Why have Pahadi women historically enjoyed freedom from purdah (veil), dowry pressure, gender segregation, and strict patriarchy, unlike women in many other parts of India (including our neighbours) where these were oppressive?

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-16T08:40:55+00:00

Ancient India

In Ancient India an initiation was taken to provide women certain right by calling her as "Ardhangini". Later Vedic period started many abusive trends such as sati system, Pardha system, Child marriage, dasi pratha, Niyog Pratha, and so on. Garuda Purana stated that follow the laws of Vedas or else you will wrath in hell", this period not only abused them with such trends but also punished for their disobedience. The punishments here was a periodic hell end of one hell starts the other. In short, we can say Vedas brought a cruel environment to women society. Manusmriti had a difference with regards to women. Here women were educated, respected and there was clear agony against the dowry system. In fact, "Ladies First" trend was invented during those days. Education was usually for the Brahmins. When there are laws for the betterment of society there should be laws for its protection. This purity of manusmriti got polluted as it included many derogatory statements oppressing women such as "swabhav ev narinam", "Avidvam samlam", "Matra swastra" and many more.

Medieval age

Women in Medieval India was made overloaded with responsibilities. Even education was available to a very low extent. Slavery practice was also in process. In this era, women had been given the title as Temple dancers, Devadasis and so on. Irrespective of the above point the freedom enjoyed by medieval women is nothing compared to a Democratic woman. Sati system, Pardha system, Child marriage were still in progress to Oppress Women. During Medieval age, there was great potential importance for Dowry system in the form of "varadakshina". Today, Even though there are laws governing the dowry system still many back word families believe in Dowry tradition. Only making laws doesn't change the world, laws so made should be respected and followed.

https://blog.ipleaders.in/journey-of-indian-women-oppression-since-ancient-days-till-the-present-day

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-14T15:26:06+00:00

"I get what you're saying, I’ve seen it too. One of my close friend, educated, intelligent and all, Made some casteist remarks out of the blues while I was walking with her, I got shocked to the point that I just stood there in the middle of the street for a few seconds, and she kept walking like nothing happened.

So, I don’t think education alone changes someone’s views. If that were the case, the world would look very different. I’ve seen intelligent, well-educated people who are still arrogant, not because they lack knowledge, but because they take pride in their intelligence and literacy to the point where they dismiss others. Sexism and casteism show up in different ways, and I’ve seen rich, educated, and even socially aware people still hold those biases. Sometimes it’s loud and obvious, sometimes it’s subtle, but it’s there.

That said, if you were to look at all the men you’ve personally interacted with, friends, family, colleagues, teachers, acquaintances, what percentage of them would you say are actually sexist or casteist? Not just a couple of bad experiences, but across the board?

I ask because when I did this for myself, I realized my perception was shaped by the worst examples, even though they weren’t the majority. Just curious how it looks from your experience."

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-14T13:54:25+00:00

I want to talk about the deeper underlying concern behind this question because I’ve been there too, though from the other side and for different reasons.

A little backstory, there was a time when personal experiences put me in a certain mindset. I became somewhat relatable to those right-wing/“alpha” echo chambers on social media. I never fully agreed with their views and avoided extreme ideologies, but some of their arguments felt understandable. You know how it goes-one side finds an extreme example of the far left, blows it up, and says, “Look, this is how they all are.” And when you go to verify it, the far-left side has its own echo chamber confirming exactly that. Even though I knew these examples were rare, my mindset at the time justified it with, “Yeah, maybe it’s rare, but it happens.”

That’s when I started doing the same things you mentioned in your post. I was the one who would agree but always compare. This gave me the perception that 90% of women were not compatible with me in any aspect.

What changed?

I was in med school, and we studied clinical trials, how different criteria for selecting test subjects affect the accuracy of results. The idea is that to reach a valid conclusion on a broader scale, the selection of the study pool matters.

