Page 64 - English Grammar - IX-X

by our predecessors. Those were different days. Today, we are solely concerned with
ourselves. We feel envious of our neighbours’ advancement. We get uptight and
unhappy as a result.

(2) Our forefathers led lives that were significantly different from ours now. Their lives
were largely centred on the concept of ’simple living and high thinking,’ with people
content with whatever they could achieve after putting in a lot of effort. They were
unconcerned about having a lot of money. They achieved the mental satisfaction and
enrichment they desired.

(3) Our forefathers’ families did not have the same “structural” structure as ours. They
were happy than we were because they lived in a close-knit joint family arrangement.
They were concerned about each other. The brothers spent their childhoods with
their cousins. They share a tie of love that is difficult to find in today’s nuclear family.
Tension and stress were alleviated by the family’s emotional padding.
(4) In the nuclear family, however, when cousins are self-centred, they may not recognise
one another. Family conflicts can lead to divisions. This has the potential to damage
the family’s psyche.

(5) Back then, the children were able to grow up in a healthy atmosphere because of the
joint family system. Respect, tolerance, accountability, integrity, and other values were
instilled in the children. In the long term, they evolved into better human beings than
the current generation. Our forefathers were delighted when their children grew up
to be 'honest' people.
(6) Today, however, we are content only with material goals. We are willing to use all
measures necessary to achieve that goal. Our life philosophy has turned out to be
completely Machiavellian. Our forefathers had a dream of making India the best country
in the world. They were willing to make a variety of personal sacrifices in order to
achieve their goals. Their joy was linked to the happiness of millions of Indian brothers
and sisters.

(7) People these days, on the other hand, are eager to relocate to the West in order to
live comfortably. They strive to avoid the ills of Indian society rather than address
them. They frequently succeed in foreign countries. However, they become estranged
from their motherland in the process. Their childhood memories and the connection
they left behind linger, and this ensures that despite achieving all they set out to, they
are not happy. The fact that they are separated from their ailing parents becomes a
source of anxiety for them. It gets difficult for them to return because their children
will struggle to acclimatise to the Indian culture and way of life.

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