by Debdoot Mukherjee
There is no denying the fact that confusion has taken the shape of our daily companion in our lives. Everybody is confused to some extent or the other. People who say that they are totally devoid of confusion aren’t speaking entirely with veracity. A confused person, though one may think the person to be lower in keeping up with the nerve of normalcy actually possesses the normal strain of uncertainty that acts as an inseparable part of human lives in today’s complex world. So the question arises — Are we confused or are we thinking too deeply to beget the exactness of thought at moments of significance?
The Cambridge Dictionary defines confusion as ‘a situation in which people do not understand what is happening, what they should do or who someone or something is.’ It further defines ‘Confusion’ as ‘a lack of understanding or a state of disorder.’ Now if these definitions are taken into account, the keywords that crop up are the following — situation, understanding, lack, and disorder.
The very first word that is noted is ‘situation’. It will be accepted by all and sundry that situations are not in control of human beings. Some invisible forces (maybe time and space) control them and they control moments of human lives which as we know come once in a lifetime. These situations demand varying levels of understanding from the person to whom they approach. Here the personality of individuals comes into play; they may understand the situation in its own way and try to attend to it thereby satisfying it. But the problem of confusion arises when a person isn’t able to decide on the points that would satisfy the situation at that moment. Therefore decision-making has become a very significant indicator in comprehending the personality of a person. Generally speaking, a confused soul is such a soul who searches for the truth that would satisfy the demands of a situation in the best possible way,
When the paucity of understanding hits the decision-making factor in one’s personality, confusion arises. It first starts to spearhead that faculty of the human mind that questions any given situation that comes on its way. However, this time it lacks in answers for it lacks in totally understanding the length, breadth, and height of the situation and therefore stares blank at the situation which waits to be satisfied. This lack of comprehending the situation brings forth a state of numbness and inactivity of the mind, which in turn starts behaving like a child who has not been bought the favorite toy. In other words, it starts throwing tantrums at any object that comes on its way. This state of disorder is the starting point of confused musings in any thinking soul.
The question that arises hence is regarding the solution to such bouts of confusion that at times may lead to further psychological problems. Talking to one’s own self regarding the situation that demands attention can be one way to find a way out. Sharing the thought with a person who understands the situation in the way in which it affects the sharer can really beget good results. Contemplation, meditation, and gaining knowledge to challenge and put up with the moment of crisis may also be other ways out.
Robert Frost in his poem ‘The Road not Taken’ writes —
‘Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,/ And sorry I could not travel both
The state of confusion can be such a situation where an able decision can create a difference, a state of next-level understanding bearing a better fruit. After all, every moment of crisis has seeds of creation.
About the Author
Debdoot Mukherjee teaches English Literature in the Department of English, Bhangar Mahavidyalaya, University of Calcutta. He is also the Visiting Expert in English in the Deptt. of Law, University of Calcutta, Visiting Expert in Inter-personal Skills at Gurukul Edutech, WB ( teaching hub of TISS and SKDU) and a Counsellor at NSOU, Kolkata. A poet, writer and researcher, he keeps on writing on various platforms aiming at wider feedback.