Originally published in the The Sunday Guardian on 19 apr '25.
The way we adhere to cleanliness standards, or fail to, is often a reflection of what we perceive as socially acceptable, not what we understand to be necessary.
Cleanliness has traditionally been tied to order and discipline, usually showing up in the most obvious ways: a tidy home, a spotless office, or a neatly kept public space. We’ve come to associate these things with civility and a sense of social responsibility. But what if we’ve been thinking about cleanliness in too limited a way? We generally tend to equate cleanliness with a physical appearance—something we can see and touch—but in doing so, we may be overlooking something much more fundamental.
People often ask, “Why do individuals from India seem more conscious about cleanliness when they live abroad?” The question is not about nationality; it’s about the human tendency to act based on environment rather than inner clarity. There is a tendency in all of us to change our behavior depending on the external conditions we face. The way we adhere to cleanliness standards, or fail to, is often a reflection of what we perceive as socially acceptable, not what we understand to be necessary.
When someone’sconduct changes depending on where they are, it reveals that the change is not arising from inner understanding but from external compulsion. In India, one may litter without a second thought. The same person, while living abroad, may follow rules meticulously—not because of a deep sense of responsibility, but due to fear of penalties, surveillance, and social pressure. This kind of behavior is reactive, not conscious. And once the external pressure is lifted, the old patterns return. The issue, then, is not cultural or geographic—it is of the human mind.
