Rituals are not for the Strong

What if there were no rituals to be followed, and you had absolute freedom to decide what to do, with your day or life? Brush your teeth at 5.30 pm, file annual tax returns in any convenient month, and celebrate New Year in July. The actions would still have the same impact, though reducing your social acceptability.

So, that is what rituals are all about. Keeping the world moving in a co-ordinated manner,  as we are all part of a social, political, economic and religious structure. Modernization is a continuous process, whatever the word means to you. It is a constant replacement of the old with the new. The past is not abolished with a stroke, it gradually fades.

The same applies to the rituals that one follows.  Worship may have been replaced by the gym, television-watching has given way to internet and app-surfing, and the umpteen religious festivals are replaced by the umpteen “….   Days” that are celebrated.

The communication media and content creators do enjoy a commercial advantage, hence, they keep propagating new ideas that have an emotional appeal. Sure, it reminds us to think of the individuals and concepts that influence your life, but are relegated to the mental backwaters (your parents, doctors, the environment, whatever … ). The content circulated gives a fillip to thought, and enforces extension of courtesy to the chosen theme.

Read more at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/rituals-strong-reena-saxena

Tale Weaver – #221 – Ritual – May 2nd