Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Paranoid Android

People around me seem to become increasingly mistrustful and deceiving of each other as apparent vicious competition tightens its noose around the neck of fragile friendships. There's a reason they call it 'cut-throat'. I always thought that was an extremely bloody metaphor. Will some people really stop at nothing to get ahead?

Reading this bit of poignant paranoia someplace as innocuous as someone's facebook profile bio, I barely suppressed an involuntary shudder.

"Walls have ears.
Doors have eyes.
Trees have voices.
Beasts tell lies.
Beware the rain,
beware the snow.
Beware the man
you think you know."

from 'Songs of Sapphique', Incarceron
by Catherine Fisher.

7 comments:

Ketan said...

TUIB,

I'm not sure if you were agitated to the degree it seems from your blog post.

I don't even know that if you were indeed agitated, if it is a good thing or not.

But this post sort of surprised me, because I always thought you were aware of such things (cut-throat competition, paranoia, sabotage, etc.). Anyway, that it was someone's status update that made you think of this surprises me, because many times people's status updates are not to be taken seriously, unless of course you have reason to take it seriously this once. ;)

If you were agitated, it is bad because you were agitated. But it is also good, because perhaps, this realization would keep you mentally prepared when you would be deceived, overlooked, envied or alternatively held in contempt by the unlikeliest of medical friends simply because of 'cut-throat competition'.

Last thing I'd like to add is that I've increasingly started realizing from observing myself as well as several other people that most meaningful friendships (in urban India) are built during one's graduation. Beyond this, you'll be 'making friends' lot less frequently at least at your educational institute/workplace. The case with online friends might be different. :D

Happy to not post a very long comment, though it still turned out longer than your post. :D

Take care.

D said...

Important therefore, to keep checking what real "getting ahead" is. Evolution isn't just about outliving (or cutting collective throat of) the competition :)

Mohit said...

We call them "competitive friendships" out here :P

The Girl With The Blue Earring said...

TANGLED! You're alive! I never check in any more, sorry :( THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE FOLLOW!

Dawson said...

Its true, but then, thats what life has become.
The essence of living is lost amongst competition.

Just came across your blog, quite liked it :)

Ramya Sriram said...

the poem is eerie :/

Tangled up in blue... said...

Ketan, it was very painful to watch two really good friends fall out that day. And all becoz of some stupid exam that in all probability, neither of them might even score well in. Ugly stuff.

Deboleena, agree. Thanks for that comment. :)

Mohit, and now I really begin to understand what that really means.

Girl with Blue Earring, welcome to my new blog! :) Love the earring, too!

Dawson, it's all very cruel and manipulative, but you're right. Life really is that Darwinian. And thank you. :)

ramya, oh yes, terribly creepy.