TOP 10 HUMAN OBSESSIONS.

I have provided an unbiased summation of each of the ten, as I view them, in the gaze of reason and observation, with a rare sprinkle of relevant statistical data, as a rational element to validate my judgment. Most might possibly wonder if what I have chosen to describe are needs rather than obsessions, but I believe there’s a thin line that differentiates the two. And once you know it exists, it’s not very difficult to see.

The exact order of preference for these is however beyond my nascent mind at the moment, owing partly to my limited experience in my earthly sojourn, and largely due to the reality that any individual’s choices are influenced by their respective environments.

#1. God

It’s probably the oldest inspiration of human evolution, with divinity associated to supreme perfection. Having undergone a myriad modifications in the hypocritical garb of religion, from the most ancient belief based Hinduism origins to the modern rationally structured Islam, the focal pedestal of godhood; common to all, has been tainted. Sadly this one-time healthy primary inspiration for universality of human heart has only with time debased into a reason for war.

For a minor set of statistical details, as of five years back, World Population Percentages by Religious Group stood at - religious 86%, non-religious and anti-religious 14%.With Christians 33%, Muslims 21%, Hindu 13%, Buddhist 6% and minor ethno Religions - Chinese 6.3%, tribal 4%, the rest comprised the Non-religious and agnostic 11.9%, anti-religious and atheist 2.3%. And I wouldn't be too wrong in assuming the figures hold relevent today.

Apart from all this, an infinite collection of literature and art set upon the backdrop of god makes it pretty evident that humanity is obsessed with divinity.

This fact is best captured in a famous quote, ‘Ironically, today, spirituality is a multi-billion dollar industry’. Though as a personal comment, I should admit, this is the only obsession on the list that I’d desire of anyone.

#2. Sex

It’s probably the most popular word that precedes even god, given the curiosity it generates in every maturing mind, from the unnecessary restraint and hushed censoring over its exposure. Human descent is biblically recorded with the most popular episode of the Original Sin - Adam and Eve. And a rumored understanding in some circles that this emotion alone is the return to the lost fabled paradise, has only enhanced its appeal. That the world is in tryst with an explosion in human population is apparently the result of human greed for lust, more popularly referred to as Sex.

Unarguably, sex stands as the absolute expression of indulgence to acquire supreme pleasure amidst all known possible windows to carnal entertainment. In recent times, its extravagant involvement in the popular media of attraction – advertisement, is unmistakable. Combining all the above observations, it’s therefore germane that sex occupies its deserving slot amidst the ten most human obsessions. I wouldn’t be too wrong in even expecting to garner the maximum viewers given this word on my post.

#3. Education

This is probably the trickiest one on the list, bound to raise eyebrows, given the popular perception that education is one of the basic needs of a human. But it acquires its deservedness on this compiled list, primarily from the observation that in the present times, it has crossed the bounds as education being purely a means to knowledge. The degrees awarded and the juxtaposed alphabets decorating the name are more important these days, overlooking the individual’s passion for anything else that makes him unique.

Education is certainly important, but not more than life. It is not worth being the costliest business of today, driving parents to poverty and rocketing loans. It certainly shouldn’t be a reason to stress a young mind, forcing him to take death as the only option to failure in a simple secondary school exam. There are more than ample examples of school and college dropouts who are regarded as the brilliant men of our century. To name a few, Sachin Tendulkar, Bill Gates, Einstein, Steve Jobs etc…

#4. Money

If there is one item on my menu that will receive an uninhibited approval, it has to be money. From the time one is born till he dies, every mind is in quest of only one thing – money. From dawn to dusk, and to some, even in dreams, while asleep, the human mind is preoccupied with the ideas of making more and more money.

That money is the only bridge to acquiring anything in life, has made it an inseparable pursuit of human thought. Every single action is viewed only through the idea of making the most money from the transaction. That even the divine hasn’t been spared in the process goes to show the pitiable state of human obsession for money.

#5. Time waste

There’s only one thing certain to every person alive - death, which means we all have a limited time alive. Yet, despite being aware of this fact, one of our favorite obsessions is wasting time. We have a million actions for choice of indulgence in the name of recreation that include social networking sites.

Though a minor difference of attitude and smartness is all that converts recreation to education, it is unfortunately a domain restricted to the wise.

There is an ignoble pattern amidst the common man, who lives every moment with a lackadaisical attitude and yet broods every single time when faced with the corresponding consequential reality of failure. There was, is and will be one secret to success – the proper utilization of time.