The Myths of Equality

 I think all parents, all teachers, all systems whether family or academic go through this dilemmas how fair I am or how just I am to the world.

I have not promised equality to my clients or role holders yet there is an expectation from the self and the others that one should be equal. At times there are instances where two siblings are poles apart in their competencies and orientation to life. Yet the parents want to be equal to them. There are students who are different in their intellectual and academic capabilities yet teachers have to be equal to them. There are employees in organisation who do not work exactly like each other yet the bosses have to be equal to them.

So what is the myth of equality are we perpetrating or promising the world. It creates lot of injustice unfairness and hurt at the emotional physiological and social levels. It is important that we educate and orient the world towards existing differences of all kinds and all types. There will never be a situation wherein there are exactly equal emotionally socially or monetarily people under us.

This also applies to people in authority like it is absolutely valid that the child may love one parent or the other, one boss over the other and one teacher over the other. It is a human instinct with reality we can be truthful and honest to ourselves and the world around us.

Otherwise we are creating a world where there are fake promises, fake beliefs, and fake acceptances. Hence it is important to respond with authenticity. What is good, bad or even ugly in life? If we do not do this we get into a cheating mode and only pleasing people around us with an unreal acceptances.

It is good or human to help somebody who is weaker than you but there has to be an understanding that the difference exists in different forms. Somebody can be more powerful monetary, somebody academically, some socially, some professionally or even intellectually. Only if we understand the difference that exists without feeling ashamed of being the weaker one or guilty of being better one can be create a relationship which are healthy and happy. So it is important that we get over the myth of equality and accept that there are differences all around us and we need to own them up.

If I were to give my own example I have felt that I have treated my children equally but both of them came out as different human beings and have been different expectations from us as a parents. Even our needs as parents changed as they grow up from children to being adults and our life context changed. Many a time’s even siblings look different in their appearances. How do parents handle these differences?

With every generation also there is an evolution in a way people grow and evolve as a human beings. Hence acceptance also would change and differ from each other with evolving stages of life. 

Author:- Dr. Nayana Shah (Ph.D.)

                Director, Manthan

               Ahmedabad

Comments

  1. Purnima S.July 22, 2021 at 8:09 AM

    What you explore is true and well explained but when inequalities are exploited for differential treatment for which the underlying cause is the biased and myopic view of the individual meting out the treatment that it becomes unfair and therefore a problem. Purnima S.

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  2. SudeshnaAugust 24, 2021 at 12:21 AM

    Excellent!

    Very pertinent points raised.

    The same argument goes while rationalising the need for reservation to protect the rights of endangered species or marginalised castes or tribes or gender.

    The starting line is different for each- so the treatment meted out has to be as per the current situation of the other party- so that the other feels empowered to stand an equal in the society.

    Equality is about ensuring that every individual has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talents. It is also the belief that no one should have poorer life chances because of the way they were born, where they come from, what they believe, or whether they have a disability. So if the situations are differential, the responses can't be uniform. Some needs that extra support to be brought up to an equal platform.

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