(Visual Courtesy: Pallavi Pathak)
“We have, in fact, two kinds of morality side by side; one which we preach but do not practice, and another which we practice but seldom preach.”- Bertrand Russell
Whom does morality belong to- you? Me? And what is it- is it an object, a tool, an emotion, a prescription? There is no fixed answer to this. The taxonomy of morality and moral values would reveal innumerable schools of thought, different perspectives and different representations.
If morality of today's world was looked upon as a tangible quantity, the material it would closely resemble would be rubber or Lycra. As a real physical quantity, Lycra is representative of comfort and stretch-ability and that’s exactly what today's moral values are - stretchable, flexible and twist-able; to suit our comfort and needs, the side-effects notwithstanding or often ignored. The deviation from what is defined as morally correct- in the descriptive or normative sense can be compared to the stretching of rubber. The tag ‘Lycra Inside' which is usually found on items of clothing is clung to our bare nakedness of skewed morals today.
In our day to day and societal existence, there are certain moral codes. Codes which in the simplest form would describe as to what is wrong and what is right. These 'codes' or values might fall under various domains like social, cultural, political, philosophical etc. Some of them have been present since time immemorial and are almost static, while some of them have transformed according to the dynamics of changing social structure and changing values. Talking from the Indian perspective, the fine threads of the Indian social fabric, especially the Urban Social Fabric has seen a gradual transition, from the integrity and rigidity of Khadi to the stretch-ability of Spandex. We have come a long way from the resolute, iron willed and morally strong Gandhiji days to the laxity of today. It’s only unfortunate that the anachronistic Khadi still remains the perfect garb for our politicians; the brand ambassadors of what could be called 'the perfect-immorality'. The scam littered corrupt scene in the country would make anyone believe that the political milieu is actually bereft of all forms of morality. Did they just bend their moral values or make them disappear altogether? Perhaps, moral consciousness was brutally murdered and buried somewhere deep down. It is often said- what we wear is a reflection of what we are. The streets would be full of spandex strutting politicians in that case.
Even we as individuals, how often do we bend our moral codes and values which we have imbibed and absorbed over years? Say lying or cheating. or hurting someone and duping them, Or breaking some rules or these codes which are oft debated to be something prescribed to us and enforced on us? While the frequency might be debatable, the fact that we all do it is undeniable. We stretch our morality when we lie and manipulate people or keep them in the dark. We do it when we drink and drive. We do it when we jump signals. We do it when we cheat on our partners. We do it when we bribe someone. There are several instances. Even our consciousness invariably comes up with a justification for our act- “just this one time, this will be the last”. But our so called “last-time” is always the second last in an unending series. Perhaps Oscar Wilde's I can resist everything except temptation is our motto.
In our country, where Ashok weds Meena is often considered a pre-requisite for Ashok beds Meena, things have changed. The recent times have seen a spate of NSA relationships- No Strings Attached, only rubber to stretch. (thanks to the Americans for their Euphemism). The new generation has been breaking down the so called "boundary wall of values" brick by brick. In fact it has ceased to exist for some. The chastity belt has loosened and people have been dropping their inhibitions and that definitely includes their clothes too. Infact, its not just the youth or the current generation which has been indulging in these 'peccadilloes', nor is it the hobby of the upper echelons alone. This is a pervasive trend cutting across age generations and different sections of the society. Intercourse is as casual as a bottle of beer.
Morality has become individualistic; we treat it as our own and each one of us stretches it to the extent and the way we want to. Yes, there is Lycra inside our values. Inside our consciousness. Goodbye integrity, welcome Slackness.
