WADD

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The discussion around in the media is all about democracy and dissent. How much dissent is allowable in a democracy and what should the dissent look like. What is acceptable dissent and unacceptable dissent. And if dissent happens, how should the main stream groups, and the governance structures respond.

As we were growing up, we were brought up with this principle “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” A current translation of the same reads like this “Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody.” The teaching then was “WAAA”….Learn to be WAAA people. People Who Agree to Agree Agreeably. This was reasonably easy in a mono cultural, mono religious traditional family where we were brought up. And one really did not have any other choice. You were expected to agree and keep quiet about it. And not even show much discomfort, even if you felt uncomfortable. And so life went on in the WAAA mode.

Till we reached teen years and moved to a university set up with multicultural, pluralistic, multi religious context. This became more complex as we moved out from our own state to other states. And we were faced with disagreements every other day, on everything possible. May it be food, disciplines, religious practices, philosophy of life etc. And we were told, move from WAAA to WADA. Live as people Who Agree to Disagree Agreeably. And this was what has been taught and practised over last many years. See the “beauty in everyone” and “Live at peace with everyone” with a rider – “if you have got it in you” or as far as it depends on you. But there were many times it was not depended on us. Then we were told to hold on to two other principles.

The principle of “And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” Or in other words “Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them!” The second one being “but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Or in other words “Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.” This was the WAOU principle. We Accept each Other Unconditionally. Accepting with the differences in perspectives, but respecting each other for who each person is…

But today, we see daily examples of another paradigm – We Agree to Disagree Disagreeably. WADD….This disagreement could range on one side of the spectrum from maligning, to violence on the other side. No disagreement seems to be acceptable, or agreeable. Either you agree or face the consequences! And the consequences could be drastic, if the other person or group thinks, it is not agreeable to them.

How do you recapture the WAAA/WADA/WAOU in the midst of the WADDs….

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