The all-powerful Zahir seemed to be born with every human
being and to gain full strength in childhood, imposing rules that
would thereafter always be respected:
People who are different are dangerous; they belong to another
tribe; they want our lands and our women.
We must marry, have children, reproduce the species.
Love is only a small thing, enough for one person, and any
suggestion that the heart might be larger than this is considered
perverse.
When we marry, we are authorized to take possession of the
other person, body and soul.
We must do jobs we detest because we are part of an organized
society, and if everyone did what they wanted to do, the world
would come to a standstill.
We must buy jewelry; it identifies us with our tribe, just as body
piercing identifies those of a different tribe.
We must be amusing at all times and sneer at those who express
their real feelings; it’s dangerous for a tribe to allow its members
to show their feelings.
We must at all costs avoid saying no because people prefer those
who always say yes, and this allows us to survive in hostile
territory.
What other people think is more important than what we feel.
Never make a fuss—it might attract the attention of an enemy
tribe.
If you behave differently, you will be expelled from the tribe
because you could infect others and destroy something that was
extremely difficult to organize in the first place.
We must always consider the look of our new cave, and if we
don’t have a clear idea of our own, then we must call in a
decorator who will do his best to show others what good taste we
have.
We must eat three meals a day, even if we’re not hungry, and
when we fail to fit the current ideal of beauty we must fast, even
if we’re starving.
We must dress according to the dictates of fashion, make love
whether we feel like it or not, kill in the name of our country,
wish time away so that retirement comes more quickly, elect
politicians, complain about the cost of living, change our
hairstyle, criticize anyone who is different, go to a religious
service on Sunday, Saturday, or Friday, depending on our
religion, and there beg forgiveness for our sins and puff ourselves
up with pride because we know the truth and despise the other
tribe, who worships a false god.
Our children must follow in our footsteps; after all, we are older
and know about the world.
We must have a university degree even if we never get a job in
the area of knowledge we were forced to study.
We must study things that we will never use, but which someone
told us were important to know: algebra, trigonometry, the code
of Hammurabi.
We must never make our parents sad, even if this means giving
up everything that makes us happy.
We must play music quietly, talk quietly, weep in private,
because I am the all-powerful Zahir, who lays down the rules
and determines the distance between railway tracks, the
meaning of success, the best way to love, the importance of
rewards.
being and to gain full strength in childhood, imposing rules that
would thereafter always be respected:
People who are different are dangerous; they belong to another
tribe; they want our lands and our women.
We must marry, have children, reproduce the species.
Love is only a small thing, enough for one person, and any
suggestion that the heart might be larger than this is considered
perverse.
When we marry, we are authorized to take possession of the
other person, body and soul.
We must do jobs we detest because we are part of an organized
society, and if everyone did what they wanted to do, the world
would come to a standstill.
We must buy jewelry; it identifies us with our tribe, just as body
piercing identifies those of a different tribe.
We must be amusing at all times and sneer at those who express
their real feelings; it’s dangerous for a tribe to allow its members
to show their feelings.
We must at all costs avoid saying no because people prefer those
who always say yes, and this allows us to survive in hostile
territory.
What other people think is more important than what we feel.
Never make a fuss—it might attract the attention of an enemy
tribe.
If you behave differently, you will be expelled from the tribe
because you could infect others and destroy something that was
extremely difficult to organize in the first place.
We must always consider the look of our new cave, and if we
don’t have a clear idea of our own, then we must call in a
decorator who will do his best to show others what good taste we
have.
We must eat three meals a day, even if we’re not hungry, and
when we fail to fit the current ideal of beauty we must fast, even
if we’re starving.
We must dress according to the dictates of fashion, make love
whether we feel like it or not, kill in the name of our country,
wish time away so that retirement comes more quickly, elect
politicians, complain about the cost of living, change our
hairstyle, criticize anyone who is different, go to a religious
service on Sunday, Saturday, or Friday, depending on our
religion, and there beg forgiveness for our sins and puff ourselves
up with pride because we know the truth and despise the other
tribe, who worships a false god.
Our children must follow in our footsteps; after all, we are older
and know about the world.
We must have a university degree even if we never get a job in
the area of knowledge we were forced to study.
We must study things that we will never use, but which someone
told us were important to know: algebra, trigonometry, the code
of Hammurabi.
We must never make our parents sad, even if this means giving
up everything that makes us happy.
We must play music quietly, talk quietly, weep in private,
because I am the all-powerful Zahir, who lays down the rules
and determines the distance between railway tracks, the
meaning of success, the best way to love, the importance of
rewards.
No comments:
Post a Comment