Painful truth about the rat race

Once a wise person said, "The problem with the Rat Race is that even if you win, you are still a rat." Rat race is a pain for today's lifestyle. It is usually defined as 'a way of life in which people are caught up in a fiercely competitive struggle for wealth and/or power'.

I found the proverbial term 'rat race' more applicable in urban culture and in well-off societies. It is an endless chase – often quite tiring; mainly to have more financial gains or possessions. However, these gains never feel satisfactory enough and eventually invites unhappiness full of unseen stress and unnoticed jealousy. Eventually it changes one's psychological behaviour and social well-being. It targets our mindset and activity especially from adolescence.

WHO says that an estimate of 10%-20% of adolescents experienced mental health conditions, yet these remain undertreated. Our mental health Is getting worse with the 'rat race'. Although wellbeing has now become one's ultimate goal; but, we are running and running; do not know where to stop? We do not know what is enough?  We are overusing our brain capacity at the cost of mental illness. But who cares? We are just rats. Our unawareness and cold-heartedness play a vital role in promoting illnesses to get worse in addition to common factors of mental health like anxiety, depression to sleepless-nights problems. Some have even major drawbacks that can cause self-harm and threat to life.

Although some of us with 'strong minds' think of themselves as very much 'independent', but beneath our awareness, our brain is constantly picking up on signs and signals from the people around us to inform our behaviour. And the consequences can be serious. Our health and wellbeing choices are constantly influenced by our companions, both consciously or unconsciously.

E-mail: rubaiulmurshed@shomman.org