch gap shap marenge'(come over and lets have a chit chat)
“Aaj mehfil khan hai ?” (Where is everyone getting together tonight ?)
Each one an invitation to idle gossip. Idle and free flowing bieng the key words. To ease out the tensions and pressure of everyday life, and to ease yourself back into harmony with the community, and therefore with yourself and . We have seen it all over, with the men around the Hookah in the middle east. The men gathered drinking in Greece.
In England the community gathering together at the pub.
The ability to gossip is the ability to indulge in a sense of humour. We loose that and we are lost. And I would like to believe that is true. That 90% of our brains are available for a wonderful sense of humour.
But as we physically move away from our roots, as we become more and more involved with the pressures of work, as families become smaller and smaller, and as TV and computers and the internet takes away time from the ultimate leisure activity that 90% of our brains are designed for – Gossip – what is happening to us as social beings ?
As we are finding ourselves more and more isolated, are we becoming more and more intolerant of each other ? Of each other’s points of view ? Are we loosing our identity as assimilated social biengs ?
And is it possible that the rise of blogging and chat rooms are the new alternate forms of the ‘Gossip Society ? Is it the new Mehfil (the gossip group) ? Is it the 90% brain that is driving us there ?
However, surely bieng together face to face and with the physicsl intimacy that a warm gossip room brings, also brings with it a sense of responsibility. It is the adult form of play that children and the young of all animal kingdom do – play act war games and battle games and social games. It’s the adult form of what little girls do when the play with dolls and dolls houses.
The adult form is the Gossip room. the Mehfil.
So my question is that, is the anonymity of the blog and the chat room taking away the responsibility that being face to face brings ? Are we playing out the adult social games as they were meant to be, or are we indulging in something half baked and therefore possibly dangerous here.
Dangerous ? Not if we accept that there is a nature of Gossip in what we are doing. So lets bring back a sense of humour, shall we ?
Or 90% of our brains will be destructive instead of contructive and harmonizing.
Shekhar
Hi Shekhar,
A perceptive post, and precognitive too, considering that the recent Aussie riots expanded due to text messaging.
Cheers, Heather
Hi Shekhar,
You have given a new definition to Gossip. Well I used to think it is wastage of time.
But what if gossips gets into bitching? If that too is healthy??
I added your site to “my favorites” not only because you are a big filmmaker and I admire you, but because the content on your site is so rich and inspiring.
After reading your articles on this site my way of thinking has started changing….. Or may be I have started thinking………
Thanks for contributing so much creativity to this world.
Ajai
Yes I think the act of gossipping is designed to relieve the stresses of the life; its a great cathartic action. By talking out ourselves; even baring and shunning others in our gossips we release our stresses and are then ready to face our lives feeling lighter.
I believe in talking, communicating but all these years I found myself deprived of exchange of words and when I came across chatting it was ok for sometime but could not lure me for long and ever since I hit blogging I find myself at ease, able to express my innerself to strangers who may never know me in physical terms yet they are part of my mehfil, so important to the releases of my chained heart otherwise.
I raise a toast(with my cuppa of ginger tea) to the beauty of gossipping..May we all gossip & feel de-stressed and at ease
cheers
Nidhi
Dear Shekhar ji,
I have met people from all parts of the world who love Bollywood…when they say it with a twang -“ballywood” you simply stand mesmerized by the variety of expressions their face show..:)
yeah they all Love our saga of love and romanace..indeed ..no more it’s subtle like yesteryears..but still the tenacity with which bollywood drills love in our libidos is worth watching..:)
it’s far better than hollywood…
or any other wood for that matter
*Grin
I’m not for gossip, but all for humor. Humor can be spiritual. It lets the mind tickle the soul.
um, I’m having a ‘what am I doing here’ moment. But lack of personal touch notwithstanding, any ‘chat’ on the internet is fun if responsible.
I agree… Homour is essential … but not gossip
i support the cause in which u’ve written this article… GOSSIPING! key to a creative mind.
Is gossiping really healthy for either the perpetraitor or recipient? When perpetrating I’ve always felt self-defeated, maybe that’s wrong. Humour, I can’t see how it isn’t healthy. And with a little bit of irony at a friends or your own expense, without the intent of harm, utilizing wit is probably a valuable tool one should learn and enjoy. Also a valuable tool one should learn how to deal with. Maybe it is beneficial to learn how to deal with ridicule behind ones back and not take the world so seriously and maybe it is the key to a creative mind, but how and why would that be? I would like to know if so.
Shekhar great questions posed, love your poems, stories and thoughts, oh and your films. You’re touching hearts and minds all over the world. Thank you, great affection.
Shekhar,
Consider the sum total of knowledge on this earth and the universe as the 100 percent. And then a super brain comprising of all the brains which could possibly absorb all that knowledge…keeping in mind the distractions of life…i mean hunting and gathering …
A single person and his brain has only the capability or potential to know maximum 10 percent of this vast knowledge…that too if one is lucky enough to have a life …right place, at the right time…and right people to guide him to realise the potential…and of course the destiny on his side…
Will also leads us to the way to learning…
Before that there is a lot of time wasted on the gossip…idling…trying to fit square peg into the round hole….wrong keys right locks…right keys wrong locks….
I cannot believe this will work!
Great post!