The Cringe Factor

Shopping in India is very satisfying. The range of type of goods is astounding. For example footwear, when you go to buy footwear you will find the comprehensive range from sleek to gross. We, Indians not only buy what we like but just for kicks, we look at something we will never buy and wince. To do so we do not need the classiest of taste. It is pretty simple; there is always something worse then our taste available there…. Like when women go to shop for sarees, they ask for “sober” colors and if an objective eye was to see that fabric they will redefine the word sober. The amazing range, just help them find something more eye-hurting, and brand their own choice as classy n elegant.

Cringe factor is required everywhere. I read online Indian newspaper everyday. Of course, I could not believe when it showed “Mandira Bedi is pregnant” as the third headline. Mandira Bedi is a nobody and since she is an Indian, being pregnant is really not a news. (LOL!!) I can and should switch to a better newspaper but then I will not get an opportunity to see some obvious stupidity and cringe.

It’s repeated almost as a chant, “we are not perfect” but nobody talk about how important it is to be less imperfect then others. For this we need to have enough things to cringe about in our lives…

Imagine you working with competent team members, married to Sean Connery and having the most rational, non-intrusive and classy relatives and friends; how on this earth will you ever gossip or make interesting conversation? How will you ever gloat about your own glory in a perfect world? How one dimensional it will be to just appreciate and marvel at excellence?

If we watch the most intellectually stimulating channels(no reality shows or sit-coms), listen to only original music (no pritam or anu malik), watch only movies reflecting creative genius(no bollywood) … you really think we will be creatively satisfied? No, lack of mix in quality will not only restrict us to a very small number of pleasures but also deprive us from feeling smart and cool.

How cool and fun it is to squirm, you will know if you read reviews of mainstream bollywood movies. The insults hurled are almost always more interesting then the movie itself.

Imperfections and blatantly looking down upon them, is definitely a feel good factor for us, we the imperfect humans.