I have encountered something else new in India - it is called talking and philosophizing about the world. And it is ok.
In the past, I have had a lack of people to talk about this with due to disinterest and disagreements, even feelings of guiltiness for thinking about and asking questions like "Who am I and what is my place in the world?"
And I don't ever feel like that anymore.
I have yet to get the response, "Why are you thinking about that? Why do you want to talk about feelings, the world, self identification, the meaning of the world/life/existence, etc?"
I am glad. I was missing out on a vital part of my personal well being and happiness until recently.
Now I have 2 friends here that will sit on a roof with me for 3 1/2 hours and we can talk about everything. Everything.
Philosophy class, perspectives on religion and faith, family relationships, the "sick" world, romantic relationships, "master statuses" and identity, morals, passive love vs. active love, essence, gay chicken, 90s music, manipulation, human experiments, and insecurities. All of these things have been approached within a 24 hour time period and I adore it.
I always needed it, I knew that. But I never had it, someone to talk with and share and listen to, all in a comfortable, shall I say, equal? setting. We can all ask and answer questions, respectfully agreeing or disagreeing and we all give each other the chance to make their point. There are no hard feelings, and there is nothing that is taken too personally. This is group of people who don't mind sharing and discovering new ways of looking at the world.
And these people approach these subjects with the gusto that I have always wanted to discuss these things - not because one has to, or should. But because we all do think about these things, and we don't mind thinking about it.
It doesn't "hurt" us, it doesn't hinder us. we are enlightened and this is a state we all agree is a good state to be in.
