WHICH WORLD DO YOU LIVE IN ?

WHICH WORLD DO YOU LIVE IN ?

By

VIKRAM KARVE

 

Thanks to the advent of the internet, now-a-days, we have the opportunity to live in two worlds, the real world and the virtual world, and have two identities, online and offline, maintain two lives, one in real space and one in cyberspace, and have two kinds of friends, even relationships, virtual and real, offline and online.  

 

Internet is a great tool for social networking and it enables us to live two lives and enjoy the benefits of instant interaction and friendships across the globe and facilitates us to enjoy the best of both worlds.

 

It is good to have the best of both worlds, the real and the virtual, as long as you maintain a balance. 

Here is one of my favourite Mulla Nasrudin stories which exemplifies this

Mulla Nasrudin bought a beautiful house at a picturesque place far away from civilization high up in the hills. 

From time to time he would suddenly pack his bags, leave the city, and go away to his house in the hills, disappearing for days, sometimes for weeks, sometimes for months.

And just as suddenly as he used to disappear, he used to unpredictably return back to the city, suddenly, without any warning or notice. 

When asked the reason for his erratic and whimsical behaviour, Nasrudin explained:   

“I have kept a caretaker woman up there in the hills to look after my house. She is the ugliest woman - horrible, repulsive, hideous, and nauseating. Just one look at her and one feels like vomiting.  

When I go to live there, at first she looks horrible. But slowly, slowly, after a few lonely days, she is not so horrible. Then after some more desolate forlorn days, she doesn’t seem that undesirable. And as more and more time passes in lonesome seclusion, a day comes when I start seeing some beauty in her. 

The day I start seeing beauty in that horrid woman I know that it is time to escape from my virtual world in the hills.

The day I start getting attracted to the hideous woman means enough is enough – I have lived away from the real world for too long - now even this horrible revolting woman has started looking beautiful.  

I may even fall in love with this ghastly ugly repugnant woman - that's dangerous. 

Enough is Enough... Enough of the virtual world... it is time to get back to the real world... 

So I pack up my things and rush back to the city.” 

Dear Reader: 

 

Has your Virtual World, your cyber space, your second life, started looking a bit too “beautiful”…?  

 

Are you spending more time in cyberspace, social networking and interacting with your virtual friends, rather than having face to face interactions and communication with your immediate flesh and blood friends in real space?

 

Is there an imbalance? Are your virtual relationships overwhelming and taking precedence over your real relationships? 

 

Are you losing touch with reality?

 

Maybe it is time for you to return back to the Real World, isn't it...? 

 

Of course, when you get saturated and bored spending too much time in the real world, feel suffocated with relationships in the Real World, you can always go back to the virtual world, your alter ego, and enjoy the best of both worlds, alternating and switching over between both your lives, online and offline, just like Mulla Nasrudin does between the city and the hill-station! 

 

Social Networking gives you a lot of pleasure and satisfaction and internet a great tool for building relationships. It is good to have the best of both worlds, the real and the virtual, as long as you maintain a balance living your life in real space and cyber space.

Close your eyes and reflect - which world do you live in?

 

Good Bye, take care

 

VIKRAM KARVE

 

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2011

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.