Certain unusual features and characteristics of some people often prove irritating or harmful to others
SOME men and women are noted for their strange idiosyncrasies and eccentricities. The interesting fact is that most of them are so habituated to certain idiosyncrasies that they themselves are totally blind to them. Here, a few examples might provide the readers with a clearer picture of the observation.
It has often been noticed that many of us in our daily lives are used to doing quite the opposite of what is required. If there is a ‘no parking’ sing placed on a road or street, we invariably park our vehicles at that very place. Signs like ‘no writing of political or sectarian slogans’ are flouted with complete abandon. When some of us see a traffic sign that reads ‘drive slowly’ we make it a point to press the accelerator as forcefully as we can, without giving two hoots about speed restrictions.
We let our young kids drive heavy vehicles risking their own as well as others lives. But parents, instead of reprimanding their children, feel elated about the driving skills of their underage kids.
Apart from that, there are certain persons who try to dominate people from the under-privileged class, wittingly or unwittingly, using the influence that they enjoy in society. Such people are usually filthy rich, living in posh areas of the city. Strangely, when they commit an act of injustice, they hardly realize it.
Also, very often we hear official announcements that deny rumours regarding price hike or political change in the country. But it doesn’t take us long to hear that actually the rumours were based on truth.
Now we come to another issue. Lately, families have begun spelling names like Ali, Ayesha, Chaudhry and Qureshi with different variations. Outlandish names of baby girls are desperately sought by parents that hardly seem part of our society. We take pride in giving nick names like Bunty, Dumpy, Pinky, Tonni and Timmi to our children. ‘Silly’, ‘stupid’, ‘nonsense’, and ‘rubbish’ are some of the words that we employ to show our disgust and anger at our kids.
Apart from that, whenever there is an occasion to settle any differences in our daily lives, we easily lose temper and start speaking in English, whereas the same issue could easily be described and dealt with in our mother tongue. Perhaps, speaking in English fills us with some strange sense of superiority.
It reminds me of another matter. There was a professor of soil science who used to write ‘Ph Value’ (to measure soil/water acidity and alkalinity) with capital ‘P’ and capital ‘H’, while it is universally known that it should be written with small ‘p’ and ‘h’. When some students pointed that fault to him, he, without being apologetic, said, “It is for students like you and for teachers like me.”
Similarly, there was a professor of economics who used to write ‘University Professor’ on his name plate. When someone asked him why he did that as he was already teaching at the university, he smilingly replied that he had always taught at universities and not at degree colleges like other professors.
It has also been noticed that some of our research workers cannot help listing their membership of various national and international associations and societies along with their degrees and diplomas just to impress their colleagues and less privileged workers.
Young children use words like Ammiji and Abbooji to address their parents out of love and respect. The suffix ji is taken from the Hindi language. In Hindi, there is Pitaji, Mataji and Chachaji for father, mother and uncle. Thus the addition of ji to Urdu may be accepted, but its use in English is atrocious.
The word ‘sir’ is most freely used in Pakistan, which is often jarring to the ear. But sirji used by students to address their teachers or employed by subordinates to address their bosses is something different. In this regard, you can find ‘Sirji college’ or ‘Sirji tuition centre’ in the city at many an area.
The Englishmen who are already irked by their American friends for distorting the pronunciations and spellings of their mother tongue would find it difficult to reconcile to their Pakistani friends for coining new words like sirji and adding to their language.
Some medical practitioners put the abbreviation RMP after their professional degree, which gives the impression that it is some kind of an additional qualification. The fact of the matter is that it only means that the doctor is registered with the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) for medical practice.
Some doctors write MBBS, FRCS or FRCP (London) before their names. Many of their colleagues feel content with just FRCS or FRCP. I know a young dental surgeon, who obtained his degree in dentistry from a local dental college, which is affiliated with the University of Karachi (UK), fondly writes BDS (UK) before his name. This makes his patients believe that he has been to the United Kingdom and was trained there.
Some people show great fondness or dislike for food and cold drinks. They prefer cold drinks that are white in colour and avoid the other kind. Similarly, some like their tea or coffee without a drop of milk in it.
There are modern men and women who have their own sense of style and are seldom disturbed by the idea that smoking is injurious to human health. But nothing deters them from smoking cigars or cigarettes.
Idiosyncrasies, as a matter of fact, are the result of a particular kind of education that one receives and atmosphere he or she has grown in. Strange oddities, idiosyncrasies and eccentricities can get the better of any man.
In recent years, wedding and other greeting cards have had an interesting change in them. Words that are used to convey the feeling of happiness at someone’s birthday or on occasions like Eid and Christmas have become rather unconventional. The content of some of the cards is so amusing that one finds it difficult to send it to anyone. It is worth noticing how simplicity in these days thrown out of the window as per our newly-formed social customs and have obviously added a new dimensions to the list of our oddities.
Certain unusual features and characteristics of some people often prove irritating or harmful to others 
