“Numb” – Linkin Park

Unless you have been living under a rock, you definitely would know about one of the most successful alternative-rock bands of all time, “Linkin Park“. Even though they changed their genre with time, they undoubtedly touched a few sensitive aspects of society through their songs that often remain undiscussed. For most teenagers, secondary school is challenging as they all try to explore their personalities. It’s the first time a human being begins to build an identity to themselves to be more assertive and confident in society. But contrary to this, many of them confuse self-confidence with self-consciousness. As a consequence of peer pressure and crowd mentality, many people end up being body dysmorphic and sheepish even before blossoming into adulthood. Apart from the intricacy of fitting into society, the extroverts view introversion as a coward’s move hence creates serious, long-term psychological distress in adolescents. 

This hindering of the weak is beautifully phrased in the song “Numb”. It explains the story of a young individual who struggles to discover themself.

 “I’m tired of being what you want me to be

Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface

Don’t know what you’re expecting of me

Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes”

This first verse depicts how the inconsiderate nature of the peers and parents has driven them into stress. When you listen to this song with a serene mind, you will feel the hesitance and skepticism of this person towards the conduct of his life. It also shows how shattered self-esteem and hopelessness have created a negative perception of one’s worth. When you observe society closely, you can see how the people believing in an aggregate of particular individual ideas, dominate the people with a change of heart. This pain of being intimidated, and everyone else shunning them for being who they are, they believe their opinions don’t matter anymore. 

Not only peers but also grown-ups approach the teenagers with manipulative behavioral patterns and abuse. The society we live in, unfortunately, believes in tiger parenting. But this only results in more mental trauma for the isolated people. After being bullied at school, they return home to be more humiliated by their own parents. This “parent bullying” erodes their self-esteem more. This situation is beautifully represented in the lines

“Can’t you see that you’re smothering me

Holding too tightly, afraid to lose control?”

Depression and anxiety can strangle people to their death. That is why a family must provide a growing human with love and care and accept them for who they are. Parents try to re-live their youth through the child. To mold the child into a younger version of themselves, they often verbally or physically abuse the child. But as the psychological trauma hinders social development, the children become more isolated instead of being the best versions of themselves.

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The song approaches an optimistic ending, implying that there’s a life after bullying. The first step is to avoid engaging in the victim’s thinking because dwelling upon what happened can monopolize the thought process. Being deprived of negative feelings is the key to own and appreciate your flaws. And also, working on perseverance and resilience can make you stronger and wiser. And that is what, 

“I may end up failing too, But I know,

You were just like me with someone disappointed in you”  

,signifies in an endmost verse. It implies how being victimized in the younger days creates an insecure social outcast who eventually becomes a bully to let the anger out. 

This song has helped thousands of people across the globe to outgrow the victim mentality. Although the song was released years ago, it received a new appreciation with the suicide of the lead vocalist of the song, Chester Bennington. Always enjoy this song with an open soul. You will feel the color, love, hope hidden in the lyrics. 

By Rtr. Rashmi Leema 

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