Perception

Taking 'the shortcut'

Yamin Tauseef Jahangir

Bull's Eye/gettyimages

THE definition of shortcut in simple words can be to do things in the easiest manner. Right, but have you ever thought of the implementation. We do things with the intention of getting it done in the quickest of time, save much of our effort and to be triumphant in the end. But is 'shortcut' really a good thing when we talk about abiding by the rules and regulations, when we mention the necessity to portray ourselves as responsible citizens and when there are times of using our common intelligence, which in other words could be 'civic sense.'

To elucidate, let us talk about a regular scene at a railway station. You know where to stand, because it is clearly written which counter stands for what. But you still have this amazing adrenaline rush to be that person, who will ignore the glares and not so pleasant comments of the people in the queue, turn a deaf ear to the yelling and go up to the counter and ask the poor soul on the other end, whether is it really THAT counter. Breaking lines is a norm in this country as we have finely tuned our nerves to be impatient, although we claim to be composed. Be it in the banks or waiting for the elevator, or in the bus stand, you do not want to wait for your turn. If you ask the question why, then there could be so many explanations to it, but nothing gets justified when your behaviour is erratic and non compliant.

When it comes down to the law and order, we are simply the daredevils. We think it is our moral right to break it in whichever way we find it to be feasible and we do boast about it. We talk about how we managed to escape from the traffic police and we smirk on those people who have failed to make us understand what rule is all about. We take the sidewalk for our convenience and make it a highway to heaven whenever there is a bottleneck of traffic. The alternatives that we choose are impressive, regardless of the fact that whether we deign ourselves to the level from where we could be termed as 'uncivilized' or an 'educated fool', but hey, it pays off at the end of the day, doesn't it?

When you talk about being sensible, you mean to have the basic knowledge of the right and the wrong. But for us, we have acquired a skill that completely makes all senses to be numb, and we point fingers at people who just like you put the blame on others. The reality is, you are not being driven, but you choose to do so, which eventually puts you in the same shoe of the ignorant class, having a 'couldn't-care-less' attitude towards the society and is content with the shortcuts of life. You know you do have a bin just around the corner of the park, but there is a sudden temptation of not throwing your garbage in its rightful place and you opt for littering. Talking about being responsible, and there you have it.

Shortcut is the initial step that we all prefer, but when it comes down to dealing with your own credibility, it is something which should not be a consideration. Afterall what we do at the end of the day, defines us. So, think people.