Since my early childhood I was being told to watch the news, read the newspaper, be aware of what is happening around. It was read in the assembly like headlines, one sentence about the crux of human existence. They said if you don't do it you will be a "Kuwe ka Madhak" with no knowledge of what is happening around you. I was a little naive. Poltics, sports, environment weren't just interesting enough for me. As I grew up the social pressure of being aware grew as well. You had to know stuff to make conversation, argue, debate, gain social acceptance. I started watching news, I started reading newspaper, following party ideologies. And I must tell you it was fun to have hot debates on various topics. But slowly it got to me that NEWS ONLY SHOW A FIGMENT OF REALITY.. For instance for an agro based country we have very few rural reporters, its just sensationalizing stories. Every story has to be against good and evil. It maybe about how a celebrity did something normal people do, "Ate ice cream at Juhu Beach", "went to a temple". The left bias, the right bias. The selling of news slots as paid advertisements. Confirming and reconfirming once beliefs about the reality of things. The News do a similar work today that religions, priests did a few centuries back. They are the epitome if self- rigorousness. What seems to me its better to accept that we don't know anything about whats happening in the close doors than to arise to conclusion. Be aware of what is happening around you. Travel. Talk to people(without baggage of news) about their lives, about their fears for future, abou the traumas they have went through. You need not rely on these so called protectors of realm. If the kuwe-ka-madhak knows who it is, it is better than someone who have created a false sense of knowledge. Self awareness is the purest form of wisdom and truly the only one you need. The rest is just dust that will make things difficult to see.
P.S. Open to criticism. I am Jon Snow. I know nothing. :)
