MAN IS A SOCIAL ANIMAL

30^th May 2020

When I was in class 5, my English teacher asked me to repeat the lines from the text I had memorized. I went blank but tried to recall the text. The first line read—Man is a social animal. I said that. Said it again. Then went blank again. He made me stand up on the bench as a punishment. I obeyed. Several other students were asked too. Some replied but some could not. Those who could not followed the punishment as I did. After sometime, the teacher made me sit down as I had said something. He said, “You said the first line; you tried; sit down.” I was glad that I had remembered that line and could get back to my seat. I don’t exactly recall what happened to those who were standing like me.

Now I realise that it was such an important line. Maybe I had realized then too, through my childish mind that man had some connection to a society and hence social. Man had been, was (when I was in class 5), and is still a social animal. Yes, we are animals but a social one.  Society is an inseparable part of us. It has played a big role in grooming us, in making us what we are today.

At present, the lockdown has made people somewhat disconnected with the society. We are scared to be close to another person. We have become depressed and anxious. Despite the media and technology playing a major role in helping people forget about the vulnerability and uncertainties of life due to the virus, people are not able to completely overcome this issue. Moreover, there are many people in the world without access to these tools the way we have.

It is the nature of human beings to remain together, to talk, to go out and work; be busy and enjoy life by doing many activities; to touch, to feel, to express. For more than two months, we have refrained ourselves from many of these things and have seen the world by remaining inside our houses. But how long will a human being survive this repression?

These months have made us realise many things which we had never before. Finding value in family bonds, analyzing ourselves and working towards our improvement, utilizing our hobbies (some of us have almost forgotten that we used to have hobbies) are some of the positive aspects that the confinement has given us.

However, isn’t it high time now to return back to our realness? To feel the society as it is; to know that we are not alone, that there are people who care for us and support; to touch, to hug, to feel strong? Isn’t it time to think about our emotional and mental health?

Let’s stay strong and healthy. Let’s do what we need to do and not do what we need not. Let’s follow nature and remain natural. Being natural means doing the right things. This is the key to being healthy. Let this confinement be over. As it is in the very nature of man to be in a society, man was, is and always shall remain a social animal.