Amputation of Emotions
When I was in class 10th, Chapter 9 of history book taught us about the holocaust. I questioned furiously to my friends and teachers, why didn’t the public say anything? Why didn’t anybody try to stop Hitler? Why did people ignore?
As a writer working in a marketing agency, I pretty much feel guilty of writing advertisements about joy and celebration, and finding insights about happiness and hope at the times certain of doom. Russian Invasion of Ukraine, Us droppings bombs on Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq and the war in Yemen. Myriad of Islamophobic atrocities in India, the rise of right wingers in almost every corner of the world, and the upcoming climate crises. But, I carry on. Dystopia never looked real to me until now. Still, I carry On. Dystopia never really was about the dark skies, smelly streets and guns in every hand. Ignorance was dystopia. Still, I carry on ignoring and working.
While Russia is invading Ukraine, I am going to write a Holi campaign for a 100 years old brand. When NRC CAA protests was happening, I was writing an advertisement for Cough syrup with its ayurvedic herbs like mulethi and asvagandha which helps in the re-charging your immunity and is now available at dirt cheap price. So is our humanity as well, I believe.
When farmers were protesting, I was writing at full capacity why digestive biscuits are your partner in health. Advertising has the power, tools, knowledge, and the money to reach billions of people but that will only be used for the brands. Not until, The war will be sponsored by Dabur, or Powered by Patanjali biscuits or brought to you by Himalya Cough syrup. I fear when the bullets reach my heart, or the water reaches my feet, or the heat waves blinds my eyes; Will I still selling ideas of aspiration for the brand?
Death of an individual is quite devastating, but as the numbers rise- so does my indifference. The difference is death of an individual seems like a tragedy, but death of hundreds seems a statistical point. An Unhuman data point worth ignoring, with no story, with no image and no personal. Nothing but a mark on the x-axis and y-axis.
Somehow, as soon as pressed the Instagram icon I never knew I was also switching off the empathy button in my head. This physic numbing of our feelings are indirectly related to number of individual tragedies; our feelings also drop when the number increase. I can sense my compassion fading away with increase in numbers. I have become desensitized of my emotional response because of the tsunami of information I have been receiving. Memes and Marketing, Advertisements or the voyeuristic vision we have acquired in other people lives. When did I stop seeing the individual beneath the number? When did I amputate my emotional response to tragedies?
My hyper rational approach developed by the studies made by thinkers from the west gives me the best cold response. Surely it is disheartening too see, but my self-interests doesn’t allow me to go outside and join the movements, or a protest. The fatigue of knowing everything all the time is much more than the amputated and blistered empathy.