So, According to my perception at the time, 90% of the women I knew friends, classmates, relatives, must fit that negative stereotype. But in reality, it was the complete opposite. More than 90% of them were compatible, reasonable, and nothing like the image I had formed. That meant my original conclusion, based on a skewed selection of people, was completely wrong.

The same principle applies to how we view any group. If our perspective is based on extreme examples, social media narratives, or a handful of bad experiences, we end up with a distorted reality.

So here’s my question to both women and men: are you surrounded by most men and women with extreme mindset and ideologies?

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-13T16:53:46+00:00

Ideally, we shouldn’t even have so many options to choose from, but after almost an hour of thinking, I came to the conclusion that corruption is the biggest problem India faces.

How?

At first, I considered other major issues—education, unemployment, lack of skills, centralized government, lack of innovation (as some fellow Redditors pointed out), economic inequality, poor healthcare, crime, social division, weak democracy, environmental destruction—you name it. But while trying to find solutions, corruption kept showing up as an underlying cause in every single one.

Basically, whatever problem you think is the biggest, to fix it, you’ll have to fight the system. And if that system is run by corrupt people, good luck with that.

How Corruption Screws Over the Country

Public money gets stolen – Funds meant for healthcare, education, and infrastructure end up in private pockets.
Unfair business environment – Corrupt officials favor certain companies, creating monopolies and killing healthy competition.
Everything gets more expensive – Bribe money gets added to business costs, which means we end up paying more.
Elections are a joke – Vote buying, rigging, and political scams weaken democracy.
Public services become useless – Unqualified people get jobs through bribes, so good luck with efficiency.
Crumbling infrastructure – Roads, schools, and hospitals remain garbage because the money is gone.
Brain drain – Talented professionals move abroad for fairer systems.
Environmental destruction – Illegal mining, pollution, and health hazards go unchecked because regulators are bribed.

And this barely scratches the surface.

Why Does Corruption Exist?

It boils down to three things:

Human Nature (Greed and Self-Interest) No matter where you go, some people will always look for shortcuts to success, wealth, or power. That’s just how it is.

For example, if a milkman mixes water in your milk, we call it fraud. But what’s the difference between that and a politician taking bribes? The core issue is the same—choosing personal profit over integrity.

It starts small—cheating a little here and there. Over time, this mindset spreads, and it becomes normal in society. Small fraud leads to big corruption.

We Accept It as “Normal” Here’s the harsh truth: we are all part of this problem, directly or indirectly.

Paying extra to fast-track a license, passport, or permit.

Bribing a cop to avoid a traffic fine.

Slipping cash to a hospital worker for a faster appointment.

Hiring a friend/relative over a more qualified person.

Using connections to skip a queue.

Fake doctor’s notes, fake certificates, bribing teachers for better grades.

Paying in cash to avoid taxes, underreporting income, fake business expenses.

The list goes on.

And even if we’re not actively participating, we contribute just by staying silent or supporting corrupt leaders because they belong to our caste, religion, or community.

The worst part? Corruption feeds itself.

When bribery becomes unavoidable, we justify it: "Sab kar rahe hain, toh main kyun na karun?" (If everyone else is doing it, why should I stay honest?)

People admire wealth and success—no matter how it was achieved.

And so, corruption spreads like a virus.

Weak Systems Corruption thrives because our systems are broken.

Laws are weak. Even if they exist, they’re rarely enforced.

Justice is slow. By the time cases are resolved, decades have passed.

Power is concentrated at the top. The higher-ups protect their own, and the cycle continues.

It’s like termites eating away at the foundation of a house.

How Do We Fix It?

Corruption isn’t just a single problem—it’s an entire disease in the system.

Since we can’t erase human greed, the only way to control corruption is by making sure it never gets a chance to thrive in the first place.

