Some attributes conferred on us by others are shocking. Thereafter we will be forced to live in accorda- nce with those attributes, especially the attributes given to us in public. Pointing to you a person speaks another one that you are a good fellow, a man with probity and uprightness in character, a caring and endearing one, you lead an ideal family life, you don’t have any bad habits etc. Even while you know well that you have all the flaws that a human being can have such attributes are really a blow on you-especially if you are a person who likes to live in your own way discarding the so called adjectives conferred on you. It will be a blow if you don’t want to lead a double life. The one- a virtuous person without any flaws. The other- with all the weakness that are common to a human being.
When you are being honored you may feel the same problem. Awards and felicitation are different. Awards are given to persons considering their abilities only. His character doesn’t matter there. But if a person is being honored it means the people value his abilities, his character, his personality etc. Mementoes and statuettes are part of it. It shows that you are a special person and you deserve it. You are forced to live without compromising the attributes showered on you.
Once upon a time there lived a person whom everybody looked upon as a saint. It is not sure whether that attribute made him happy. One day he was walking along a road. Seeing him a farmer stopped his work in the paddy field and rushed to him and said: ‘Everybody opines that you are a saint. You ought to be so.’ That saint later described this incident as God Himself appeared from the paddy fields and admonished him to become a saint. Life is rather simple for a person who has never received any award or recognition in his life. He doesn’t need any commitment to the society. He is not indebted anybody. But if he is honored for some reason thereafter there will be some restrictions in his life. He becomes a famous person. His behavior, activities, opinions, words, his style of speaking etc. will be noticed by others. There ends his privacy.
Why do some celebrities speak loudly of their privacy? Because they can’t live in the society as they wish. If the limit exceeds popularity becomes a burden. Some attributes like stupid, not capable of anything etc. are disheartening. It is very difficult to come out of those attributes. It is easy to give attributes but difficult to live accordingly. It is more difficult to come out of the undeserving attributes.
