If you want the experience of talking to a book, the Human Library is worth a try. Here real life heroes can be borrowed for a few minutes, and you can hear them share their experiences. You can ask them questions, and have the novel pleasure of hearing a real-life story reply to your queries.
Human Library first started in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2000, as part of a movement to counter prejudice against the society’s marginalised communities by the way of conversation. And now the Human Library movement is active in around 80 countries.
First, Hyderabad, then Mumbai and now Delhi, have introduced Human Libraries. In a diverse and multicultural country like India, loaded with stereotypes, the Human Library movement is a good step to break prejudices and assumptions about different kinds of people.
It also says something about the courage of the people who share their stories and bare their true selves for speculation. But it is also commendable that when you have a story to share, it is much better to throw off the yoke and speak up, so that others may learn from your experiences.
Here are 3 reasons why you must visit a Human Library-
1. If you want to hear a monk speak of his meditation in the Himalayas, or hear a wife speak about her struggles with work-life balance, or talk to a guy who shares his coming out of the closet tale and more such firsthand experiences, visit a Human Library. Life is too short to experience everything this world has to offer. A Human Library will give you a learning opportunity.
2. Empathy is a necessary humane quality. We often get so self-involved with our life and problems that we fail to see the larger picture or understand that our life could be much simpler than the heavy burdens others could be carrying. Visiting a Human Library could be an eye opener to a larger perspective on life. It is an easy and simple route to Verstehen approach to understanding somebody else’s life and struggles.
3. It is an interesting experiment on a more conscience lifestyle. You only fear the unknown, and once you know the story behind the other, the fear and prejudice vanishes with familiarity. A chance to talk to somebody completely outside your comfort zone is a rare opportunity for alleviating bigoted views and adopting a more positive approach in life.
Even if you are not in the habit of frequenting book stores or regular libraries, you can still venture a visit here. It has all the benefits of reading, without the drudgery of books.
And if you are a reader, simply keep that book down for a day, to get to know a real person. Each individual life in unique and special and Human Library is one of the best ways to appreciate this.
Watch out for the next Human Library event in your city. Do pay a visit and let us know about your experience in the comments below.
(Image credits: pixabay.com)
