MEMO FROM NARA

Exaggeration (Ex-ag-gera-tion) is a twelve-letter English word used everyday by all of us. Overstating is the meaning of this word. Some of us are very good in exaggerating a small incident into a big affair. Most of the media people, journalists, novelists and cartoonists are experts in exaggeration because their audience likes exaggeration. Providing simple bulleted facts are good for some, but many of us want a bigger picture with background and all. In order to feed the mass, all these people add more masala to taste better.

Cinema and TV serials are good examples of exaggeration. In a cinema or serial, unnatural issues are exaggerated for minutes together to impress the viewers. A stunt lasts for 15 to 20 minutes sometimes; the hero always thrashes dozens of gundas. The mother-in-law troubles the daughter-in-law beyond our imagination and such exaggerations bring tears in the eyes of women and some men viewers too. Such exaggerations in fact, affect the mind-set of people who are weak in thinking. All of us know that in our families small bickering may occur day in and day out. Instead of forgetting simple things, people start exaggerating it and talk more about it to many others and make it as a big issue. If you really look into the matter it may not be a serious issue at all. In fact, the exaggerators make the simple issues into a complicated matter involving connected and non-connected people in the family. So such exaggerations bring hatred among family members. It sometimes leads to quarrel, infighting, misunderstanding and unpeacefulness. It should be the duty of everyone to put down such silly things and try to keep the harmony of people like friends and relatives.

People who give lectures from stages invariably exaggerate facts – either true or false. Sometimes praising people beyond a limit is another sort of exaggeration. One can easily understand the exaggerated version of speech or write-up. If the exaggeration is not affecting the original fact, then one can tolerate; but if it is not then the exaggeration is meaningless. Friends usually tell us about an incident that might have happened in his/her locality. For example, a street fight or a road accident. These incidents can be explained briefly and put a full stop. Instead of that we generally hear an introduction, detailed version of the fight or accident, the people involved in it, their background – age, gender, caste, religion, mother tongue, education, job etc. and finally his/her own opinion about the incident. It takes time to complete the exaggerated story about which we may not be interested. Since they are our friends, we should not dissatisfy them by not lending our ears to their exaggerated stories.

Sometimes we do hear the exaggerated version of illness or health hazards. Invariably such overstatements contain certain per cent of distortion of facts. Also difficulties one encounter is being exaggerated. One’s own importance is also exaggerated to get a better social status. All these aspects of exaggeration have evolved in human beings. Some use it judiciously and some others non-judiciously. Where do you stand?