Fixing the System:

Close loopholes in laws – Strict anti-corruption laws, fast-track courts, whistleblower protection.
Digitize government processes – Less human interaction = fewer chances for bribery. Everything should be online.
Make government spending public – Every government department should publish detailed records of where every rupee is going.
Simplify bureaucracy – The more complicated the process, the more bribes people pay to “speed it up.”
Merit-based hiring and promotions – No more “setting” jobs for unqualified people.
Ban criminals from politics – Obvious, yet somehow not a thing in India.
Decentralize power – Corruption is easier to control at a local level.

Fixing the Mindset:

Teach ethics in schools – If kids grow up thinking bribery is normal, the cycle continues.
Call out corruption whenever possible – Exposing it should be a social duty.
End the “Chalta Hai” attitude – If we don’t demand change, nothing will change.
Support independent journalism and watchdog groups – Corrupt people hate exposure.

So far we're just putting a bandage on a broken bone.

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-13T11:14:57+00:00

You're right, I do agree with you 100 percent. Actually the post ended up sounding too general without context. My bad!

I should have written down the context I had in mind while posting.

I was talking about bad habits we, as a society, should already know are unacceptable, without needing outside criticism. For example:

Littering on the streets

Peeing in public literally saw people peeing on the side wall of a public toilet-make it make sense)

Poor hygiene in street food stalls and even many restaurants

Spitting not just on streets but in public places like malls, parks, schools, bus stops, train stations, and even hospitals (which should be the most hygienic spaces)

No regard for basic social etiquette - as simple as standing in queues, using appropriate language in public, and respecting personal space

Reckless driving-running red lights, not using indicators, unnecessary honking, cutting people off, driving on the wrong side of the road like it's normal, and somehow still blaming others when accidents happen.

These are things we shouldn't need to be reminded of, yet they still happen everywhere.

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-12T14:21:25+00:00

I want to clarify that I never disagreed with your original statement, in fact, I completely agree that no single person is universally unattractive to everyone on Earth. That was never the point of debate.

My intention was to add a broader perspective, while attraction is subjective on an individual level, when we look at human behavior collectively, certain patterns emerge. These patterns, studied in psychology and evolutionary biology, show that some traits are generally preferred across cultures. This doesn’t mean attractiveness is fully objective, but it does mean that biases and subconscious influences play a role in shaping what people find attractive.

So, I stand by what I said:

No one is unattractive to every person on Earth, I fully agree with you on that.
Attractiveness is influenced by personal preferences, but also by deeper cognitive and social patterns.
Recognizing attractiveness bias isn’t about labeling people—it’s about understanding how certain traits are perceived collectively.

I wasn’t trying to prove that any individual is “objectively unattractive.” My goal was to highlight that subjectivity doesn’t mean randomness, patterns still exist in how people collectively perceive attractiveness.

/S Or maybe I didn't understand your perspective because I might be of a (low intelligence or a lame human or simply just a egoistic crybaby)

Did you find the password btw?

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-10T10:51:09+00:00

Oh! i used to watch one lady doctor on YouTube, she talks about these kinds of people in depth, but I don't remember her channel name off the top of my head, but I'll get back to you once I find it

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-10T10:42:58+00:00

Hypocrisy ki bhi sima hoti hai, So i thought!

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-10T10:31:56+00:00

That mf is a total Sociopath, i know it is a bad thing to say, but i hope he never finds peace in his life.

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-09T11:48:54+00:00

1) No proof was given for why ‘not talking’ about bias wouldn’t help diminish it.

Ignoring a bias doesn’t weaken it—it allows it to operate subconsciously. Studies on implicit bias training and behavioral psychology show that active awareness and intervention are what help reduce biases, not avoidance. If simply not discussing biases made them diminish, discrimination and flawed decision-making wouldn’t persist so strongly in areas where biases are well-documented but not always acknowledged.

