Confusion, confusion and confusion….
Recently I have got to watch an amazing movie named ‘Mental Madhilo’. It’s a movie in Telugu language. The central character of the movie has a peculiar trait; rather an unique shortcoming. Whenever he needs to choose between two different things, he can’t make any decision. Even, if it is apparently a very simple decision to make, he would make a big fuss about it. If someone asks him whether he would like to have tea or coffee, he just can’t decide. For the people who come to his proximity, his nature is quite irritating, but, our poor man can’t help in this regard. Well, he may be an extreme example of indecisiveness, but don’t we all sometimes suffer from that?
In so many occasions, when we need to make a decision, we are just unable to do so. At that moments, our minds are filled with utter confusion; no clear thoughts come to our mind, we helplessly keep staring at all the options that are present before us. Some people do funny things in these situations. Few years ago, I myself used to follow a meaningless practice, if I couldn’t arrive at a decision. Here is one scenerio of my situation:
“One day, I went to a shop to buy a shirt. After making a cumbersome searching, I found two shirts of my liking. Unfortunately, I could afford only one and I had to leave the other at the shop. It was a season of flash sale and if I leave the shirt, there was very little chance that I would get it in my next visit. I kept looking at both the shirts, but, couldn’t decide which one to buy. I knew — at that point of time, I would not be able to make any conscious decision. So, I paused for a moment and told myself that I am now going to check the time on my mobile phone. If the clock in the mobile phone shows even number (say: 12.02 PM) I would buy the first one, and if it shows odd number, I would buy the other. Through this seemingly meaningless trick, somehow I selected a shirt and came out from the shop and also from the dilemma I was suffering from.”
Why this confusion
Often, our confusions may look silly for others, and some extent it is true also. But, many a times, these are really of serious nature. We can’t deny that some circumstances put us genuinely in utter dilemma making us extremely helpless. So, I would like to categorize our dilemmas in two categories: silly one, and life defining one.
Ron gets easily confused. In the examination Hall he would strike off even the right answer on his answers script, if his friends tell him that he has written it wrong.
Confused people in silly confusions: Standing in front of the mirror, Juri can’t decide which dress she should wear to go for a party. She always takes a considerable amount of time to get ready only for this reason. Among her friend circle, she has a reputation of a habitual late comer which she doesn’t like; but, she is not doing anything to change herself.
Sometimes, we all get confused on petty things. Situations may vary from person to person, but, this may happen to anybody. Lack of knowledge of that particular problem (which confuses you), lack of self-belief, lack of decision making ability etc may be the reasons for such dilemma. Sometimes, situations it selves are so challenging, that we can’t help being confused; it may not have grave consequences, but, indeed these are confusing.
Many a time, life literally forces us to stand before a crossroad. The decision we take at that point shapes our lives or steers it to new direction. In some points of time in our lives, everyone has to face such moments. After passing out high school what would I study further, after graduation what career option would I choose; whom should I marry — there are so many careful decisions to be made in our lives! One of the really serious dilemma that may happen in life is euthanasia. Your loved one is breathing only because he or she is in life supporting system and you know he will never recover. So, how long you will allow him to be in that state? But, how can you ask the doctor to remove the life support from your loved one? It is a serious dilemma undoubtedly.
From confusion to clarity
Whether silly or serious, in every turn of our lives there will be surprises for us for sure. How well equipped we are, to tackle that surprises perhaps matters the most. In this vast universe, our knowledge is so little that it is almost impossible not to be confused in some point of time. Most of the time we ignore our ignorance, so, we seem to be so sure footed; but, actually it is not the case. Those dilemmas, those testing moments reveal our actual vulnerable state. Is there a way out?
In the film Mental Madhilo, the protagonist asks his fiancée that how can she be so sure when she accepted his proposal. Was not she confused? He also asks her – does she always know what to select or reject? She replies — it is not like that she knows everything, but, when she feels something is right for her, she will stick to her decision and back it further. Perhaps, this is the way to get rid of silly confusions. However, when it comes to the more serious situations, perhaps we need some abilities as well. Proper knowledge of the problem, a clear thought process, vision, and some courage to take decision- these all are perhaps required to overcome a dilemma. When there is clarity of vision, confusions will be evaporated like drop of dew on a leaf in the sunshine. But, how will we acquire clarity – that is the big question.
By Saralananda Prakash