Dear Jey,
You had mentioned why writers of the younger generation show little interest in face-to-face gatherings. Younger writers primarily want to discuss their own writing.
Young writers who possess the mindset to listen to others speak are exceedingly rare. Furthermore, they consistently engage in conversations on Facebook, invariably placing themselves at the center. They experience their fulfillment right there.
Consequently, they have no desire for in-person meetings. There are only a few individuals who serve as exceptions to this mindset. I have heard this observation made many times. They simply cannot sit through a session where they are neither speaking themselves nor being spoken about. I have observed that, even at the Vishnupuram Literary Festival, they tend to leave immediately after they have finished speaking. We ought to reflect upon this mindset, shouldn’t we?
Sampathkumar
Dear Sampath,
That mindset is, indeed, prevalent among the majority of young writers. They possess an intense drive to project themselves and a natural inclination to view everything through a self-centered lens. They pay attention to others solely for the sake of hearing opinions regarding themselves.
However, this very mindset will rapidly cause their growth to stagnate. I, too, once harbored that mindset. It was only by making a fierce, determined effort to break free from it that I eventually succeeded.
Young writers grappling with anxiety and insecurity often exhibit characteristic traits, such as failing to pay attention to others, avoiding spaces where others are speaking, and preferring environments where they are the focal point. These traits tend to dissipate once they have established themselves through their writing and have reached a point where they feel they have achieved something significant.
There are, however, some individuals from whom this sense of alienation never leaves—right to the very end. These are the ones who have achieved nothing or who have realized they can’t. The feelings of inferiority and inadequacy that torment them effectively push them away, preventing them from participating in any public events. They come to perceive themselves as individuals who have ‘no place’ anywhere. They will perceive that the very environment itself is belittling and ostracizing them. It is a hell—a situation where absolutely nothing can be done.
— Jeyamohan
