If you are on WhatsApp, particularly groups therein, you will have had the pleasure of reading all kinds of ‘good morning” messages. I get my share as well. Here is one such that I happened to notice (and have something to say about):

Good morning.
The sea is common for all: Some take pearls, some take fish, some come out just with their legs wet.
The world is common to all. What we get is what we are looking for.

On the face of it, it looks like wisdom, something profound. But it’s nothing but drivel. Hollow and untrue.

The sea and the world are likened to each other. Apparently, what you look for in either, is what you get in life. Like heck you do! Perhaps when you are born in the right place not otherwise.

In theory perhaps, the sea might be considered common to all. But in practice? Nah. In how many places have you seen parts of it, especially the best areas of its coastline, fenced off and inaccessible?

What about those with phobia of water, those who haven’t been lucky enough to learn to swim or dive? How can they explore the sea or enjoy its treasures the same way as those who have no such problems?

There’s more.

Some people owns ships, yachts or sail boats, or can pay to travel in them, while others don’t even have a borrowed log raft to navigate the sea. There are those with fancy equipment to explore the sea, and others without means to even rent a scuba diving gear or equipment needed for deep-sea diving. Some have not even heard of them.

In short, the sea is NOT common (the same) for all.

Neither for that matter, is the world.

Some are born into rich families, high castes, in developed countries, and they definitely do not face the same struggles as the disadvantaged ones. To pretend otherwise is foolishness and the height of insensitivity. The odds are skewed unfavourably against some people. And the least we can do is to acknowledge it as a fact instead of whitewashing the whole thing with stupidity clothed as profound wisdom.

True, some people do get out of their limiting circumstances and make it big in life. Bravo to them. But to close your eyes to the inequalities in opportunities in an unfair world and pretend that ‘we all get what we are looking for’ only shows a lack of empathy.

©️ Shailaja Mohan 2025