Thinking Block

A few years back, when I was in secondary school, I used to get bullied a lot — and I don’t mean only mentally. I used to cry a lot. My days were miserable. I didn’t have the courage to fight or even say no. I was dependent on my friends, and they were supportive, but living like that wouldn’t change anything. You are just under someone’s umbrella.  I used to tell my parents, and they filed a complaint to the principal. One day, they called me to look into the matter. I didn’t know yet that my parents had filed a complaint against the bully, but I was happy. I went to the principal’s office — there were the doctor, the principal, and I guess the coordinator sitting there. I was sitting in front of them, and the bully student was sitting beside me. They said, “Your parents complained to us to look into the matter.” I was just sitting there silently. Then they said, out of nowhere, “Look at yourself — you look like a gangster! Your cuffs are folded, your collar button is open, and ...

It’s okay to let it out. You’re safe here — with yourself, your thoughts, and your truth. As a man myself, I understand that society has presented men as someone who must be strong — both physically and mentally. We are seen as people who, when we cry, somehow become weak. And yes, sometimes others might treat us differently when we do. The society made me believe that crying makes you weak. I used to think that too… but now I realize it’s this very mentality that makes you weak.   But I guess crying doesn’t make you weak. It actually helps regulate your emotions — the feelings you’ve buried deep in your heavy heart. Some of us might have never cried in our lives, or maybe we’ve even forgotten how. But I guess… it’s time to let your tears fall in your safe space. And by safe space , I don’t mean another person. I mean yourself . Because you are the only one who has seen your ups and downs. You are the one who understands yourself the most. You are the one who will n...

I was scrolling through Instagram when a video of Moin Akhter appeared. In an interview, he was asked, “Any regrets, Moin?” He replied beautifully: “Life is full of desires and regrets.” Those few words hold so much truth. Human nature is such that we are rarely content. We always want more.  We are incomplete beings — and that’s okay. If we look around, we’ll find so many things we once wished for and now have — and so many we still don’t. Yet, our eyes often stay fixed on what’s missing. Our happiness fades soon after we achieve what we desired, as new wishes quietly take their place. Moin Akhter didn’t call this a bad habit. He called it human nature. And he reminded us to adapt to it. It’s okay to feel down when things don’t go our way. It’s okay to want more. It’s okay to fail sometimes. Life is full of disappointments — and it’s completely okay. Some of us are fighting inner battles. Some of us are trying to be better friends — but nothing seems to change. S...

We were never told how to fight when we were born. We were told to be nice, to do good deeds — and life seemed good. Until one day, we realized something wasn’t right. The Illusion of a Perfectly Nice World Since childhood, some parents are very nice to their kids. However, sometimes they create a very supportive environment — too supportive — and isolate them. You’re not allowed or sent outside to play or talk with other kids. This isolation creates an illusion in your mind: that your parents being nice means the world is nice, because your parents were the only people you interacted with. They were your whole world...  Why Isolation Feels Safe This kind of isolation can be helpful — it protects children from things they shouldn’t see too early, like drugs or violence. But over time, it becomes a dominant trait. The child stops feeling comfortable leaving home — their comfort zone. They are not able to create their boundaries, and it becomes very difficult for them to ...

A Rare Friendship I once had a friend in college. We were so close that I spent time only with him. As an introvert, I rarely made friends myself — usually, others approached me first. But he was different. He was the one person I could be my real self with. I could make lame jokes, say silly things, and he never judged me. I’ve never been that open with anyone, even now. The Ride That Changed Everything One day, we were riding around the city. He was on his motorcycle, and we were heading to my house so he could drop me off. Lost in my thoughts, I randomly asked: “Listen, who’s your best friend?” I wasn’t serious — it just slipped out casually. He named someone else from our class. That moment hit me hard. I was shocked. Brushing off the sudden shattering of feelings with a laugh, I asked: “Not me?” But deep down, it hurt more than I expected. He replied:     “No, like… you don’t go many places, but that guy joins me at the cinema, cafés, fast food spots…” The Silence That Fo...