The Seen and the Unseen - hosted by Amit Varma
Ep 356: Santosh Desai is Watching You
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Self-reflection is crucial for personal growth and understanding.
- Transition from joint families to nuclear families has both positive and negative impacts on family dynamics.
- Technology shapes family dynamics by emphasizing individual autonomy but also leading to disconnection.
- Form and design influence relationships and behavior within the family and wider world.
- Social media platforms contribute to extremism and polarization through their design and algorithmic priorities.
- India's journey towards liberalism and democracy involves a messy reckoning with illiberal societal norms.
Deep dives
Importance of self-reflection
Self-reflection is often overlooked in society, but it is an essential practice for personal growth and understanding.
Influence of parental support and open-mindedness
The speaker's father played a significant role in encouraging intellectual curiosity and engaging in thoughtful discussions.
Avoiding rigid worldviews
The speaker emphasizes the importance of not clinging to rigid ideologies, labels, or group identities, and instead encourages open-mindedness and independent thinking.
Changing family dynamics
The shift from joint families to nuclear families to individualized family units has brought both positive and negative changes. On the positive side, there is a greater respect for individual autonomy and goals within the family unit. There is a greater alignment and empathy between family members, as there is a decrease in power distance between generations. Parents now have more insight into their children's lives and there is a level of understanding and appreciation for each other's contexts. However, the abundance of opportunities and the pressure to succeed in all aspects of life has created anxiety among younger generations. The standards of success have become higher, and individuals are constantly evaluated on their achievements, interests, and relationships. This has led to a higher level of self-expectation and the need to constantly figure things out on their own, including relationships.
The transformative impact of technology
Technology has shaped family dynamics in profound ways. The individualization and personalization offered by devices like mobile phones have further accentuated the idea of individual autonomy. With technology, everyone has their own personal world at their fingertips, customized to their preferences and desires. This can create a sense of empowerment and importance, as individuals make numerous decisions and choices in their daily lives. However, this individualization can also lead to a disconnection within the family unit. Despite physically being together, family members may be engrossed in their own screens and not engaged with each other, diminishing the sense of shared experiences and communal living. The design and form of technology, such as touchscreens and personalized algorithms, reinforce the notion that the individual is the center of attention and their desires take precedence.
The power of form in shaping relationships
Form plays a crucial role in shaping relationships and human behavior. In the context of family structures, the form of the home and the allocation of space within it influence the level of interaction and fluidity among family members. The transition from shared spaces and communal living to individualized rooms and privacy has its advantages, allowing for greater respect for individual autonomy and alignment with personal goals. However, it also hinders the formation of shared safe spaces and a sense of community. Similarly, in technology, the form and design of devices like mobile phones and their touchscreens convey a powerful message of individual importance and responsiveness to personal desires. The individualization of communication and the influence of algorithms further reinforce the idea that the individual's opinions and choices are of utmost significance. Overall, form and design have a significant impact on relationships and behavior, shaping the way we interact within the family and the wider world.
The Influence of Social Media on Extremism and Tribalism
The form and nature of social media platforms have played a significant role in encouraging extremism and tribalism. The relentless and reactive nature of these platforms, coupled with the absence of consequences for one's words, allows for the perpetuation of extreme and outrageous positions. The craving for engagement and validation further amplifies these tendencies, leading to a race to the bottom where the most radical and controversial viewpoints gain the most attention. The design and algorithmic priorities of these platforms prioritize engagement over thoughtful discourse, contributing to the polarization and toxicity of online conversations. While alternative platforms and pay models may offer some hope for change, the current landscape of social media poses significant challenges to fostering genuine dialogue and avoiding the amplification of extreme beliefs.
The Dilemma of Tradition and Hypocrisy in Politics and Society
Tradition and hypocrisy play complex roles in politics and society. While societies may perceive themselves as dismantling traditions, they often end up constructing new versions of those same traditions. The top-down imposition of ideologies and the erosion of the facade of a desirable norm can lead to the legitimization of animalistic instincts and the abandonment of institutional frameworks. This can contribute to the rise of tribalism, where individuals seek validation within their ideological tribes and attack others on different sides. The inherent contradictions and tensions within the current political and societal landscape make it challenging to find a way forward that balances individual freedom, genuine dialogue, and collective progress.
