There is a consensus that many of the human challenges could be addressed constructively if only we would have the resolve and the commitment to think outside the box and to seek the third path, which is neither here nor there. Conceptually, this process of thinking outside the box seems relatively easy and possible; a middle path to be more precise. And yet, every human society struggles with this great necessity of our times that assures options and possibilities of changing the world; and essentially the conditions of our existence.
The world has tried everything possible to enable that prophetic change, but the change we envision still eludes our grasp. Perhaps the answer to change lies in our own ability to think outside the box. Is it therefore surprising that leaders around the world are now calling for a paradigm shift based on the notion of thinking outside the box? Maybe, at long last they have come to realize that the current thought processes only reinforces the status quo, and does not allow the seeds of real transformation to take place.
The process of thinking outside the box however is not mechanical nor is it a linear line; and because it demands getting out of our comfort zones, it probably is the most challenging aspect of change. It implies changing our lens on how we perceive issues, a change in our attitude towards the world around us; and not just understanding what is in front of our eyes, but more importantly, understanding what is in front of the other person’s eyes.
Indeed, we are demanded to look at things different, not just from our own perspective and not just from our own positions and interests. At times, it even implies unlearning the things that we have been taught all this while; and it could even demand accepting what was perhaps unacceptable at one point of time. Thinking outside the box really does mean looking at the old things in a new way; and going the third way implies following a path which may never have been traveled before. This new paradigm demands taking measured risk.
In a world that is fast becoming more conscious of its own diversities and the need for the richness of its human cultures to be manifested, it is becoming more apparent that one culture just cannot arbitrarily impose itself upon another culture. It is in the clash of cultures that perhaps brings to light two key essentials for the future survival of human existence: that there is always a third way no matter how less traveled it has been; and the necessity to think outside the box. And though conceptually, on an objective and impersonal level one can well see the positive possibilities that will emerge by utilizing these two approaches, it is equally a matter of truth that they are the most difficult things to implement at a personal and subjective level.
These internal contradictions best captures the predicament of human existence; and they bring to the forefront the dilemma of human behavior. While on one hand there is the unexplored wealth of possibilities for real transformation to take place by adopting a third way and thinking outside the box, on the other hand, we still stick to our own positions and perceptions, and keep relying on an approach that we know has failed time and time again. This is the extent to which human societies have become insular and dogmatic. The irony is not lost, for while it seeks change on one hand; on the other, it is not open to new ideas and thoughts. The end result therefore is perpetual status quo.
Nagas too must begin thinking outside the box and explore the third way. How long will we continue following the old ways, how long will we cling on to our comfort zones, even when we are aware that they are limited in itself. Perhaps we must begin by unlearning what we think we know and start approaching the world around us in a new and constructive manner. This new paradigm is only for the strong and the determined. Question is, are the Nagas strong enough to seek new ways to old problems?
