“Log Kya Kahenge (What will people say?) if they see you cry?”, “What will people say if they get to know that you’re still unmarried?”, “What will people say if they get to know that you want to go for therapy?”
How many times has “Log Kya Kahenge?” (“What will people say?”) affected your decisions? And when the output of these things didn’t lead to what you wanted them to be, where were these ‘log’ (people)?
No matter what happens, people always have something to say. For example, if you open up to people about your issues, they will say, “You’re overreacting!”, “It isn’t that bad!” and on the other hand, if you don’t open up, people will label you as ‘weak’, 'weird’ or will tell you, “You should talk more. It will help you!”
We need to understand that our life is a series of decisions we make and when these decisions are influenced by the thought of what others will think, we lose the essence of building a life that we want, right?
Why do we need to eradicate Log Kya Kahenge?
Each person has a distinct identity, opinion and situation which makes them different from other people. All our fingers of the same hand are not of the same size, right? We are people with different dreams to achieve. If we all do things the way society expects us to do, how will we grow?
We need a society that is not judgmental of the choices one makes for their growth. Log Kya Kahenge destroys so many dreams and thereby, so many lives! You anyway can’t make everybody happy. So why not make yourself happy?
A life led by the choices made by you due to people’s pressure is a life not lived. One cannot succeed in life if they don’t follow their heart.You have one life and you don’t want to waste it by living it the way others want you to, right? You don’t want to die of the ‘rog’(disease) of ‘kya kahenge log?’ (What will people say?)
Imagine how many lives we can save if we eradicate the fear of Log Kya Kahenge? Imagine how many people would seek help for better mental health without the fear of Log Kya Kahenge.
How can you help to eradicate the ‘Log Kya Kahenge’ virus?
Respect your boundaries - advise people but don’t force them to use your advice and vice versa.
Avoid judging people solely on the basis of how things seem to you. Look at things from their perspective, too.
Think about what YOU want to do about a situation and how it will make YOU feel instead of doing things due to the fear of Log Kya Kahenge.
Encourage and support people to do what they want. Don’t become the ‘log’ (person) from ‘Log Kya Kahenge?’(What will people say?)
Learning to incorporate these things in your daily life may be difficult at first because we have been brought up with the fear of ‘what others will think and say about us’. Know that “Logo ka to kaam hai kehna” (People will say something or the other, no matter what you do). Let’s become the change we want to see in society because, in the end, society is you and me. It’s high time that we kill the Log Kya Kahenge virus for the betterment of society - for you and me. Let’s strive to gain independence from it. We, together, can outweigh Log Kya Kahenge. We are the cure for this virus.
Your mental health matters as much as your physical health. Don't hesitate to take a step towards your mental well-being. If you’re looking at talking to a professional, book your Initial Consultation with us on https://www.themoodspace.com/freeconsultation or write to us at info@themoodspace.com. Take a step towards bettering your mental wellbeing because you deserve it!
Written By - Mahika Solanki