Do You Really Have a “TYPE”?

OF PARTYING AT HOLI 
This thought was sparked by a friend who told me he had decided to sit out the “Holi Party” this year. He no longer felt like meeting the usuals, getting drunk or stoned silly to the extent that being dragged in the mud and slush and then washing it all off felt like “FUN”.

I responded with a “me neither.” And he was surprised. He thought my “type” was in favour of the above-mentioned method of revelry. His assumption wasn’t unfounded. He had seen me on occasions where I had not only participated but revelled in it. And now, my response contradicted that memory.

Here’s the thing—I wasn’t expressing a newfound dislike for Holi or for the way people celebrate it. I wasn’t suddenly against the rituals that others hold dear. What I was expressing was simply the evolution of my own preferences. Which brings me back to the question: Do you have a “type”? And if you do, do you always conform to it?

THEN and NOW

I explained to my friend that my most exuberant Holi celebrations were during the time I ran a de-addiction centre. Back then, I put a lot of energy into orchestrating a different kind of celebration. We created a Holi experience that was just as vibrant, just as immersive—but without the haze of intoxication. I had dug deep to find the joy within, to truly celebrate without external stimulants. And that enthusiasm had served a purpose—it showed those in recovery that fun didn’t have to come at a cost. That you didn’t need to be high to feel free. That colour, music, laughter, and human connection were enough.

It worked. It helped. It mattered.

But was that “me”? Or was that “me in that moment”? A version of myself that existed because it was needed at the time?

ARE WE STATIC OR CONSTANTLY EVOLVING?

The truth is, we aren’t static beings. We evolve, shift, respond, and adapt to the circumstances of our lives. But somehow, people around us, and even we ourselves, expect consistency in personality, in choices, in identity.

Are you the type who lets loose without inhibition, or the one who prefers a quiet day at home, book in hand? Are you the life of the party or the one who prefers meaningful one-on-one conversations? Do you thrive in a crowd or in solitude? Beaches or mountains? Social butterfly or homebird? And most importantly—are you still the same as you were ten years ago? Five? Even one?

We label ourselves all the time. And once we do, we feel the need to align with that label. But what if you don’t fit into that box anymore? What if, instead of being the wild extrovert, you now find peace in stillness? What if, instead of preferring the predictable comfort of home, you suddenly feel the itch to explore the unknown? What if the things you once loved don’t spark the same joy anymore?

ARE TYPES LIMITING YOU?

There’s no rule that says you have to be the same person you were before. No law that states your preferences must be permanent. And yet, when we act in ways that contradict an earlier version of ourselves, people are surprised. They question it. They challenge it. Sometimes, we even do it to ourselves.

The thing is, life demands evolution. Parenthood can turn a carefree traveler into a structured planner. A career change can push an introvert into a networking genius. Personal loss can turn an extrovert into someone who seeks solitude. Joy, pain, necessity—they all shape who we are at any given moment. And that’s okay.

BREAK TYPES, BREAK FREE !!

So do you have a type? Or are you just a beautifully complex, ever-changing, ever-evolving mix of experiences, emotions, and choices?

Next time someone assumes they know exactly what you’d do, where you’d be, how you’d react—pause and ask yourself: Is that who I am today? Or is that just a memory of who I once was?

And if you find that the answer has changed—don’t be afraid to embrace it. That’s what life is about, isn’t it? The freedom to be who you are, not who you were.