Nodal Axis
It’s the start of monsoons in Bangalore and it can’t get lovelier. It’s the kind of evening made for walking. So we went for a walk. I stepped out of the building literally covered from head to foot, wearing my specs, no make-up on and being aware of being stared at by a bunch of drivers hanging out near the cars. I am not hot, and apart from a few occasions, I’ve always been glad of it. I want most people to relate to me as if I am a person. Being started at makes me nervous and the way those drivers were doing it was downright threatening.
So as we walked I was telling my husband that most psychologists and feminists think that crimes against women, specifically rape, are about power and not lust. A friend of mine thinks that these can also be crimes of lust. My better half said the same, “Why generalize? Some are crimes of power and some are crimes of lust.” Then we spoke about generalizations and their advantages and disadvantages. He thinks that generalizations are dangerous and you must judge on a case by case basis. “But generalizations are also useful, they give you a framework, a philosophy with which to see the world. And then you can treat each situation on its own merit.” “Zen talks about constant alertness,” he said still anti-generalizations. (more…)
