"After the revolution, my friend tells his kids: 'Look, don't tell anyone at school that I drink vodka.' Later they got a satellite. Once again, he tells his kids, 'I know we have a satellite, but don't tell anyone at school that we have one.' When his kids are teenagers he discovers that they lie to him all the time, and most of the time he does not have a clue. 'How did you get to be such good liars?' He asks his teenage children. 'You taught us,' they answer.
Millions of parents just like K's friends. Millions of brilliant liars. That's what the revolution has produced.
When you first arrive in Iran, people tell you: "Don't trust your own brother." You don't believe them. How could these people be so frigging cynical? You might ask yourself.
Today some guy told me: "Adapt, don't conform." Iranians, he explained, conform. That's what makes them so frustrated and so depressed. "We have a history of conforming," he tells me. "I adapt. That's why I have managed to maintain my sanity here."
4 comments:
we iranians adapt, we dont conform
Dear ET,
I left a comment for you on your post as of August 26, 2005. It was wonderful! Now I am going to read this post. Thank you.
That's terrible! You should not have to conform nor adapt! Gosh, am I allowed to say that? (lol)
I understand what you mean about the lieing. My father used to do the same thing. I finally told him, "If you don't want me to lie, don't make me lie for you!" Wrong is wrong. It does not matter for whom you do it for or to. Have a great day!
Yea, adapting is a good way to avoid falling into the cold grip of insanity. But it's a good thing; people who adapt to new situations are overall able to experience more, no? I am currently trying to adapt to Tehran because I certainly don't want to conform. Adapting will allow me to accept that many people here are selfish and arrogant, and that they use the government often as excuse for their behavior. Accepting this concept is much easier than analyzing it for hours, while my rage gradually grows into a monstrous wrath. Of course, there are many nonconformists here, but you've really got to look for 'em.
So, ET, this is the first time I've stumbled onto your site, and I was wondering, what made you decide to live here (Iran)? and Where are you originally from?
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