THE ‘permanence versus change’ dilemma is one that has engaged humans for thousands of years. What is it that remains permanent and what is it that keeps on changing in our lives? How do we respond to change around us?

Permanence means the state or quality of remaining the same indefinitely. Change, on the other hand, is something that transforms/ evolves — whether it pertains to ideas or things. For instance, when a human goes from infancy to old age, there is something that remains the same within them — like their identity or key features unless deliberately changed.

Change is generally accepted as ‘natural’, with regard to some aspects of life, as in eating and clothing choices. On the other hand, there are other aspects, such as beliefs, practices or traditions that tend to stay the same and are ‘true’ to their ‘original’ form. The pro-change camp argues that, while retaining the essence or core values or principles of a particular belief or practice, the outer form could be adapted as human beings progress.

Could one argue, for example, that we need to wear the same kind of clothes that the ‘original’ culture adopted 1,000 years back? We need to realise........

© Dawn