What makes something irresistible? The pull that we have towards something? Why do we get attracted to something? The qualities that the thing possesses? Is it true that the inability to resist something is a strong emotion and does not always involve rational decision making?

One of my fellow team mates on a tournament to Sweden exclaimed that he was missing ‘dal chawal’. Granted that he was super excited to be in a foreign country but was really craving for home food. It got me thinking as to whether this boy would be so keen on eating home food for the rest of his life. I for one know that he is a burger fan and eats out at least five days a week when in India. The lure of home food was because of the absence of the same. That which is not readily available is usually valued over something that may be more beneficial, but available in abundance. The human emotions work a real funny way and if not introspected, we stay trapped in our desires to want something that is unattainable.

Technology has brought everything to our finger tips and now the things we actually lust after are few in number. It is a real pain that the satisfaction of having attained the unattainable is momentary. The mind immediately brings about a feeling of anticlimax and urges one to seek the next goal. This run around does not stop, no matter how many races you win. Our previous generations found it fine to talk to their loved ones who lived far off, on special occasions and still go along with their day. With the benefits of technology came the anxiety of wanting to be heard ‘right now’. A blue tick of a WhatsApp is now the source of our anxiety. Our assessment of self-worth is dependent on the social circle we keep and our popularity within the same. Tolerance to failure has reduced and everything is now out in the open for everyone to see. The sorrows, the misery attract more attention as against the little joys of everyday life. Attention leads to a sense of purpose and likeability and before we know it, we cling to it for survival.

Another big trouble is ‘alternatives’. There were times when dad used to buy our clothes for Diwali and we were elated by the thought of new clothes. Since we never went to the shop, we did not have to be lusting after the options available and compare the one we got. Resultant, we were focusing on the new clothes as a gesture from dad as against the other comparative parameters. Today, we have alternatives for everything, and sadly, everyone…. Repairing has become obsolete and we now believe in replacement. Be it things, or people. Empathy and unconditional positive regards are things of the past. Each person today has a story to tell and assesses the value of a relationship based on the benefits he derives from the partner. When looking at our grandparents, it is easy to conclude that not all days were of summer. Surprisingly, they never uttered of heart break, break ups, move on’s and other alternatives. Boring though it may sound, they struggled to make things right and kept on with it though out their lives.

Why live in misery, when you can move on? One might argue. And it makes absolute sense to do so. When you have been given a choice, what is the harm to exercise it? Of course, you should. The ultimate outcome is for a person to feel at peace with his existence and contribute to his own happiness and that of others. If the spotlight stays on one character for too long – even if it is their story – the attention to other contributors is lost. People talk about journey to nirvana today and take recourse to a lot of methods to bring inner peace. As per me, if a person cannot introspect the cause for his own insatiable need for gratification, the search for remedies outside is futile.