It seems that from chai dhabas to lounges, talking about other people is in our blood as Pakistanis. Whether it is a celebrity scandal, politician’s private life or a neighbour’s daughter who has gotten divorced, we are always armed with an opinion and no shortage of debate regarding others. But why is that?
Some say that our lack of entertainment options have made us addicted to talking about other people. Others claim it is due to our preoccupation with “log kya kehengi” (what will people say). Furthermore, in a day and age where social norms have circumvented personal boundaries, talking behind someone’s back has become an national past time. Social media has definitely worsened this phenomenon. No longer are weddings and cat fights sacred – we have recognized them as places to discuss and unabashedly pass judgment on, especially fashion
Yet, there is bitter irony in this. We criticize other people yet demand privacy. We will post various filtered selfies, use plastic straws through our mirrors and troll celebrities for “plastic beauty”. There is a disconnect – we will shame women for dressing modernly, while secretly admire them. Or we call influencers “attention seekers”, while stalking their every move – is this not projection of our own frustrations which help relieve and distract us from our own issues?
This obsession says much more about ourselves than the people we talk about. Maybe it is time for us to take a long hard look at ourselves. Why does someone elses life bother us so much? What do we gain by engaging people we do not even know exist?
Let’s be real, change begins with us. If we spent the same effort trying to fix our own faults instead of judging others, we would probably be in a better spot – mentally, morally and even as a society.
What do you think? Is this curiosity, culture, or just collective toxicity? Let us know in the comments.
