எது பொய் எது மெய்?

Mar 18, 2025 Barathi Kannamma Leave a comment

It’s a constant battle inside me trying to separate what’s true from what’s not.

It feels like everything around us isn’t quite what it seems lately. It’s like every truth has a little lie tucked inside it, and maybe even another, deeper truth hidden beyond that. We all seem to be putting on a face, a mask we wear for the world. And it feels like everyone is trying to sell something–whether it’s their looks, what they know, or even just who they are.

It makes you wonder if we’ll ever really see things as they truly are. Maybe the whole truth is just too much to handle. Maybe it’s always a bit messy, a bit uncomfortable. People might judge it, or even be scared by it. Someone you think is good might look completely different through someone else’s eyes and what we see or how we feel changes with time.

It’s like we’re all walking around with our own versions of reality, and the full picture is too complex, too raw for anyone to fully grasp or accept. Maybe that’s just the way things are sometimes.

Think about how social media plays into this. We carefully curate what we show, highlighting the good and hiding the less flattering parts. It’s another layer of masks, another way we present a version of ourselves rather than the whole story. This constant filtering can make it even harder to see what’s real and what’s just a performance.

And what about our own internal struggles? We often hide parts of ourselves even from ourselves, burying uncomfortable truths or difficult emotions. This internal masking contributes to the feeling that everything is an illusion, because even we aren’t always being completely honest with ourselves.

It seems like we live in a world where complete honesty is a rare and perhaps even fragile thing. Between the masks we wear, the curated realities we present, and the hidden truths we all carry, it’s easy to feel like we’re living in a constant state of illusion.

Maybe, I don’t know, accepting that different perspectives and hidden complexities are just part of being human and it is the first step towards handling this confusing reality. Humans are indeed complex. Isn’t it?

#randomthoughts

Art by: Zahraa

அந்தி மாலை நேரம்

Mar 4, 2025 Barathi Kannamma Leave a comment

I had a really eye-opening day today, witnessing two very different sides of how people handle relationships…

On my usual walk from the office to the metro, I passed a park and saw a couple. At first, it looked like a sweet moment – the girl leaning on the guy who was sitting on his bike. But then, he just started the bike and drove off, leaving her there. She turned around, and she was just… heartbroken. Tears were streaming down her face. I couldn’t just walk away. I went a little closer and asked if she was alright. She said she’d be fine, but you could tell she was really hurting. I didn’t want to intrude or make her uncomfortable, and I know everyone processes pain differently, so I eventually left. But it really bothered me. I just don’t understand how someone can leave someone they care about like that, especially when they’re so vulnerable. If things aren’t working out, there’s always a kinder way, right? My heart really ached for her.

Then, later on the metro, I bumped into a friend. It’s actually the second time we’ve randomly met on the same train! He was carrying a beautiful bouquet of flowers. He told me he’d had a disagreement with a friend and was on his way to apologize and make amends. He even asked me if the flowers were enough, which was so sweet.

It really made me think. It’s not about comparing people or saying one is better than the other. Everyone is different, and we all face unique challenges. Life can be tough, and sometimes we get caught up in our own struggles. But it really highlights the importance of kindness and compassion. We’re all just trying to navigate this crazy thing called life, and a little bit of empathy can go a long way.

Fellow Selenophile..

Jan 24, 2025 Barathi Kannamma Leave a comment

The silence followed by the crickets chirping and the endless winter breeze and myself in my pajamas looking at you like I look at you for the first time, what more could I have asked for?

I sat on the terrace for hours just staring at the cratered moon, which isn’t even visible to the naked eye. Just like Tom Hanks said, “And I always look up at the moon and see it as the single most romantic place within the cosmos”, it really does make sense. Moreover, the thought of a random stranger looking at the moon at the same time in a different place comforts me, we can stay there for a while without knowing each other, the mere virtual presence eases out my chaotic soul. It gives hope. If this isn’t beautiful, I don’t know what is. ~ Fellow Selenophile

The Horse Tail

Jan 24, 2025 Barathi Kannamma Leave a comment

I had a dream few months back, I could remember only a part of it and it was scary as hell. I still feel devastated to even think about what I visualized. The dream goes like…

Myself and my mom were living in a rented apartment where there were almost more than ten houses occupied by different families. It was one unusual day, we went out and came back to hear from one of the neighbors that a murder has taken place in the apartment and the murderer is none other than our immediate neighbor and he has been killing everyone he is seeing without any specific reason. This reminded me of something I read in a novel long back where a guy shoots another guy and when he was asked on the trail for the reason, he simply replies that he shot him because of the hot summer weather. The human mind is complicated yet so simple, how true right?