The Inevitable Reckoning and Quest for Change
India's journey towards liberalism and democracy has involved a reckoning with its illiberal societal norms and the top-down imposition of a relatively liberal constitution. This process of negotiation has been messy and untidy, but it was necessary for a true democracy to emerge. However, the current trajectory raises concerns about the nature and direction of this reckoning. While the inherent openness of Hinduism allowed for pluralism and syncretism, there is a growing risk of ideological polarization and the erosion of genuine liberalism in politics and society. It remains to be seen if this process will lead to long-term progress or if it will exacerbate divisions and hinder the realization of a truly liberal and democratic India.
The Contentment of Indian Society
One surprising aspect of India is the fundamental contentment of its people. Despite external reasons for discontentment, there is a sense of self-assurance and stability among the population. This contentment, though not devoid of unhappiness, provides a certain innate sense of who they are.
The Primal Nature of Human Beings
Human beings have a surprising ability to easily revert to their primal, primitive selves. Despite intellectual and societal progress, individuals can quickly shed these advancements and embrace primal instincts. This contrast between progress and primal behavior is a constant source of surprise and fascination.
What is this world we live in, and how did we get here? One of the finest thinkers on this subject is in the house. Santosh Desai joins Amit Varma in episode 356 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss Indian society and this changing world. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Santosh Desai on Twitter, the Times of India, LinkedIn, Futurebrands and his own website. 2. Mother Pious Lady: Making Sense Of Everyday India -- Santosh Desai. 3. Indian Society: The Last 30 Years — Episode 137 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Santosh Desai). 4. The Slimfit Conspiracy -- Santosh Desai. 5. Pushpesh Pant Feasts on the Buffet of Life — Episode 326 of The Seen and the Unseen. 6. The Great Indian Rope Trick? -- Santosh Desai. 7. We Are All Amits From Africa — Episode 343 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Krish Ashok and Naren Shenoy). 8. Subhashish Bhadra on Our Dysfunctional State — Episode 333 of The Seen and the Unseen. 9. Nothing is Indian! Everything is Indian! — Episode 12 of Everything is Everything. 10. Nick Carter, PG Wodehouse and Arthur Hailey on Amazon. 11. Roland Barthes and Umberto Eco on Amazon. 12. The Wisden Book of Test Cricket (1877-1977) — Compiled & edited by Bill Frindall. 13. Lessons from an Ankhon Dekhi Prime Minister — Amit Varma’s column on reading. 14. Dom Moraes on Amazon, Wikipedia, Britannica and Poem Hunter. 15. The Indianness of Indian Food — Episode 95 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vikram Doctor). 16. Films, Feminism, Paromita — Episode 155 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Paromita Vohra). 17. The Poetic Feminism of Paromita Vohra — Episode 339 of The Seen and the Unseen. 18. Episodes of The Seen and the Unseen with Ramachandra Guha: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 19. A Meditation on Form — Amit Varma. 20. Dreamers: How Indians are Changing the World -- Snigdha Poonam. 21. Young India — Episode 83 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Snigdha Poonam). 22. The Loneliness of the Indian Man — Episode 303 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Nikhil Taneja). 23. India Moving — Chinmay Tumbe. 24. India = Migration — Episode 128 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Chinmay Tumbe). 25. The Guilty Pleasures of Digital Dawdling -- Santosh Desai. 26. 30 years on, you can get what you want but don’t know what you need -- Santosh Desai. 27. How traditions give meaning to our lives -- Santosh Desai. 28. The Median Voter Theorem. 29. Mohammad Zubair’s Twitter thread on the Dharam Sansad. 30. Inverting the Behaviour Change Paradigm? -- Santosh Desai. 31. A Life in Indian Politics — Episode 149 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Jayaprakash Narayan). 32. Jayaprakash Narayan Wants to Mend Our Democracy -- Episode 334 of The Seen and the Unseen. 33. India’s Lost Decade — Episode 116 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Puja Mehra). 34. Living Two Lives in Digital India -- Santosh Desai. 35. Kashi Ka Assi — Kashinath Singh. 36. The Experience Machine. 37. Anarchy, State and Utopia — Robert Nozick. 38. Song of Myself — Walt Whitman. 39. Baaba Maal and Advaita on Spotify.. 40. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri Rousseau, Paul Cézanne, Krishen Khanna, Jayasri Burman and Gogi Saroj Pal. 41. Sudhir Kakar, Ashis Nandy, Roland Barthes, Marshall McLuhan, Walter Ong and John Berger on Amazon. 42. Ways of Seeing -- John Berger. Amit Varma and Ajay Shah have launched a new video podcast. Check out Everything is Everything on YouTube. Check out Amit’s online course, The Art of Clear Writing. And subscribe to The India Uncut Newsletter. It’s free! Episode art: ‘He Sees Everything’ by Simahina.
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