We often talk about a state of mind called conservatism and by our very own admissions despise the crux of it on the pretext of it being anti-progressive. But have we ever tried to analyze as to what this concept stands for and why do we think that we are not conservative. The answer lies somewhere deep down inside. Actually, if we go further down, we shall all find that we all are conservative in our very own ways and domains.
Before theoretically going down to the roots of the issue, let us try and understand as to what conservatism accounts for. This is actually a condition of the inner self where changes are viewed with doubt and disorientation and thus resisted with some force. It is a state of mental inertia where a steady state is preferred over changing situations. In fact, we all have it in ourselves to question any change that might be inflicted on even the most trivial part of our life. Thus if we don’t find the comb on the table that we usually brush our hair with, we try to find it and come back to the normal and usual condition. In fact, the eternal sense of insecurity inherent in us masterminds the process to a large extent.
Now if we extend the concept to our social practices, we can actually draw a comparison between our personal idiosyncratic conservatism and the social conservatism which is largely expressed in terms of group behaviour. Thus when we are talking about the existence of Casteism as a sign of extreme conservatism, we somehow seem to be vindicating our very own conservative attitudes. Now for the sake of argument, people might say that our personal sense of conservatism is not holding the society back. The standard answer that might crop up from this argument is that if we are so reluctant to change our simple behaviours, then how can we expect the society to change. In fact, brand loyalty is just another form of classy conservatism. When someone is so rigidly sticking to his personal choices, then how can he expect the society to change so drastically so as to abandon superstitions which have long been practiced.
No, I am not defending the resistance to change; I am just trying to point out that change is not external. We all have to realize that the society is a conglomerate of individuals like you and me and not an external entity which is as eternal as Mount Vesuvius. If we, as individuals, can bring in subtle variations in the way we live and let live, there is no reason as to why the society as a whole would not shred its known avatar and be more inclusive in its approach. In fact, if we analyze the major revolutions of the world which brought in major reformations, we would be able to appreciate the fact that individuals can work wonders and can transform their respective societies.
Before theoretically going down to the roots of the issue, let us try and understand as to what conservatism accounts for. This is actually a condition of the inner self where changes are viewed with doubt and disorientation and thus resisted with some force. It is a state of mental inertia where a steady state is preferred over changing situations. In fact, we all have it in ourselves to question any change that might be inflicted on even the most trivial part of our life. Thus if we don’t find the comb on the table that we usually brush our hair with, we try to find it and come back to the normal and usual condition. In fact, the eternal sense of insecurity inherent in us masterminds the process to a large extent.
Now if we extend the concept to our social practices, we can actually draw a comparison between our personal idiosyncratic conservatism and the social conservatism which is largely expressed in terms of group behaviour. Thus when we are talking about the existence of Casteism as a sign of extreme conservatism, we somehow seem to be vindicating our very own conservative attitudes. Now for the sake of argument, people might say that our personal sense of conservatism is not holding the society back. The standard answer that might crop up from this argument is that if we are so reluctant to change our simple behaviours, then how can we expect the society to change. In fact, brand loyalty is just another form of classy conservatism. When someone is so rigidly sticking to his personal choices, then how can he expect the society to change so drastically so as to abandon superstitions which have long been practiced.
No, I am not defending the resistance to change; I am just trying to point out that change is not external. We all have to realize that the society is a conglomerate of individuals like you and me and not an external entity which is as eternal as Mount Vesuvius. If we, as individuals, can bring in subtle variations in the way we live and let live, there is no reason as to why the society as a whole would not shred its known avatar and be more inclusive in its approach. In fact, if we analyze the major revolutions of the world which brought in major reformations, we would be able to appreciate the fact that individuals can work wonders and can transform their respective societies.
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