You Are What You Eat—and that doesn’t just apply to food. That’s what Rohan often believed, especially when it came to the information people fed their minds. He saw it clearly in his longtime friend Kabir.
The two friends often met at a local tea stall after work to discuss their day. Childhood friends with deep bonds, they now found themselves on opposite ends of political conversations. Kabir was passionate about his beliefs, but his passion was constantly fueled by biased news from sensational TV channels and emotionally charged content on social media. Rohan, on the other hand, preferred balance. He read articles from credible publications and engaged in thoughtful, civil discussions.
One evening, as they sat sipping masala chai, Kabir was visibly agitated. “Rohan, did you see how that politician from the Alpha Party lied about the new policies? We should be outraged!”
Rohan stayed calm. “Kabir, have you looked at the full picture? Maybe the policy was misunderstood. Sometimes, it helps to understand the reasoning behind things.”
Kabir scoffed. “Understand? What’s left to understand? They’re just manipulating people. The Alpha Party has failed us!”
Over the following days, the political atmosphere only intensified. Election campaigns flooded billboards, news channels, and timelines. Kabir dove headfirst into the chaos. He spent hours consuming protest clips, angry talk shows, and aggressive social media commentary. The more he watched, the more his frustration grew. His mind was constantly agitated.
Rohan, however, continued to consume a healthy mental diet. He followed discussions that brought together multiple perspectives. He watched debates that emphasized reason over rage. And when he found something meaningful, he shared it with Kabir.
“Here’s an article about how dialogue can bridge communities,” Rohan said one day. “It shows examples of citizens coming together despite political differences.”
Kabir waved it off. “Idealism! It’s too late for talking. We need to fight! If we don’t raise our voices, they’ll walk all over us!”
Rohan sighed. “Just think about it. You Are What You Eat—and I mean that for your mind too. If you constantly feed yourself anger, what do you think you’ll become?”
Kabir ignored the advice. The political rally finally arrived, and both friends attended. The crowd was electric—flags waving, slogans shouting, tempers rising. Kabir’s heart pounded. He was ready to argue with anyone who challenged his beliefs.
Politicians from both major parties took the stage, hurling accusations and stoking division. Kabir cheered aggressively when one speaker called the opposition “traitors” and “liars.”
But then, something shifted. A leader from the Beta Party took the mic and, instead of retaliating with more hate, calmly said, “If we keep feeding ourselves anger, we’ll never grow. Let’s choose understanding over outrage. You Are What You Eat, even when it’s not food—it’s fear, it’s rage, it’s division.”
Kabir paused.
Rohan leaned in. “See? Even they know it. You’ve been letting rage shape your thoughts. Is that really who you want to be?”
As Kabir looked around, a fight suddenly broke out in the crowd. Shouts turned into shoves. The same anger he’d fed on now erupted around him—and it felt hollow, even frightening.
He looked at Rohan. “I don’t know why I’m so angry all the time. I didn’t used to be this way.”
Rohan placed a hand on his shoulder. “You didn’t get here overnight. You fed your mind a certain kind of content every day. Just like food affects the body, words and ideas shape the mind. You Are What You Eat—and you can always choose differently.”
Later that night, Kabir sat alone, scrolling through his feed. He saw posts meant to ignite fury and division, but this time, he didn’t feel drawn to them. He closed the app.
From that day on, Kabir made a conscious effort to change his mental diet. He followed diverse voices, avoided rage-bait content, and embraced thoughtful dialogue.
He realized that You Are What You Eat, and he finally chose to feed his mind with hope, not hate.