There comes a time when it seems that we are all animals. That we cannot or do not want to adhere to basic etiquette and decorum. Of course, this gives rise to another question; what is proper decor and are manners just another thing that has been enforced by those who are too upright.
Just to give an example which is a common occurrence in India; the inability of people to keep quiet in a movie theatre. We have all faced them more often than we would like to remember; the parent explaining the whole plot in minute detail to the children; the group of friends who pass comments and poke fun of things that are happening on screen; the front benchers who whoop and holler at every given opportunity; and of course; the mobile phone bak-bakias who seem to be taken all manner of calls during the screening.
If you ask them to please maintain silence, however nicely, one of two things is likely to happen; one: they will reluctantly agree to tone it down, with a few choice expletives whispered among themselves about your uptightness, or two: you are going to get into an argument, or even worse, a fight.
Now I have pondered this question and seen some differences in behaviour across different cities and states. Delhi and the nothern belt seem to be the most vocal of all audiences, while Bangalore, the south and the west seem to be quieter(Mumbai is the exception).
Of course, we can attribute it to stereotypical notions that Punjabi culture is loud and that people are most sophisticated and genteel in the South. But that too does not quite cover the reasons why we just cannot seem to behave properly.
I will put forward a couple of my theroeis;
First, we are gradually becoming an extroverted society. Winning at all costs, getting ahead and to hell with the consequences. As a result, parents are increasingly encouraging their children to be loud and boisterous, to stand out and to excel. Sadly, this results in their boisterousness turning into obnoxiousness. Noone ever tells a child to be quiet and restrained, to have patience and turn the other cheek. Indeed, one can say that children learn exactly these loud behaviour pattern from their parents.
Another reason for the current state of affairs could be the fact that life in the larger cities is so fast paced and aggressive, the resulting behaviours spill over into other aspects of life. Fighting on the bus, arguing in the office and bargaining with the maid become a way of life. There is not room for gentleness here. It is a question of survival and winning.
Or it could simply be that we are such a country of loud colours, and loud noises. It is the result of our evolution of thousands of years, a culture which was always noisy, and will always be noisy.
I have no final answers to this question. Being an introvert in India is hard enough, but as they say, what cannot be cured, must be endured. Til then, I shall seek out empty shows to get my fix of the movies.
