“Why do you care? It’s not your problem!” Sasha stated.

“Maybe it is. Might be your problem too,” Rohan replied, gazing at the miles of farmlands on the horizon.

“Nonsense!” Sasha said, her voice tinged with both amusement and irritation. “If it were my problem, I’d handle it with everything I’ve got. It’s someone else’s job to think about and sort out. Someone is surely dealing with it already. So let’s not pretend we’re better than them.”

“And please, stop wandering and come in for lunch. It’s been ready for a while, and I’m not going to wait any longer! Come in now, or I’ll finish your share too!” she added cheekily as she began to leave.

Often, we encounter situations that challenge us to consider the extent of responsibility we can realistically shoulder. This brings us to the concept of compartmentalization.

Compartmentalization (noun): ‘the division of something into sections or categories.’

For example: "Fear of leaks led top officials to order the extreme compartmentalization of information."

Rohan followed Sasha back for lunch. “During my work-from-home experience over the past few weeks at this lovely village homestay, I’ve realized how interconnected the various sections of society are—much like how all the cells and organs make up the whole body,” he said.

Sasha had joined him at the homestay for the weekend and was surprised by how comfortable Rohan had been working remotely from the village for the last two and a half months.

She found the village charming and saw it as a refreshing change of scenery. Rohan seemed to share her sentiment.

“I love alternating between staying here and the city. Initially, it was three weeks in the city and one week here. But then I grew curious about understanding the dynamics of this rural society. I wanted to spend a longer, continuous period here to grasp it better. Short, sporadic visits only gave me a fragmented understanding, colored by our urban perspectives. A more nuanced comprehension of rural life requires more than just occasional visits.”

Sasha raised an eyebrow. “And what do you hope to gain from such an understanding?”

Compartmentalization

‘the division of something into sections or categories.’