Is bad the new good?

We have finally stepped into the 21st century .An era of unwanted and shocking realities; of twisted truths and justified lies; of tangled thoughts and rebellious actions .These are the times of metamorphosis of our entire being and believe it or not its not easy to be in your early 20s in these changing times, where bad has covertly and confidently replaced the old notions and stereotypes associated with being good. Today we feel more drawn to the rebellious rockstars and dashing DONS .This paradigm shift is the result of expectations that comes along when you are labelled as Good.The tag of good comes laden with the expectations of your family and friends .The society sets a benchmark of behaviour that you are expected to follow. Gradually, without even realising, the person becomes the replica of what society wants him to be not what he actually is!! A person tries to live his life which was someone elses dream. His wants and his opinions are locked rigidly in one sacred corner of this heart the key to which is taken away.How demeaning?? Then isnt the one who lives his life on his own terms, as per his own convictions far better off? Though he his abhorred by those around him still he is at peace with himself .In todays world the thin line that separates the good from bad has blurred into oblivion. We define our limits now .Each one of us is an uncanny combination of the good and the bad .We call it BAD and not EVIL. Evil is heinous, demoniacal, and unprincipled whereas, bad is something which becomes acceptable, though occasionally. If a lie gives someone a hope to live ,if a fight can save someones honour ,if by turning off the switch to the life support system you can deliver someone out of a living hell, then isnt it worthwhile to explore that dormant dark in you. How many of us can turn a blind eye to a chaotic situation and stay shut just to be the epitome of decency and docility that we are assumed to be ? we condemn; we react ;we rebel ;we refute.In such situations isnt is better to defy the existing behaviour patterns ,kick the moth infested age old norms and be proud of it. It is imperative to note that bad is not about being unruly, disrespectful or even careless. It is not about pulling the world by its collar or showing them the middle finger! This is evil. Bad is not evil. Bad is saying NO when you have to! Bad is shouting your name to get attention when raising your hand is not enough! Bad is not pretending to smile when you do not want to! Bad is forsaking parental pressure and taking charge of life! Bad is realizing it is okay to be lesser than good!

It is an undeniable and unquestionable fact that truth ,love and honour since time immemorial have been the cornerstone on which the foundation of our existence was laid but today the world runs more on practical wheels and the above foresaid abstract qualities have unknowingly become the part of the background of the greyer realties of today. I am not advertising bad over good. Neither am I justifying my wickedness. I am merely acknowledging a thing present around us! And no, it is not something to be proud of but its nothing to be ashamed of either. In the context of current changes, the social message is quite clear- "You've gotta be ya own drummer, governor!" It may seem uppity, almost too much, but it mirrors the reality.Bad and good are no longer the part of the same coin and thus are not subjected to either of the alternatives .They have in fact become the two parallel paths that can be simultaneously travelled and switched. ; So which way to go? Which path to choose? The solution is amazingly simple. Don't be good. Don't be bad. Be human. And now you realize those everybody-seems-to-have-one T-shirts spoke the truth that we managed to miss all this while!!