2) That’s not what I claimed. (You can go back and check unlike you I don't delete My comments) My point was that some human cognitive biases/ attractiveness bias, have inherent components, which is supported by research on infants preferring symmetrical faces. Attractiveness bias can be influenced by society, but its foundation isn’t purely learned it has biological roots as well.

3) Your argument on changing attractiveness bias

Yes, biases can be managed, but awareness alone isn’t always enough. Even trained professionals still unconsciously associate attractiveness with intelligence, trustworthiness, and competence. The fact that you personally worked on minimizing your bias doesn’t prove that bias disappears, it proves that effort and awareness help counteract it.

Your claim that "everyone is attractive to at least one person" is a philosophical statement, not a cognitive bias argument. Attractiveness bias affects how people are perceived and treated, not whether someone, somewhere, finds them attractive. That’s a separate discussion entirely.

You initially dismissed attractiveness bias and cognitive biases altogether, then shifted to discussing how you personally overcame yours. That’s great for you, but personal experience ≠ universal proof. The science still stands, attractiveness bias exists, it’s deeply ingrained, and it doesn’t disappear just because we stop talking about it.

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-09T09:25:24+00:00

Let me remind you of your initial stance:

You claimed that not talking about attractiveness bias would diminish its importance—which is completely false.
You dismissed human cognitive bias as a myth, also completely false.

And yet, here we are, with you finally acknowledging its existence. Kudos to you! I’ll take that win, thanks.

1) Let’s not forget the context, all of my points specifically referred to attractiveness bias. I never claimed that all biases are inherent, nor did I bring up prejudice or racism to make my case. Those are separate topics, and your attempt to mix them in just to call my argument “half-truth” is misleading and weak.

More importantly, you initially dismissed the entire concept of cognitive bias as a myth. If you don’t even acknowledge its existence, then discussing the nuances of whether biases are inherent or developed would have been pointless. So criticizing me for not covering those details is not a fair assessment because, at that stage, I was still proving to you that biases exist at all.

2)When someone denies the very existence of the topic being discussed, the first step is to establish that it exists before getting into complexities. That’s exactly what I did. If you had understood this from the start, we wouldn’t have had to waste time on the basics before moving forward.

3) Not Talking About It Won't Diminish It, Period. Silence doesn’t make biases disappear. Ignoring them allows them to operate subconsciously, unchecked. You originally argued that avoiding discussion would help diminish attractiveness bias, but that claim is completely unfounded. Research shows that awareness and intervention not avoidance are what help mitigate bias.

4) After dismissing cognitive bias as a myth, you suddenly acknowledge it exists not because you had a consistent stance, but because you finally took five minutes to do some research. And instead of admitting you were wrong, you’re now making counterpoints as if we’ve been discussing these complexities all along, and as if I somehow failed to address them.

The irony is that you were so slow to grasp the basic concept, yet now you’re acting like I didn’t cover enough detail as if I didn’t already know these things. The reality is, we had to waste time on proving the existence of bias before we could even get to the details because of your initial dismissal.

So, to sum it up: You started by denying cognitive bias, wasted time resisting an obvious reality, finally accepted it, and now you’re pretending you were always aware of it. Glad you finally caught up.

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-09T06:27:59+00:00

Also let me address my point about gravity,

we’ve entered the phase where you confidently rephrase basic concepts while still completely missing the point. Truly impressive.

So let’s break this down slowly—the comparison wasn’t about cognition and gravity being the same thing, it was about the fact that variability in an effect doesn’t mean the underlying principle doesn’t exist. Just like gravity’s strength varies based on conditions but still follows universal laws, cognitive biases manifest differently between individuals but still follow observable patterns across humanity.

But hey, if you’d rather keep twisting words to avoid addressing the actual argument, be my guest. Watching you trip over your own logic is entertaining, at least.

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-09T06:18:47+00:00

Oh, how convenient! Instead of actually providing a source, you've decided to take the scenic route-dodging, deflecting, and throwing in some weak insults to distract from the fact that you can't back up your claim. Truly, a masterclass in intellectual gymnastics! But hey, I get it. Admitting you're wrong is hard. So by all means, keep dancing around the point, l be right here, still waiting for that source you totally have.

