AMen
- Kunal Konar
- May 26
- 5 min read
Updated: May 29
Author: Soumya (Ron) Bhattacharya
Contact: ronbhattacharya1983@gmail.com
Prologue
This article was first communicated to me by Ron Bhattacharya back in 13Oct2021 after a discussion of the first Prodeeptika forum, an week earlier. It has one simple declaration, men (at least some fraction of us, for sure) are equally burdened with the socio-historiological-cultural constructs of the 'Manhood' and time has come to say we are human first and men later. In the author's own words: "The signs thankfully are better than before – with societies gradually learning to accept men as human – mortal, flawed, amazing (and amusing), occasionally (for now) gay, sometimes highly intuitive, creative, intelligent (not intellectuals, that species is too insecure to survive in a levelled world); probably content even without hype and status to accompany them like shadows.".
~The Editor
Man is one of the two most amusing creations of nature. The other is Woman. Women are by far too complex and intuitive, so I will not dare penetrate their mind in a rapid fire; as I’ve got many years (ahh ok, at least a few) yet to come in my life and I wish to enjoy those as a sane individual as long as possible. Other species on this planet are far less complex and far too instinctive; so, to walk that thin line of sanity and to strike a balance between intrusive curiosity and intrigue, I will settle for “men” in this discourse. Though we often need to observe various species of fauna, they are not really our objects of interest. They rather serve as means to better explain our own instincts. When our species was still young on this beautiful planet, things were simpler and driven mainly by survival-instinct. As we learned to make fire and invented the wheel, we set our intelligence on the roll. Since then, each of us are manipulating and modifying instinct with our ever-developing (err… tangling) intellect to establish our individual spheres of reality over truth and shamelessness (they are twin sisters if one looks closely). And now that human species have entered its adolescence, it’s showing every sign of this turbulent phase of life. And amusingly yet as expected, we men are at a loss about whether to grow up or not, and I’m sure many of us men are cursing our preceding generations of thinkers for creating an image of “Manhood” that is now threatening to drive us into “mad hood”. So much have already been said; about being a Man that I do not need to repeat them again. We, all men, are being too much like each other through the philosophical kaleidoscope. Even the existence of so many shapes, sizes and natures of men seem not to be enough. And so, I’ve lost interest in being a Man. Being just “human” sounds more than just inviting, and worthwhile. Even after forty thousand years on this planet, it seems nobody seriously thinks of liberating “Men” from the duty of being a psychologically immobile and emotionally challenged, sort of seasonal “Wish-tree” of false bravado and bullish (foolish) stubbornness for the society to devour upon!
The whole social world still revolves around one pivotal (quite literally) thing – our basic instinct. Rest of our activities are still just long drives to a short destination! Sadists please wait, I’m not finished. Over-optimists have a glass of water and chill, or you will end up cursing me! And I beg women not to read this; I may end up disappointing you with my immaturity! So now for the moment let us accept this universal reality and move on. The big question is, will Men always interact with women in this rather primitive way? What is to be expected of Men in the adulthood of our species? We need serious thinking men; NASA says; the first one-way Manned (wo-manned in fact) Mission in search of another habitable planet outside our solar system (I hope not to be filled by another human population explosion with all the disastrous antics we go about with now) will need no Men, thank you! Women will carry sperm-banks along and may be, will be making only girl children. Boys, being incapable to give birth, logically will only waste vital resources. So, if we don’t grow up, we will definitely miss the flight!
Maybe that’s why Men are historically philosophical – always trying to justify life, put meaning in it, eager to ensure their existence out of the sperm banks of future. I thank my predecessors for their centuries of vehement efforts, but that still keeps us at the same grade! But one thing, I must acknowledge, we men have managed till now is to be able to take those due and undue credits towards the medals of heroism. Here too women occasionally strayed into, but they were wise enough to step out quickly again, to maintain peace between the genders until the advent of this lately and largely confused acts of feminism. But not to worry, we men will definitely survive! The law of natural selection will force some of us to grow up, be up-to-date and really intelligent to be able to keep up with our complementary halves. See, I’m already able to see the possibilities here and surely there will be a few more out there, who are reading, or even not reading this rubbish!
Seriously speaking, till the day there will be genders, they will interact with each other driven largely by instinct. That’s the way we are designed by nature. One day, with the inclusion of latest biological science in everyday-life, we will probably make this psychological design unnecessary, maybe even obsolete. From then men and women will interact more intelligently, intuitively and above all, individually – without the seductive agendas (though I’m not quite sure if and how many women are going to like that either). But then, we perhaps will become simple once more and look at our future collectively as a matured species. Being creative will be a norm, not exception. The signs thankfully are better than before – with societies gradually learning to accept men as human – mortal, flawed, amazing (and amusing), occasionally (for now) gay, sometimes highly intuitive, creative, intelligent (not intellectuals, that species is too insecure to survive in a levelled world); probably content even without hype and status to accompany them like shadows. This is not yet a truth. But very well it can be. And very apt it will be. So let us create a space for that truth like intelligent beings (At least so we all claim to be). Let us step out of the sphere of past, empty handed, to envisage the true possibilities of the future of our endangered gender! That might be an achievement to cherish upon. Amen!
About the Author
Soumya (Ron) Bhattacharya was graduated in Bachelor of Fine Arts (Advertising & Graphic Communications) from Jamia Milia Islamia University in 2008 and then worked extensively in the world of Brand Strategy & Consulting. Currently he works as Independent Consultant in the same domain. And mainly operates out of Kolkata and my hometown Bardhaman.
Editor: Kunal Konar, Consultant (Business Development and Analytic Hydrology).
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