Just now and then
One way to look at the past is to observe how far have we come from the last millennium. In case you didn’t notice—or worse, if you were a baby back then—Y2K happened barely two decades ago. Yet, it feels like a long, long while since we moved on from pager to smartphone. What used to take centuries started taking few decades and what used to take decades is now taking few years and what used to years is taking few months and what used to take months is now taking trends.
Change used to be constant. As of today, the rate of change is erratic.
Who could have thought of South Korea as a cultural giant? From producing movies featuring raw violence, that tiny powerhouse of a nation is now exporting global content. If this isn’t the very redefinition of cool, I don’t know what is. That, in other words, is change. Not absolute but striking, nonetheless.
Early conclusion: Gone are the days of the centuries. Nobody has the patience to wait that long anymore.
As a social experiment, look at yourself in the mirror with proper sunlight and ask yourself a simple question: what’s going to last till 2121? It’s very important for you to peer at yourself while thinking of the answer/s here. Because what you think of yourself is what you think of the world. If you are crumbling, you’d tend to look at the cracks in the world. If you are full of life, you’d portend your optimism on others. And if you are filled with love, the world becomes an adorable place indeed.
So, give this a try and see what you come up with. Whatever your guesses are, none of us would be here to verify. A century is quite a stretch and given the pace we are at, it’s longer than we imagine.
On that note, let me share some comparative insights on how timelines differ –
[16th century]
Singing Raga Malhar for the clouds to burst.
[21st century]
Waterlogging alerts.
[20th century]
"Elementary, dear Watson."
[21st century]
"Ironic, dear Watson."
[15th century]
Death is the greatest leveler.
[18th century]
Economy is the greatest leveler.
[21st century]
Internet is the greatest leveler.
[21st century]
*hurts somebody*
*advises on how to react too*
[20th century]
Customer is always right.
[21st century]
Customer is always online and angry.
[20th century]
What you see is what you get.
[21st century]
What you imagine is what you seek.
[16th century]
Lost in translation (words).
[21st century]
Lost in screen (silence).
[20th century]
Love is the answer.
[21st century]
What’s the question again?
[20th century]
Don’t believe everything you read.
[21st century]
Don’t believe everything you watch.
[19th century]
...
[20th century]
...
[21st century]
*still typing*
[19th century]
Be open to interpretations.
[21st century]
Be open to misinterpretations.
[16th century]
I am nothing without love.
[21st century]
I am nothing.
[19th century]
Mars is also called the red planet.
[21st century]
Mars is also called Elon Musk's Disneyland.
[17th century]
Read.
[19th century]
Read between the lines.
[21st century]
Read the article before you retweet.
[20th century]
Be one of a kind.
[21st century]
Be kind.
[19th century]
Avoid your dreams.
[20th century]
Chase your dreams.
[21st century]
Let your dreams chase you.
[20th century]
Take some responsibility, build something.
[21st century]
Take some responsibility, make more excuses.
[20th century]
Expect the unexpected.
[21st century]
Get rid of your expectations please.
[20th century]
bank balance is everything
[21st century]
mental balance is everything
[19th century]
Don't be yourself.
[20th century]
Be yourself.
[21st century]
Bees are dying.
[20th century]
love is the answer
[21st century]
lurve ek koschan hai