Without strict stereotyping, in a South Asian society, more commonly, a man is expected to be the breadwinner of the family, and a woman is expected to run and manage the household. A similar approach is extended towards boys, who are expected to study so that they can get a good job and become the breadwinners of tomorrow, and the girl is expected to study (and learn housekeeping alongside), so as to be married off in a 'better' house.

This setup is only right as long as everyone is content with this familial structure. Every society has its own norms. One cannot call them wrong just because there are societies with different notions, as in the West, or because someone thinks otherwise. It is totally right when everyone consents to play their expected roles in this manner and are happy to go with this flow. But such attitudes become wrong when they are followed strictly and especially, when they are enforced upon others, while the newer ideas are not accepted or experimented upon. A time comes when a change is required to better adapt to ever-changing societal, familial, and personal requirements, for one’s own convenience, and for a more satisfied lifestyle.

Any setup becomes wrong when an individual is not allowed to make choices for his/her own life which are different from what is usually expected . A girl can aspire to become an artist, or a businesswoman, or continue studying without getting married. She can desire to remain single and be a working woman instead of submitting to her family’s pressure and become a non-working, married one. A woman not only has the social, but also the legal right to make choices for her own well-being. The only obstacle here is society and family. Similarly, a boy can aspire to become a sportsperson or anything he prefers, instead of traditionally giving in to the society’s expectations and be forced to get a 'nice job'.

Why should a certain rule be followed unquestioned or unchanged if it does not comply with one’s feasibility in everyday life? In married life, one partner can decide to do the housekeeping with the other one working. One partner could be more qualified or skilled in one aspect than the other, so their roles can be exchanged on their mutual decision. And why shouldn't it be so.

Societal norms become wrong when individual or personal choices are frowned upon, and become worse, when they are forced. Standards perceived as normal in a society are set in decades which don’t change overnight, neither do they constantly require to be, but the virtue of acceptance can be developed by merely a thought. The society needs to start practicing this sooner rather than later to ensure a content life for everyone.