Privacy Matters

Personal space or privacy can be said as the cocoon built by the individuals according to their comfort and desire. Acknowledgment and respect for the personal boundary defined by individuals is important, as it gives us the freedom to live and is vital for our mental and physical well-being.  How many kids do I have? This question might not offend me but it might offend the other person who is either infertile or impotent, thus our simple questions can either emotionally or mentally hurt others. It reminds me of a famous proverb, thinks before you speak!

Unfortunately, in our everyday routine we do read about the importance of respecting an individual's personal space but seldom have we practiced. No matter how intimate two individuals are, respecting and accepting the differences and boundaries is of core importance, despite a strong intimacy there are many things which we are reluctant to share and as a matter of fact, it is not possible to continuously stay in the limelight. So, privacy matters! Just like we do not like if someone either knowingly or unknowingly breaches our personal space, we should feel the same disgust while invading the privacy of others. There can be instances where your partner is not feeling likely to talk to you or maybe going out for a leisure time with you, it doesn’t mean that he or she is having any second thoughts about you but perhaps they want to rejuvenate themselves by staying in their own cocoon for some time. This can only be understood when we place ourselves in others’ shoes.

As Quran says,

 "Do not enter any houses except your own homes unless you are sure of their occupants' consent"

(24:27) 

 "Do not spy on one another."

(49:12)

The importance of an individual's personal space is evident from these commandments. Thus, it is not something stressed only by philosophers; it is something to which religion Islam gives paramount importance. It is the right of every being to define their comfort zone and exercise “self-controlled freedom” within it; though “uncontrolled freedom” too can be detrimental for not just ourselves but for others too. For instance, cheating on your partner or ignoring them for long spells in the name of personal space or privacy can be inhumane and traumatizing. Therefore, it is important to practice “empathy” for yourself and others; with compassion, we can make the world a bliss for ourselves and for others too.

“Empathy is about standing in someone else’s shoes, feeling with his or her heart, seeing with his or her eyes. Not only is empathy hard to outsource and automate, but it makes the world a better place”

(Daniel H. Pink)