Men and Women Merely Players

These lines occur in Shakespeare's drama As you like it. the idea seems familiar to the people of India, for our saints and sages, too compared this world to a stage. Some have compared human life to a dream and called the whole creation an illusion. It offers a simple interpretation of life. It consoles those who have suffered great misfortunes and calamities for no fault of their own. It says that this vast world is just like the stage of a drama and all human beings are like actors. Human life is compared to the role of an actor in the drama. All men and women are born in this world to play a predetermined role during their lives, before leaving the world.

The parts that men have to play on the stage of this world are varied colorful and changing. When born as infants all of us are looked after and cared for by the mother or a nurse. A little later we grow into school going children and perform our role in that capacity. in adolescence we play the role of a lover. in the youth of life we act like soldiers, jealously guarding our honour and earning reputation. Then in declining youth and in old age we become unable to play the role of bravery. During this period our limbs and senses grow weak and we lose interest in worldly things. In this way, each of us plays many parts on the stage of this world.

The expression all the world is a stage means that the world is like a stage, where all of us are like actors. The changes that occur in this world are likely the scenes that change on the stage. The world stage is as colourful as our lives. The stage belongs to the actors, only so long as they play their part on the stage. In the same manner this world belongs to us, only so long as we are alive and perform our roles. The world is impersonal like the stage. As the setting on the stage changes according to the requirement of the role to be enacted thereon, situations in the world go on changing to suit the roles we are made to play. Actors may come and actors may go, but the stage goes on for ever. This is the relation of man to the world.

Time and Tide Wait For No Man

This is a very simple, clear and self explanatory proverb. it means that time and tide do no not wait for nay body. Time goes on passing without caring for anybody and anything. Similarly tides occur, they have no regard or consideration for anybody. time symbolize valuable opportunity. They occur without any notice. The essence of the proverb is that opportunities do not wait for anyone. No one can command or foretell their occurrence or recurrence. one should be alert and cautious because they occur without any notice. They are generally short-lived and pass quickly. No one can say whether or when they would come again. So, one should be fully prepared to make the best use of an opportunity as and when it presents itself. 

Time and tide are natural phenomena. Like other agents of nature, they too have no consideration and regard for any individual. Man cannot change their course. They are beyond the control of human hands. Man finds himself helpless before them. In ancient times there were no steamships. There were huge boats equipped with sails. They were called ships. Their launching in the sea was a difficult affair, which depended on the tide. The sailors had to wait for weeks and sometimes for moths, because their ships could not sail without the help of a tide, As soon as the tide came, they sailed their ships away with it. If they missed the chance, they had to wait for the next tide about which there could be no certainty. A tide never waits for any sailor. It is for the sailors to wait and take advantage of the tide when it comes. If they fail they suffer.

this proverb is a lesson to all of us. It lays emphasis on the desirability of our preparedness to make the best use of an opportunity that presents itself to us. we should, therefore, remain vigilant, because even the slightest carelessness on our part may result in missing a great opportunity in life resulting in colossal loss. It also implies that opportunities are rare. No one can create them. They come of their own. Those who are ready, are able to take advantage of them, but lazy people let them slip.

Laugh and the world laughs with you: Weep and you Weep alone

This saying is based on the long and mature experience of the ways of the world. It points out to the social relationship in this materialistic world, where people conduct themselves in a manner that exposes their true nature. Human life is a mixture of success and failure, and happiness and sorrow, which we have to face. It is a stark reality of life. These ups and downs of life provide valuable opportunities to know what is what. In this axiom the word laugh refers to happiness and joy, while the word weep refers to sorrow and grief. Happiness and sorrow occur in everybody's life. Their impact on human beings is universal. Happiness manifests itself in laughing, singing and dancing etc. While grief makes one weep cry and moan.

In this era of internationalism people talk of high idealism. It is said that the poverty of one nation in the world is matter of great concern to all other nations. It is also sermonized that human grief in any part of the globe must be shared equally by the rest of the world. Such assertions have become fashionable slogans for great world leaders, politicians and thinkers. These appear to be only for the consumption of other, because they suffer from a basic contradiction as witnessed in human character all over the world.

