People can be quite limited – that is, there is only so much that we can know. This isn’t due to some human fault but simply because uncertainty exists in the most unexpected of places: in those faded lines on that majestic painting, in every second and every second after, in the dark clouds embedded in that dark sky. It’s as if we are constantly at the mercy of strangers. They walk towards us and demand our attention, but we fail to recognize who they are. However, despite our fear of the unknown and the doubt which follows it, we are taught to act under uncertain circumstances because of the fact that this uncertainty exists everywhere. If we were to wait for complete certainty to take action, we wouldn’t act at all.
We can only find certainty in certain places. One such example is when we come back home to the comfort of our family; there is this weird feeling of belonging where we feel like we are important when surrounded by all these familiar faces. But if these loved ones were to be taken away, we would be defeated. We are thrown back into the darkness, not knowing where we’re going, which is a fearful prospect. The problem that exists is that since life is so complex, there is no way we can reach this level of familiarity with every idea or every person we meet. By nature, we have the desire to know more because even we subconsciously realize how limited our perspective is, and this is what makes us afraid. This fear is what controls us and makes us puppets to a game we thought we were in control of. If we can’t see the path ahead, we must rely on blind faith. This makes us restless because we are designed as beings who need to have certainty, and the doubt we feel in its absence is simply a reminder to be wary of our next few actions, for we do not know what the outcome will be.
Life is not a black and white checkerboard, but it’s not a sea of gray either. It’s a clash between waves of bright colours, which mix with the other faded tints to bring about something unsaturated – not dull, unsaturated. Uncertainty exists in these unsaturated colours, and it is in these lighter shades that we find ourselves. Being happy is simpler than we make it out to be, but it is being content that is the real challenge. Something certain like a steady hand, proving to us that consistency does exist; chasing after this certainty is what gives us purpose, and with purpose, we can create a meaningful life. Thank you for listening to my Ted Talk.
suggestedsimplicity
January 15, 2020 — 6:14 am
*Abhay,
You can stop writing criticals now.
Just kidding this was amazing.
Nazeefa
P.S. I literally sat up straighter because of the sophisticated tone of this piece lol.
AbhayP
January 15, 2020 — 7:09 am
AHAHAHAHA thanks Nazeefa
zaid818
January 18, 2020 — 5:37 pm
Dear Abhay,
I started reading this piece and immediately felt your critical brain pumping out another critical essay, but as I kept reading, I did notice that my initial understanding was not the case. You used descriptive language such as “in those faded lines on that majestic painting, in every second and every second after, in the dark clouds embedded in that dark sky.”
These lines would not be present in an essay, but even then, you maintained a structure and form to your writing that was interesting to witness. I got to see your argument develop slowly, which was pretty fascinating.
For improvement, I would suggest increasing the length of this piece by, say, 200 words, and bringing in more personal examples to make this feel less like a critical.
Nicely done!
Sincerely,
Zaid
losscross
January 19, 2020 — 12:38 am
Dear Abby,
You are never getting away from this nickname from me ever, well until the end of the year as both of us know we ain’t gonna see each other afterwards.
Anyways, I find this post amusing to read as it brings the questions of fear, colours and people and how they are all connected.
It is a wonderful ted talk, without the need for feedback, then the only thing I would change, the blocks of paragraphs. They are long and kinda awful to look at while reading, but if it is a stylistic choice then I digress and you can ignore my suggestion. Other than that, it is a well-done post and I applaud you on your work.
-Melody
mbthoughts4321
January 20, 2020 — 7:32 pm
Dear Abhay,
This is the first time I have gone onto your blog and read any of your pieces. When I heard your spoken word, I could feel goosebumps crawl up and down my spine because, in all honesty, I was taken aback by how vulnerable yet powerful you sounded reading out the words of your heart. This piece is so unique. We’ve all heard the saying that life is grey, not just black and white. I have never thought of it from the perspective you wrote. It’s true though, life is so beautifully colorful and not many people stop to realize that.
I would’ve loved it if you expanded the last paragraph, adding more imagery to your meaning because contrasting a very well-known saying is such a clever way of getting your message across and not many people do that.
I really loved reading this piece and am astonished at how simple and wholesome it is. Thank you for sharing this!
Sincerely,
Maira
unas1
January 25, 2020 — 4:37 pm
Dear Abhay,
First of all, I just want to say Wow! That video of you singing as a kid was pure entertainment. Now, about the Free Choice: it had complex and broad ideas, while maintaining a simple style of writing so that anyone could read it. Personally, I haven’t read anything like this on anyone’s blog!
I like how you represented us, humans, as puppets since we are uncertain of the majority of things, and I can’t agree more. I think that this may be the reason that many people believe in a God, because there is this over-looking, superior, divine power who IS certain of the future, and we believe that if we put our trust in him, the future becomes a little certain because we now know that whatever occurs in the future, will be beneficial for us.
Also, I really enjoyed the lines where you began describing life as a “…Clash between waves of bright colours…,” since many people I have talked to would say otherwise, calling it “Nothing but a black and white checkerboard.”
In terms of advice, I would agree with what Zaid advised, maybe increase the length a little more. Maybe I just wanted to keep on reading?
Overall, this piece was fantastic, and just what I needed on a Friday morning!
Sincerely,
Unas