Sacrifice or Succumbing?

Most often than not, we all use the word 'sacrifice'. We sacrifice our wants and desires for someone else. We give up our heart's call for nurturing someone else's and we hold back words and actions to pamper someone's ego. And we draw a blanket term for this - Sacrifice. Here is the truth about sacrifice - you do it so that you can stand on a pedestal and say 'Aha! I gave up my needs for you. I am the one who has been robbed of desires. I'm the Gandhi here, so you can't complain!'.

And the times we do give up things for someone else, it is succumbing to force. You do it because you need to do it. Else, risk abandonment, invite scorn and endless guilt. Women give up careers for husbands, children give up dreams for protecting their parents' financial security or family pride. Most often than not, people give up way too much in the name of relationships and adjustment.

How would you like to have no control over your life? How would it be to have the gears of your life under someone else's clutches? How would you like to be a puppet in someone's hands? I "sacrificing" or "succumbing" to force? Would I rather let someone live my life or would I take control? When you feel that you are succumbing to someone else's wishes and still can not break out of it, then it is easier to call it a sacrifice. And when you turn out to become a loser, this is probably your best defence. "You made me choose/do something I didn't want to. Obviously I sucked. I sacrificed for you and now my life is in a mess. So, YOU don't get to call me a loser!"

There is another theory to this mysterious act called sacrifice - fear. Yes, absolute fear for the unknown. I would again choose an easier way out, unconsciously choose someone who you know will not let you be what you what to and blame it all on them. Ha! What an amazingly easy way out! Want to be a poet but scared? Marry an illiterate drunkard construction worker with absolutely no sense for fineness and blame it all on him. Poor you!