This saying means that everybody shares you happiness, but nobody would share your grief. It is easy and rather pleasant to associate with and join those, who are laughing, eating and dancing. Happiness and laughter are usually associated with celebration of auspicious ceremonies and remarkable achievements. These celebrations mark a sort of collective social festivity, in which, if not all, most of your acquaintances participate with great enthusiasm. The guest participants are generally not required to spend anything for their rejoicing. If you have enough resources you can practically invite the whole world to laugh and make merry with you. Human nature is such that it is in constant search of occasions to amuse itself. It likes amusement. That is why it is said, 'laugh' the world laughs with you'. It means that you can find any number of people to give you company in your happiness and enjoyment.

Man is Born Free But Every Where He is in Chains

Freedom is the birth right of man. life is reduced to a meaningless drift towards an end if man does not enjoy freedom. Freedom of speech helps in the development of the personality of man, his ideologies are trimmed into a shape, his ideas have a better flowering. Till a person speaks out his mind his thinking remains choked; appreciation of his points of view encourages him to think whereas opposition sharpens intellect and consolidates correct thinking.

Community life demands an exchange of views or sharing of grief- "Where people sit and hear each other's groan"-and joys. If society is to adopt a democratic set up, every one should be allowed to express one's point of view. Similarly freedom to act, move and associate give not only psychological satisfaction by satisfying his personal ego but also a sense of individuality.

Man is Born Free But Every Where He is in Chains Part 2

How can we say that governments can guard the freedom of the individuals? The minds of the people are stuffed with the views of the party in power; Marx correctly said that the prevailing ideas are the ideas of the ruling class. When a particular philosophy is hammered into the brains, it becomes convenient for the people to adopt it an suspend their original thinking. 

Distorted news, suppressed facts and prejudice opinions leave no scope, for the people at large, to utilise Their own power to think. Is it possible to enjoy freedom of speech when we do not have conditions which may permit its proper exercise? Otherwise also, we cannot come to a final point of view till all the facts, in their stark nakedness, are not available to us.

Man is Born Free But Every Where He is in Chains Part 3

This is does not mean that society remains static and the social values and are changes, but so slow and imperceptible that they weave themselves into a pattern of life and thinking. A revolutionary social change leaves a trail of anti-revolutionary forces; after the French revolution anti-democratic forces became too strong to be subdued. 

So it is a natural tendency of man to adopt the beaten path and respect the time-honoured ways. These are the chains whose bite we do not fell but they do pin us down whenever we try to break them.In the world of materialism material wealth is not only the determinant of social status but also the means to survive. Every one is out to adjust his scarce means with unlimited demands. Otherwise also it may be a struggle for supremacy or a struggle for survival it remains a struggle.

Man is Born Free But Every Where He is in Chains Part 4

Hardy, the 19th century novelist of England, held that man's hopes are perpetually
frustrated and his ambitions are continually cheated; man discovers no purpose in life because some impersonal forces are doggedly working against the interests of man. It assumes a tangible shape of fate when it interferes with the working of man's life. 

Hardy gives greater credit to one of the agencies of fate that is chance in destroying the happiness of human being. When the wheels of fortune work, according to their own laws and own scheme, how can man remain free? whatever man proposes God in His turn disposes. So the activities and achievements of man are limited by inexorable fate.

Women's Place in Islamic Society

Ours is an Islamic society and Islam has given a very high place to women in the society. Islam gave them honourable and respectable status. Now they have more freedom. They can take active part in every sphere life. Chances are provided to them to make progress and serve the country like me.

In the past, woman were considered inferior to men. They were deprived of taking part in social life. Their sphere of activities was limited to domestic work. Upon the 19th century, it was believed that women were now allowed to take part in political and social life and once Rousseau, said "The dignity of woman consists in being unknown to world her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasure, the happiness of her family." But time created new situations and the old outlook underwent a change.