Blogs

When Sigmund Freud reportedly described America as “a gigantic mistake,” he was not analyzing politics or foreign policies. He was responding to a culture that appeared to him unusually optimistic, pragmatic, self-confident, and resistant to acknowledging tragedy, aggression, and the unconscious conflicts that shape human life. Freud had built his theory on the premise that human beings are...

I was holding discomfort until I saw the photograph of Noam Chomsky with Jeffrey Epstein. It was not shock alone that unsettled me, but a deeper disorientation. Chomsky, of all people. A thinker whose work trained generations to recognise how power manufactures consent, how violence is normalised through ideology, how systems protect themselves through moral fog. And yet here he was—proximate,...

Introduction In a men’s recovery shelter I work at in Delhi, I sat across from a man whose humor was hollow. With a laugh, he told me:  “Rone ka kya faida? Rona kamzoron ki nishani hai… rona hota toh choodi pehente.” When I gently asked him how he copes with tension, he shrugged and said, “Ek quarter maar lo, sab tension door ho jaega.” That laughter masked a deeper ache. These...

Every day on my way to work at a homeless recovery shelter in Delhi, I walk past the same stretch of road under the Kashmere Gate–Shahdara bridge. It’s a place of small routines: men huddled in circles playing cards, a few sharing jokes, others lying flat on worn blankets, faces turned away from the world. Some sit quietly, their expressions heavy — the kind of heavy that comes from carrying...

Introduction: The Invisible Weight of Shame Shame is one of the most powerful yet least spoken-about emotions in men’s lives. Unlike guilt, which is tied to a specific action (“I did something bad”), shame is far more pervasive and internalized (“I am bad”). It is an identity wound that runs deep, shaping how men see themselves, how they relate to others, and how they navigate the world. Shame...

A Statement That Shames the Nation In a recent hearing regarding night shelters, the Supreme Court of India made a statement that has left many shocked and outraged. The court, while discussing the government’s responsibility toward the homeless, remarked that providing them with freebies turns them into ‘parasites.’ This statement, brutal and dehumanizing, reflects an insensitivity that is...

When we look at wars and conflicts throughout history, they often seem like a material phenomenon—powerful nations and their leaders waging war to conquer lands, control natural resources, and establish economic supremacy. The long history of colonization, imperialism, and military invasions appears to be driven by greed, the hunger for money, land, and assets. However, to see war only as a...

The Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, has once again drawn millions of devotees to Prayagraj. With its grandeur comes an influx of videos and clips showcasing the various babas and sadhus who have gathered to seek and share spiritual experiences. However, in the age of social media and an increasingly rationalistic worldview, these figures are facing an...

In today’s fast-paced, hyper-competitive world, our bodies and minds are constantly subjected to the relentless demands of capitalism. The modern age forces our nervous system to navigate a world where rest is seen as laziness, productivity is the sole measure of worth, and scarcity is an ever-present reality. Under such pressures, our mental well-being is compromised, and our relationships...

As a psychologist working in Kota, I am deeply immersed in the lives of students who come to this city, carrying the weight of countless expectations. These young individuals, often between the ages of 15 and 23, leave their families and familiar surroundings to prepare for some of India’s most competitive entrance exams, such as JEE and NEET. While some of their stories are inspiring, they...