What’s wrong with this story?

disclaimer: this is a fictional account, but could be culturally/morally shocking. please do not read ahead, if you detest such boundary crossers.

2 psychiatrists are sitting and casually chatting. Seems like their work is done, and they are catching up with gossip after work. One shrink is sitting in a big chair facing a desk and across the desk, there are 2-3 small chairs. Other shrink is standing near the window, and looking half out and half in.
A youth enters that room, greets and says he wants to talk. The shrink on the chair looks a bit bored, but without saying much, he points the youth to a chair across the desk.

The youth says, he is following up with the shrinks treatment (establishing him as a client), and both client and doctor are familiar with each other. The youth then talks about some of his current problems… the shrink kinda shrinks into his chair with an inevitability and throws a what-to-do-now look at his colleague.

In between the youth’s talk, the shrink on chair motions him to stop… and asks his colleague, who seems half in and out of that room.. “hey, does this sound familiar to you?”. The standing shrink turns a bit more in, and says, “yeah, my client I told you about that other day, he had some of these symptoms.. haha,.. so gay man”… and both the shrinks laugh.

The youth waits few seconds patiently to continue with his problems.. the shrink in the chair also turns towards him to hear the story out till end. The youth hesitates, and then asks, “is this client’s name mr. so and so? “.. the standing shrink turns around a bit, thinks and says.. yeah, that’s his name. the youth jumps out of the chair, and says, excuse me for a minute, and flips out his mobile and walks out of that room.. the shrinks re-start their gossip chat without losing another second.

The youth calls up someone on phone and asks him to be at the shrinks office as soon as possible… the other one on phone seems to agree. The youth sits down in a chair outside and waits.

After some minutes, another youth comes in from outside, enters the waiting room, and greets the youth who was waiting. They shake hands and chat, and then smile and hug.. and hug again.. and enter the shrink’s room.

They greet both the shrinks loudly and say.. hey, we know what was with us two now.. we are together now. See ya later. One of the shrinks says, try to take an appointment next time… and winks at the other shrink.

The youths holding hands, walk out of the room.. curtain.


……from asian cultural perspective, the things that are wrong would be different, and from a western/europian cultural perspective, some other things might seem wrong. There are lots of politically incorrect things happening in this little scene, but what’s acceptable and what’s seen as shockingly inappropriate is based on your cultural background. (this scene is a completely fictional creation, to be aware of cultural and moral influences on all of us, and how they color our perspective, make us snap happy in being judgemental, and for getting insights, and does not mean disrespect for anyone.. jeez man, nobody got robbed or killed… and shut up or get bludgeoned ;)

Enthu

......hey, recently had opportunity to spend time with high school (indian 8th to 10th std) students from poor slum areas, a group had organized a free discussion form/training for them.
initially they were not really enthusiastic... they seemed to have lots of negativity and aggression. it's like - we generally didn't take any favors / free services with 'gratitude'... i think inside them, they are insecure about getting exploited, and as well as, see themselves as demeaned about taking such a free service..
they try to maintain, i am cool, i am on my own/independent, etc kinda shade. (oops.. disclaimer: I am not trying to judge, or stereotype a group based on their economic strata. Just jotting down my thinking process here).

lots of them have dreams of becoming a mafia/criminal don... they come out with such names (some of those people/names i didnt even know.. they connect such people with quick wealth... glamour symbols like - expensive mobile (which is a major craze for them), car, going to five star hotel, etc.. these dreams/aspirations may seem juvenile/infantile to other classes (middle/upper)... but if you dig deeper/unlayer, then you can see that they are absolutely denied these things.. (for example, their aspirations include - taking a taxy/cab, or an A/C cab.. with full confident (that they can pay the fare without worrying about it).

so, it seems bit sad too.

and their role models include the people most visible.. especially in their community/nearby areas... big intellectuals, diplomatic (read boring) achievers/celebrities dont seem to excite them enough.

they seem to prefer louder fashion statements... without really thinking about the influences/causes behind them.. grabbing attention seems to be the funda behind wearing something. (and again, if you think - getting attention is like a basic need.. if you dont have food, you wont be worrying about a classy diner place to have it. so give me attention first.. then later comes respect.. (and i am not even sure i will get respect anyway).
- discussion about 'how media influences' with them was well received ;)

there is anxiety about 'may not be able to perform well in exam/s'. what kind of future /future career will unfold infront of me, worries them as well.

all in all, i guess i learned more... was able to deal with some of my stereotypes... and being non-judgemental.. whew! that's allways tough.. its a new battle with it everytime ;)

and as i heard:
How many roads must a person take
To be consumed,..

