Live for Yourself?

 

I am now watching a popular Israeli TV drama 'Shtisel'. It centers around an ultra orthodox Jewish family and revolves around each individual member's struggle to conform to rigid religious and cultural norms. It has universal themes about loss, love, the dilemma between individual freedom and adherence to tradition; and personal growth versus pro family priorities.

In one episode the grandson brought a dog to the patriarch's house. He was kicked out of school for rescuing a puppy and bringing it to school. I did a google search which says many orthodox Jews frown upon keeping dogs as pets as they are deemed to be unclean. It also says that their culture views keeping dogs as a distraction from having more children (though this needs some fact checking).

Meanwhile there is breaking news about China's population falling for the first time since 1961. Another report shows East Asia's worrying low fertility rate, South Korea 1.1, Japan 1.4 and China 1.7 (Singapore 1.2). 

Reflecting on the pro family emphasis and misogynistic tendencies in the Jewish Orthodox culture or even in other religious tribes that encourage early marriage and big families, I begin to think that these cultures may be quite far sighted or visionary in that they could foresee the secular and liberal forces that threaten human procreation.

However, the dilemma and agony portrayed by some characters in the Shtisel story reminds me that individual growth and freedom is also paramount for personal fulfilment and happiness. Sometimes I relate to their experience when I feel weary of all responsibilities and dream of living alone in a faraway place, spending time being myself or trying to discover myself. Yet I cannot deny I also derive joy from being part of a family or community.

Like in everything, I guess a balance needs to be struck between individuality and community. I see no happy ending to a society that embraces a 'Live for yourself' attitude, neither is there one for a society that lives by rigid laws and practices that stifles the 'self'.