I’ve been a loner since the pandemic. Everyone I used to call friends drifted away, and now I can’t even think of someone I could truly call a friend or someone who’d even take me to the hospital if I got into an accident.
I feel really tense about it. Certain experiences in school pushed me into becoming introverted, but I want to open up again and be more free and social.
Ever since childhood, I have felt a deep connection to English and British values, as if they were an intrinsic part of me. I deeply admire English manners, etiquette, politeness, and compassion. The calmness in the culture of saying “please,” “thank you,” and treating others with courtesy, regardless of status, has always deeply inspired me. Historical aristocracy and the traditions of nobility, honour, formal conduct, refined speech, old estates, academic excellence, and the deep respect for heritage and institutions.
My natural preferences from food to clothing have always leaned toward "English". I walk, talk, eat and sleep in English. People around me have often criticised me for adopting what they call “outsider values” or for not being patriotic enough. However, I never believed in pretending to embrace values that did not feel natural to me.
Although I come from a Commonwealth nation and the English left nearly a century ago, with little trace of them, I still feel a strong and natural connection to Britain, almost as if I belonged there in another life. I may not have a natural British accent, but I am actively learning and improving it. I watch British shows like downtown abbey, Outlander, peaky blinders etc to understand "Brits culture".
One of my greatest aspirations is not only to study in England, but also to truly experience Great Britain in its traditions, academic culture, countryside, literature, architecture, history, and way of life. So, I would love your opinion on how to fulfil my wish .
Guys I'm going to give the Delf A1 examination next month.
I'm just curious and tensed of how difficult it might be to pass with decent marks. I've been learning french since last 3 months but I've been pretty not serious. I sometimes get lost in translation or mispel things. I practice from a "Le DELF 100% réussite A1" pdf. I haven't even completed half of the exercise. Could you please guide me with your experiences. Also is youtube videos for A1 practice exam enough.
I’m a progressive Indian who believes strongly in interfaith harmony. My personal experiences with Muslim friends have been positive and they've never faced any discrimination due to their religious identity(Sadly it's not same for everyone). I'm against any form of discrimination on basis of religion.
From my experience growing up, I’ve observed something: it seems very difficult to be 100% strictly religious (“mazhabi” or “dharmic”) and still fully adapt to a pluralistic society. For example, when people try to promote interfaith harmony, it often requires stepping beyond certain rigid traditions. We can’t always say “Mera mazhab iski ijazat nahi deta main ye nahi karunga voh nahi karunga. To me, harmony isn’t just about tolerance. It’s about mutual respect, open dialogue, and actually engaging with each other. A truly pluralistic society requires people to mix, talk, and understand one another.
But I’ve also noticed that when public figures/leaders or even ordinary people try to bridge gaps as they should. It may require visiting their.religious places or appreciating one another. But, they often get labeled negatively by their own community (terms like “kafi*,” “munafi*,” “adharmi,”, "Mleec*" etc.). These reactions can discourage others and create the impression that communities are closed-minded or unwilling to coexist.
Our founding leaders were quite progressive, but many of them came from relatively elite backgrounds where such rigid divides weren’t as deeply ingrained. So I wonder,.Are everyday people today ready to move beyond this rigidity?
Is it possible for us as a society to say:
"Maybe you’re not 100% strictly religious but you’re a good human being and that’s enough?"
Or am I overthinking this, and it’s simply a matter of accepting that both good and bad exist in every community and leave as it is.
I’d especially like to hear perspectives from my Indian Muslim brother on this.
(other Nationalities lurking stay away!)
Guys, it’s been 6 days since the last date for fee submission for my NLU, and I still haven’t received any update regarding offline verification. I paid the fee and emailed them about a month ago, but I haven’t received any response. They also haven't sent a follow-up email confirming that my fee has been paid. I’m starting to feel really tense about this. What should I do?
I’ve known about Advaita Vedanta for a while but never really studied it properly. Now I want to approach it in a more systematic and serious way instead of just surface-level understanding.
I resonate with the core idea that there is only one ultimate reality Brahman but I still have confusion around concepts like Brahman and Parabrahma.
Also, if it's appropriate to call myself Advait Vedanti rather than Hindu/Sanatani? I have a theological doubt about these terms.
Also, Is it appropriate to call myself as “Advaita Vedanti" instead of using broader terms like “Hindu” or “Sanatani”? Those terms feel very broad to me, and I have some theological doubts since I’m not sure how there's no mention of them in original scriptures.
I’ve also noticed Holy sages didn’t explicitly label themselves as Param “Hindu”/Sanatani in the way we use the term today. Hence, I feel more comfortable identifying with a specific philosophical school like Advaita Vedanta.