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People VS Things

Posted by Unknown | Posted in , | Posted on Tuesday, November 22, 2011






I stumbled upon this idea on the web. In some weird forum, where people were debating this topic, but like any other online discussion the most recent comments were about race, religion and what-not. Some people were talking about the world-war III, which as far as i know, hasn't even happened yet. Someone also mentioned 'I hate Justin Bieber'. Some nerds were having a different war altogether; "Harry Potter vs Twilight". You debate anything long enough, you'll find yourself debating the basic things; 9/11, terrorism, religion, rebecca black, race n bla bla bla. And bla.


Anyhoo, it got me wondering; which side am I on? 
If i ask you point-blank; People or things? You'll say 'People'. Coz that's the obvious answer. But is it the case? I mean if you actually weigh both the sides; by the value they have in your life, by the amount of time you give to each and the way you prioritize them, will your answer still be 'people'?
So how do we really compare two totally different and unrelated categories? Lets take a quick glance at both the categories before i ask you again. (IMP: Please don't base your decision on the image displayed above)






"PEOPLE"


Alright! People.. So, generally speaking, people are a bunch of mean, selfish jerks. They hardly help, and if they do, they always have ulterior motives. They are mean schemin machines. They come in different sizes and shapes. Mostly, they are BAD, the good ones are only good, coz they are too stupid to be bad. Conclusion: We no likey strangers much.


But, then considering personally, i.e. the people you know. They are mostly good, especially close ones. They have been there. They have supported you, saved you, appreciated you, helped you etc etc. In a way they have shaped you, made you who you are today. That's especially true for very close ones, who have been there from the beginning. So these people are fine.




"THINGS"


This is a broad category. It includes your; house, car, wardrobe, cellphone, other electronics, pen, watch and sooooo many other pricey possessions, weird collections, stupid artefacts and whatevers, of yours. You don't value every single one of them, unless you are a hoarder, in which case a coffee receipt is more important than your mom. You only like, or even love, a few items that stand out. Mostly it's your pc or your cellphone. It can also be some unique possession or anything for that matter. These are the things you like a lot. The more custom they are, the more personal they feel.




Argument for People


We tend to be more attached to people, one hardly develops emotional ties to things. People respond in a language that's more than 1 & 0. They interact fully; they respond to words, expressions, emotions, drama.. They have a special role in our lives. They are a part of our memories. They may expire altogether, but they can't be replaced. Each person is unique, exceptional and spontaneous. People can smile at you. They can interact with you physically. There is no limit to the ways you can interact with people. All in all the closest anyone gets to you is a human being.




Argument for Things


Things are always with us. For example: your cellphone, that you carry everywhere with you. You have clothed the little thing in your custom cover. It reads your emails, helps you keep in touch with your social life, sings you songs, plays games for you when you are bored. You tuck it in your special pouch when you've used it. You might not be able to interact realistically with it, but then again this is why it cannot hurt you. It can't criticize you. It can't walk-out on you, it can't leave you unless you want it to. It can't judge you. It can be with you as long as you want it to be. Though things can disappoint you; like a software glitch or any kind of error can make you mad, it won't make you cry. You'll get over it in no time. If it fails altogether, you can always replace it with a new one. 


So has your opinion changed?
Now the answer to the question "People OR Things" highly depends on what context it is being asked in. If a building is on fire, and you can either save a person (a complete stranger) or your cellphone. Ofcorse you'd choose to save a life. But that's not the question here. The answer to any life or death scenario based questions is people. The question is who do u LIKE more, People OR Things? Just simply 'like', as meaningless as a facebook like. Who would you rather give your time to? Please share your answer in the comments below.






P.s. Its kinda ironic if you prefer your cellphone over people, since cellphones were made to connect people, but then again depending on the kind of people you know, it could be the wise choice.


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