Being Social

Image Source: http://art.brainpickings.org/post/89158840685/albert-camus-on-happiness-and-love-illustrated-by I have this little piece by Albert Camus stuck on to my wall. And my favourite is the first line - "If those whom we begin to love could know us as we were before meeting them, they could perceive what they have made of us." Once when my friends had come over, they took to offence up on reading this. I understand the reason behind their reaction. Unlike those days when women were expected to 'adjust' in accordance with their men and family, in this modern age we live by rule that 'I won't change for anyone except thyself'. So obviously in that perspective, the line was perceived chauvinistic. But I viewed it through a different lens and made a rather unconvincing explanation to them - "It means to say how the influence of that person's personality and one's experience with that person have transformed our own 'self'....

Just a sudden train of thought. I was cooking and thinking how we emotionally attach ourselves to materialistic things. And my question is, why is attaching oneself to tangible objects ill-favoured? Of course Alexander the Great wanted to not burry his hands to show that he owns nothing when leaving this world. True story. But that is no reason for us to restrict ourselves from experiencing this world, is it? And possessions add to our experience and understanding of this world, and more importantly, self. If we analyse, clearly our wishes and desires drive our every decision and action towards anything to do with 'materialistic things'. Let's say that we want to own a particular kind of cell phone for its features and the interactive experience that it might bring with them. Once owned, lets say we lost it (ahem! kindly refer my previous blog:  My Extended Self..My Mobile.. ). We cringe at the loss. We become helpless because we had put in effort to finally afford a d...