Rant 35: Hate for the hyped

I have had a pretty average middle class regular childhood with mostly measured facilities and measured limitations. We have not been brought the usual way of social hypes and global trends. We bought what we needed and ate what we loved. We went where we dreamt to and not what was famous. We used to talk to people in our colonies and fill our slambooks with the best people in our lives, not taking autographs of the best people in other’s lives. Basically, most of us, in our childhood were free from hypes.

However, some hypes like WWF and the Commando games still existed, but were limited to only the upper middle class and to us only some finer stories would reach at school. This habit of keeping away the hypes from our life was really an instrumental one and resulted in the way we grew. We were always reminded the stretch of our shoes and we warned not to foray into lands of uncertainty. This will be something I wish I do not dawn upon the next generation.

Eventually, the attitude of not going with the hype turned into an attitude of going against the hype. I am no one and possibly not eligible to judge if this attitude of mine is justified or not. But there is something that stops me from approaching over-hyped things. Take anything for instance: The most over-hyped new-comer into my class and be made my bench partner, I would not talk to her because everyone else in the class did. The most hyped senior would come to the class for monitoring and I would not listen or seem interested in listening to what he had to say, because everyone else was listening like a dead fan. The most recent Leonardo movie which I was waiting for years now, since it was first announced, I could not just, just ever see it, just because it was so so so much hyped and stories about how great some people who could see it in the first day first show were and then the loads of conditions put that whoever did not see it was the person fixed to lose.

All of these, and so much more, till date fix me out from anything that is over-hyped. When I entered senior-secondary, there was some weird surge of listening to English songs in my batch. Something weird happened and suddenly every other batch mate on earth was listening to English bands and songs. Not that I have a problem with English songs, but my point of contention was the intent with which they were all listening to it. To be just be eligible to stand in a crowd of 10 students and say that I too, listened to these bands and how awesome they were. Similar thing had happened when Harry Potter begun its journey somewhere in my 6-7th class.

This characteristic trait of mine followed me wherever I went. But this brought into me the idea of a distinctive personality. A personality like no other would have. I do things which you might not expect and I don’t do many things which would be considered default just by looking at me. Such are the features of a anti-hype kid.

By the time I entered Under-graduate, I realized one thing. It’s difficult to stand alone and walk by your own principles, while it was easier to just walk in a big heap of commoners and not really care about what their individual thoughts were. In college, I was repeatedly told you would get addicted to something or the other by the time you leave this college. It was an engineering college and you are studying architecture. Hype Hype hype hypes!! Too much hype over one simple thing. Every time someone would tell me I would not be able to keep myself away, my not so determined mind, went a little more firm. I also heard people telling me one cannot cross UG without getting addicted to computer games or binge watching seasons – GOT, HIMYM or Friends! I did.

And believe me, it was not for showing stuff to someone , that I achieved or crossed the stage without getting addicted to, but simply because these things were hyped to such an extent that my mind actually rejected these things automatically and when your mind rejects it, its not going to drip in anymore in your life. The urge to do that, ceases to exist.

This feature of my character, I again repeat, is not deemed by me to be correct or ideal or incorrect. I am just keeping it the way it is. This habit of sailing against the hypes has kept me from going to GOA, visiting Hampi, eating Pizza’s quite often, CCD and so many other such things.. The list is countless. But I am glad in place of Goa I have discovered so many unknown desolate serene silent beaches along the Eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, in place of Hampi, I have visited Badami, Pattadakkal and numerous other empires. In place of Pizza’s I have developed a taste for Thatte idlis and for CCD, there was always a cup of Filter Coffee available. I never really missed the former ones. But I surely could keep myself away from the hypes.

I again repeat, for the 4th time. This habit may be nothing more than my adamant behavior to keep myself away from the crowd -and may or may not be deemed correct. It is good to have our individual behaviours and features. 🙂

Comment any such strange or unique features that you have and what brought or developed them in you. If you too have this habit of rushing against the hype or if any friend has such behaviour share it with them.

Always Ranting, Rantzaada.