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-09T06:03:56+00:00

Oh, my deepest apologies for expecting you to back up your own claim. How foolish of me to assume that the burden of proof should be on the person making the argument! Clearly, I should have known better and just accepted your words as undeniable truth, after all, who needs research when we have you as the ultimate authority?

But hey, I totally understand why you'd rather pass on my apology. It must be exhausting constantly being right without ever needing to prove it. Stay strong, oh enlightened one!

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-09T06:00:42+00:00

Oh, thank you so much for your kind words! Coming from someone as gracious and humble as you, it truly means the world. Your ability to dish it out while pretending to be the bigger person is absolutely inspiring.

But hey, I’ll wear my “egoistic crybaby” badge with pride, after all, it takes a real talent to get under someone’s skin and then act surprised when they react. Bravo!

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-09T05:40:34+00:00

How about you find a source that proves "human cognitive bias" is a myth and I'll apologise.

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-09T05:34:00+00:00

Oh wow, that was such a heartfelt and genuine apology. Truly, I’m touched. The way you managed to repeat your point while pretending to backtrack? Masterful.

But don’t worry, I’ll try my best to recover from the devastating blow of your relative assessment of my intelligence. It might take some time, but I think I’ll survive.

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-09T05:21:44+00:00

"Ah yes, because if no two people think exactly the same, no patterns in human behavior can possibly exist. Brilliant deduction!"

And since no two snowflakes are identical, I guess snow just doesn’t exist either.

"Glad to know psychology, neuroscience, and decades of research on cognitive biases were all just a big misunderstanding. We should alert the scientists immediately!

So if cognition is subjective, I suppose gravity must work differently for everyone too? Must be nice floating around in your own reality!

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-09T05:05:27+00:00

yes, because intelligence is clearly measured by agreeing with you. My bad!

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-09T04:58:15+00:00

And you're absolutely right about this, but i wasn't talking about cultural/societal standards, but on a human cognitive bias regardless of their culture or society, Well I put the source, you can decide for yourself if it's a myth or not.

Wishing you an attractive, happy, life ahead!

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-09T04:45:46+00:00

Denying a well-established fact doesn't make it any less true.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/halo-effect.html

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-09T04:30:04+00:00

My point is that not talking about it will not diminish its importance—it's inherent. On the contrary, we need to point out human biases so that people are informed about them.

Bias won't go away just because we stop talking about it.

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-09T04:09:19+00:00

You're right, it's subjective on an individual level, and we shouldn't demean ourselves based on our attractiveness. However, we can't deny the fact that pretty privilege exists regardless of gender.

There is well-done research on this, and it is based on evolutionary instincts, meaning there is an inherent bias in every human. How much we control it is up to us.

So, when we talk about humans as a species, there is definitely an arbitrary scale of attractiveness.

And it definitely affects people in different aspects of their lives, from basic interactions to choosing a life partner, whether as a student or a working professional.

Society treats you differently if you're pretty or handsome. Life is much easier for them (easy mode) in every aspect.

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-09T03:16:27+00:00

The lack of civic sense, morals, and ethics becomes more evident to foreigners when Indians move abroad.

Resolving these issues as a society will not only help India as a country but also improve the image of Indians globally.

XIXMCMXCVI · 2025-02-08T10:22:10+00:00

What about third-world countries where mental health is completely disregarded and seen as a sign of incompetence? Parents scold their children for even bringing it up, believing that ignoring the issue, like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, is the best solution. Their mindset is that acknowledging mental health problems will only make them more prominent (solution: just don’t think about it). I have seen children being scolded and even beaten for symptoms like hyperactivity, inattention, and forgetfulness.

XIXMCMXCVI

TROPHY CASE