Why Do Indians Have Such a Short Fuse?
Ever wondered why Indians, including myself, seem to have such a short fuse? Buckle up! Let’s take a whirlwind tour of a typical day in India, where every waking moment feels like a plot twist from a reality show no one signed up for.
Think of your temper as mercury in a thermometer. In other countries, your day might start at a calm 97°F. But in India? You wake up already at 102°F, and by the time you’ve had your first sip of chai, you’re teetering at 104°F — just one stray dog chase or traffic jam away from a full-blown explosion.
The Culprit: Irritant Overload
Picture this: your day kicks off with the domestic help pulling a disappearing act. If they do show up, you’re dealing with petty thefts, your neighbor blocking your driveway, and stray dogs chasing you on your morning jog — all before you’ve even left for work!
Then comes the commute, which feels like a video game designed to test your patience. You dodge stray animals on the highway, swerve around bikers reenacting scenes from Khatron Ke Khiladi, and avoid cars, autos, and bicycles! coming from every direction. Then you have ‘unannounced’ road closures & potholes! Every red light feels like an eternity, & every pedestrian is another obstacle in your path.
And let’s not forget the beggars — masters of guilt trips with sales pitches that would put seasoned marketers to shame. If you give them a change, they will ask for more and will keep banging on the windows. And just when you think you’ve made it through, a traffic cop pulls you over for “jumping” a green signal because, hey, everyone’s gotta make a living.
Public transport isn’t much better. In the metro, forget about common courtesies like letting pregnant women or the elderly board first. It’s a free-for-all, with people clambering over each other as if it’s a race. Then there are the app-based cabs, where drivers seem to despise their own cars as much as they do common courtesy.
And if it rains? You’re doomed. Roads transform into rivers, school buses vanish, and every driver suddenly thinks they’re in a bumper car derby. The slightest drizzle brings entire cities to their knees because who needs functioning drainage systems?
By the time you reach the office, you’re already at a 9 out of 10 on the meltdown scale. The irritants have piled up, and even though work should offer some relief, it doesn’t. You’ve got real issues to deal with, but vendors try to pull fast ones, you’re bombarded with fake telesales calls, and delivery delays come with ridiculous excuses. Local ‘compliance’ officers are just looking to fix everything with the same ‘solution’.
Amid all this chaos, when a colleague innocently asks to work from home? Boom — you’re at an 11. The printer runs out of paper? Prepare for a mini-apocalypse. It’s not just a paper jam — it’s a metaphor for life in India.
Meanwhile, in the Land of Calm…
Now, contrast this with life abroad. You wake up to birds chirping, neighbours who smile (without blocking your driveway), and your biggest stress is deciding whether to have an oat milk latte or a flat white. The commute? A breeze. Public transport runs on time, people let the elderly and pregnant women board first, and traffic moves aside for ambulances. Everything operates in a well-orchestrated symphony.
By the time you reach the office, your stress level is a breezy 2 out of 10. In India, these same situations would have us drafting resignation letters, smoke practically coming out of our ears.
Practical Steps to Reduce Frustration and Improve Behavior in India
Having observed how people abroad manage irritability, I’ve realized that it’s often reduced by better systems and behaviour. While there are irritants everywhere, they’re handled with more patience. Here are a few practical steps that can help reduce flare-ups in India:
- Delegate and Simplify: At home, delegate tasks and avoid micromanaging. Simplify routines like meal times and set clear household rules to reduce stress. Have an EA or someone from the Founder’s Office help plan your day better at work.
- Outsource Driving: If possible, hire a driver to avoid traffic stress. If not, plan travel during non-peak hours. With ride-sharing apps, opt for higher service levels for cleaner and more reliable rides.
- Optimize Comfort wherever possible: Pay extra for priority services like check-ins and accommodations with good reviews when travelling for work or leisure. This minimizes unexpected hassles. If available, stay in gated & managed societies/skyscrapers (many irritants go away).
- Manage Meetings Efficiently: Limit the number of meetings per day to avoid burnout. Arrive 15 minutes early, and add a buffer to travel times beyond what Google Maps suggests.
- Start the Day Early: Reach the office before peak traffic. It reduces stress and sets a positive tone for the day.
- Pause Before Reacting: When dealing with colleagues, take a moment before reacting. You never know what kind of day they’ve had. A thoughtful, “I hope everything is okay?” can go a long way.
- End your day with ‘Gratitude’ – ‘Good Thing of the Day’, despite everything – each day something good happens, by training your mind to capture it on paper – you calm it down. Everyday – look for good things that happened, if not more – atleast write one good thing of the day, daily ! For those who meditate, start the day with it and end with gratitude note :)
Implementing these strategies can help manage irritants and foster a more harmonious environment, both at home and in public spaces.
A Beautiful, Chaotic Symphony
In conclusion, India is beautiful — a wild, unpredictable, chaotic symphony that keeps us on our toes. We love it, but let’s be honest: living here is like competing in a never-ending obstacle course where the rules change daily, and the prize is just making it through the day without losing your sanity.
So, if we seem a little on edge, know that by the time we’ve met you, we’ve survived more irritants in a day than you probably will in a month. It’s not us; it’s the mercury. And maybe, just maybe, it’s part of India’s unique charm, working its magic (or mischief) on us!
