SAMIR SONI, who made his debut with the Hindi serial Samandar, speaks with SUPRIYA RAMESH about his book My Experiments with Silence: The Diary Of An Introvert
Could you tell us more about your book?
It has got prose and poetry. There is a part about self-discovery, finding out what's your place in society and in your mind. Because we live in an extroverted world and if you find yourself not being represented or relate to them, you feel like an outsider no matter where you go. Hopefully, anyone and everyone who has dealt with issues of not belonging, will relate to it because my book is dedicated to all the misfits in the world.
How can this book help a reader?
I have shared my journey and how I dealt with it. Hopefully, some might relate and get inspired by dwelling into their own journey. Another issue that I raise is that, what exactly is success because our generation is plagued by being successful without knowing what that really means. In the 21st century, we need to redefine success and what does it mean to be successful.
Why do you think introverts need constant validation?
I am not saying that introverts need constant validation. It's me who needs constant validation. It's not constant but driven by validation. Introverts have their own battles to fit in. Just like in an extroverted world, most introverts don't fit. For example, I remember going to go see an IPL match. And there were like 30-40 thousand people shouting Sachin and going crazy over him. I loved it but after a while I just wanted to go home and watch the same match on TV without 30 thousand people screaming into my ears. Introverts find that overwhelming and if you don't know better you will think that there is something wrong with you. I don't want to make a valid judgement like experts on how they lead their lives. What is happening is that inherently the world is dominated and driven by extroverted value systems. A lot of introverts feel undervalued and they might feel the need to do something or there is something missing in them.
What is mental well-being according to you?
I think you need to figure out what is conditioning, what is true for you and what false value systems you might be carrying with you. You might have a belief system which won't have any basic reality. It is what you are told, it is what you are fed and it's what the society told you. So, mental well-being is a way of self extraction. It's like climbing Mount Everest just because others say that it's a great thing to climb Mount Everest.
What is that one thing you would like to tell the readers?
If you are happy, God bless you. May you always be happy. But if you are not happy or you are struggling with something, get to the bottom of it and discover yourself. Maybe, you are a diamond and are embarrassed of the fact that you shine so much.