Customary morality cannot be a guide to modern life Namisha Ojha UPSC Preparation Thu, Feb 24, 2022, at ,09:26 AM Modern life relates to the present life or the present age in which we are living. It consists of contemporary styles of art, literature, music, etc. It is also known as an age where people become more sensible and experimental and start rejecting traditionally accepted or sanctioned norms.In modern times, there is a shift in thoughts, ideas, and perceptions among people, not only in India but globally. This shift was caused by the uprising of westernisation and urbanisation in the global era. Needless to say, this has had a significant impact on both the micro and macro levels of society's lifestyle, customs, traditions, and behavioural patterns. During the process of socialization, a person imbibes their customs as well as recent trends as his morals, which help him to interact with other people.To examine the question, "What is morality?" Morals refer to a person's behaviour in response to their circumstances and other people. Without morality, no civilization can exist, and no morality can stand for long unless it is built on the foundation of truth. Morals are taught to us by our mentors and parents. We feel safe following the moral principles of others around us in order to be at ease and accepted in our society. However, it’s disappointing that the concept of morals merely became a score subject in academics and never became a part and parcel of a student’s life. Morals come up with the experiences and life lessons learnt when moving forward in life. We are taught that happiness comes from loving and caring for each other. But today, this thought has somewhat taken on a different dimension. People nowadays think that happiness comes only from money and that everything else is just an illusion.Contemporary life demands change. A change is necessary for living. Gail Sheehy, an American author, once said, "If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living. " In the greatest of all epics, the Mahabharata, too, traditions were compared with mango fruit. As and when a mango fruit in its initial stage is sour, only a few people accept it. After some time, it becomes sweet and favourite of all. But with time, it becomes rotten and smells bad, and if we eat it now, we will fall ill. So are traditions. If ancient morals and customs start exploiting people and become a cause of suffering, the customary morals should be buried down and give way to new morals. "Time" plays a crucial role in this process.Customary morality is something we derive from our ancestors, and it is passed down through generations and generations. Those are the moral systems that is based on traditions and customs. They are mostly derived from religious texts and dictate everything from what we should wear to what we should eat. Customary morality is a rigid system that refuses to change with modern times. This can sometimes lead to conflicting thoughts in modern times. As Albert Einstein said, "The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking." This implies that customs and traditions need to change even if they refuse to change. Otherwise, it will become a hindrance to the development of the country as a whole. The modern world is, without a doubt, more accommodating and inclusive than it has ever been. Also, as discussed above, if morals and customs become a cause of suffering, such as in the case of triple talaq in Muslims and also sati-pratha in Hindus, they become the reason for the exploitation of women on a large scale. This was the customary morality of the respective religion, but it does not imply that this should be followed today. In many instances, the government and the supreme court have upheld the need to shift from old traditions to modified ones, which is a good step forward. Take, for example, the case of the LGBTQ+ community, who were deprived of their own lives and were considered a burden by society. With the advent of modern life, this thinking soon became to change and today they are classified as a third gender, which implies they have been given a status in society. This would not be possible if the strict customary practises were still in place.However, everything discussed above does not mean that our customs and morals should be done away with. Various great sayings and thoughts that help us socialise within our society come from our customs and traditions. Let us take the example of Namaskaram. We greet people by joining our hands with a bow on our heads, accompanied by a beautiful smile on our faces. This is our customary practice. Other illustrations can be respecting our elders, taking their blessings by touching feet, welcoming guests with a whole heart, and so on. All of these practises are passed down from generation to generation.In this materialistic society, the subsistence of these moral values is of the utmost significance. This should not be done away with at any cost.To conclude, everything that is modern isn't always good, and everything that is old isn't always bad. We cannot blindly follow both the Western trend and customary practices. As a consequence, we must make the best decisions with care and prudence, and adopt the best ideals and no matter what happens, the noble principles of loyalty, honesty, love, and compassion will never go out of style. We should be able to keep an open mind. Today's generation does not provide justifications for its conduct. With age and experience, wisdom grows. In the end, in order to live the greatest life and build a better world, we must learn to strike a balance between current ideals and traditions. A blend of traditions and modernity is the way ahead.