So yea coming back to the dream, We both were shaken up by the news and we were literally trembling and somehow managed to reach the steps only to find a pool of blood and a beautiful pair of chopped feet. We panicked and gathered some courage and somehow managed to rush and lock ourselves inside our house. Right after we entered the house, the killer crossed our house. We could just see his silhouette through the translucent windows. We were dead scared. He went inside the house. We were relieved. But our windows are connected. As in, he could open the window and can see our living room. He knocked on our window. We didn’t open it. He himself opened the window and showed us a plate filled with food. We were the one who offered him that food the same morning. He asked us if we could take half of it as he wasn’t hungry enough. We were scared to even go near the window. Coz we knew he was gonna kill us anyhow. My mom pushed me back and approached the window to protect me. I begged her not to go and then…

…and then i woke up.

Let me tell you why I started to tell you this dream. When you all were reading this, each one of you would have got different visuals, according to your perspectives. The colours, the settings and the structure would have been different. But in movies, the visuals are similar to all the viewers. But each viewer might decode certain frames in a certain way and sometimes cultural background plays a vital role.

Myself and my mom started to watch the movie ‘Kudhirai Vaal’. By the middle of the movie, my mom felt bored and she went to sleep. She felt bored coz she couldn’t understand anything in the film. I usually make my mom sit with me and make her watch films and I try to explain it to her. I personally feel that she has evolved a lot after watching many movies. But I myself am a literature student and also someone who reads a lot about interpreting dreams found it difficult to understand certain parts of the movie. I watched interviews of the movie’s directors and also read articles/movie reviews on the same. But still couldn’t understand certain parts of the film. I guess, in ten years maybe we will all be able to precisely understand the movie, gladly waiting for the time, coz I really liked the movie.

The Saturation of Emotions in the Digital Age: A Deep Dive into a Generation’s Emotional Landscape

Jan 24, 2025 Barathi Kannamma Leave a comment

In today’s fast-paced world, emotions are not just felt; they’re broadcast, shared, and often commodified. For the current generation, emotions have become a pervasive part of everyday life, infiltrating everything from social media feeds to marketing strategies. But has this constant emotional engagement led to an oversaturation? Are we losing the depth of our feelings in favor of performative expression? Let’s explore.

The Age of Overexposure
Thanks to social media and the internet, emotions are no longer private. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter encourage users to share their feelings—happy, sad, angry, or indifferent—with the world. While this openness fosters connectivity and empathy, it also creates a culture of constant emotional display.

When every achievement is celebrated online, every setback lamented, and every mundane moment curated for engagement, emotions risk becoming superficial. The constant need to “feel” something—or appear to—can dilute the authenticity of those feelings.

The Rise of Performative Emotions
Performative emotions are a byproduct of this digital age. People often feel compelled to exaggerate their emotions to garner attention or validation. A mildly frustrating situation becomes a “worst day ever,” and a small victory is blown out of proportion to fit the narrative of a “hustle culture”.

Brands have also tapped into this trend, using emotional storytelling to sell products and services. While this marketing approach can be effective, it further blurs the line between genuine emotions and those engineered for profit.

Emotional Fatigue and Desensitization
With a constant influx of emotional content—think viral videos, news stories, memes, and reels—it’s easy to feel emotionally drained. This phenomenon, often referred to as emotional fatigue, can leave individuals feeling detached or indifferent.

Desensitization is another consequence. When we’re bombarded with emotional highs and lows daily, our capacity to deeply feel or react diminishes. A heartbreaking news story might move us for a moment before we scroll to the next trending dance challenge.

Why Depth Still Matters
While it may seem that emotions have been saturated, this generation also has a unique opportunity to reclaim depth. By consciously disconnecting from constant emotional stimulation, individuals can reconnect with their feelings in a more profound way. Practices like mindfulness, journaling, and even digital detoxes can help create space for genuine emotional experiences.

The Path Forward
To navigate this emotional saturation, it’s crucial to strike a balance. Sharing emotions is not inherently bad—it’s a way to connect, heal, and grow. But doing so authentically and selectively ensures that emotions retain their depth and significance.

As a generation accustomed to broadcasting our every thought and feeling, we must remember that not all emotions are meant for the spotlight. Some are meant to be felt quietly, deeply, and privately—a reminder that the most meaningful emotional experiences often happen when no one else is watching.