Windows

As we sat discussing a question about privacy in the tutorial (this class does have quite a few interesting people) today, one of my group-mates mentioned this quote by a Chinese politician the gist of which was this:

“You must open the window sometimes or you will suffocate”.

(I tried and tried to find the exact quote but no luck!)

We all leave the window to our lives open to some degrees as we let people we pass by take a glimpse into who you are. Often we stand by this window and chit chat about random things. And rarely, once in a while we open the door and let someone come inside. But try as we might we can’t keep the windows closed forever and we shouldn’t or we might just suffocate. Suffocate out of emptiness and loneliness caught up in the webs of our own fantasies, opinions and perceptions.

(DO NOT switch on the pervert I’m saying this in a perfectly simple metaphorical way.....)

And bringing it to the context in which it was mentioned we have all heard a lot about privacy and probably tried vehemently to protect ours too. But all too often when we are harping on and on about it aren’t we just trying to protect information that we are ashamed of??

(I know that is not the case very often and you can sue me for generalising for all I care! I know there are the times when security is at stake and the times when you just don’t want to or whatever and other reasons too. )

Yes, maybe you don’t regret it but you are ashamed of sharing it with everyone or someone. More often than not if you are not ashamed of it you’ve probably blown your horn about it as loud as you could. Or not depending on how worthy it was or how much of a braggart you are. :P

If for none of these reasons why bother about privacy? Just because we have a right are we obliged to go out of our way to protect it?

Maybe.

I know I am!!