How much peace must a person make
To find that detachment…

How many people must a person love
To find the right one…

How much wish should be there
To find a winning lottery…

What must a person gamble
To be finally famous,

Why must a love remain to poke
Coals of lost dreams and pain…

How much more rhetoric will it take
For you to say, shut up.

the goods

Don’t we all love to be fooled into buying something?

And how should you sell?

What if you were asked to plan an ad campaign for an ‘x’ product? Say toothpaste… would you really put in just the basic info, and say – its ok to buy this paste? Or would you like to discreetly add your paste into the dream life style / dream world your buyer wants to be in?

Check out these scenes from ‘the goods: live hard, sell hard’. (spoiler warning – don’t read ahead, if you don’t want to know its story).

The main character, don ready, talks about America and freedom, inside a flying plane, to be able to smoke a cigarette… and gets the whole plane full of people shouting to be free… including the flight staff.

Again, on don ready’s script, a used car place owner, comes on TV and lies, he’s about to die due to cancer, and he wants to sell his cars for the last time… such a claim (or advert) seems stupid… but is a lie about death a lie, and a lie about non-existent quality not a lie? Or acceptable lie? (

[i am not not judging advertisements or people here... if you can keep aside being judgemental about what's happening around us, and see it as a human behavior, (like animal or bird behavior, or just as 'nature'), then you'll see much more of the world and be amused... You'd know yourself better too.. but its not easy, i keep slipping up all the time].

Then, don ready is talking to his enemy in that movie, and manages to talk about his enemy’s dream, and shamelessly plugs in a car he wants to sell – seems impossible? Hmm… think back about what kind of crazy things you’ve brought before… a few months back, or some years back… everybody does it.

Also check out what’s a Nigerian buy back, in used car sales… so similar to breaking up and patching up again.. ;) Couldn’t resist that meanness ;)

Anyway, astala vista for now.

dogma

recently had some discussions, debates with my friends... these were quiet chilled out, and open... stereotypes, what's acceptable and not in today's degrading morale standards, who's a freak in a society, and who are all to blame etc. were some topics opined on freely without worrying about political correctness...

i was stuck by the impact of culture in childhood era, in each one of these opinions... exposure to role models (or in general, other people around them) also seem to leave imprint like beliefs.
there seems to be a growth in rigidity (difficulty in questioning long held beliefs/opinions, and lack of willingness to even listen to new concepts/ideas/opinions... forget trying to learn anew.

for example, a vegetarian from birth, expresses disgust and inability to even think of eating non-vegetarian food... sometime to extend of inability to eat if a non-veg food is near their table.
a non-veg food eater expresses same/similar emotions/effects, when asked about a type of meat (such as pork or cow meat - pork not eaten by muslims, cow meat not eaten by hindu's etc).

i've heard similar strong opinions about various issues.. as if those opinions are 'gods word'... few of these opinions categorized as:-
homosexuality - as a menace to society in general,
gender equality - women should not be given so much liberties/equal status,
casteism - where some or one caste is seen as superior,
racism - degrading blacks (as per their own terminology), even tho the opinion makers wouldn't have met many african descendants, except few cursory glances across the street, that too just on enough occassions to be able to count in fingers.
religion and existence of god/s - and also about un-natural powers of some cult guru
and so on...

one person might hold a logical/rational/scientific view about some aspects, and also hold illogical/irrational/non-scientific views about some other aspects... often these become contradictory... but the beliefs accultured during childhood age (maybe even upto 20 years of age... kinda become foundational structure...

i find this contradictions, and need to have myths to have an identity amazing.
if you have anything to share, please do comment... ;)