An i for an I makes the world a better place!

Today, i had forwarded my revised CV to my fiancee for just having a look and praise me a bit on having done a commendable job.
That she did, but had only one problem. Something which many of my editors of stories, articles, blogs, resume have had over the last 6 years.
What happened 6 years ago?

The Times of India published an article previously published in the NYT as 'Me, Myself and I'. I was deeply impressed and started writing the personal pronoun in lowercase as 'i' instead of the usual 'I' ued in English language for past 800 years. Many people have attacked this, over the years. look at this article which references Ayn Rand in defence of the 'I'. Or look at this one in which the blogger is confused over this change in ToI. It has been mocked by others and looked down upon by many readers.

Why did it appeal to me though? I decided to dig around it a bit. there is a story of transition from ich/ik to i to I in the 13th century, but that doesn't interest me much. So, to better explain why i write a lowercase i, i am writing this blog. It will be incomplete, but better to articulate a bit than not at all.

In English, there is this concept called Capitonyms. We regularly invoke it in our daily usage without realising that such an abstract concept exists. What it means is that the meaning of a word with a Capital first letter is different from one in all lowercase. Example: Sun vs sun, Moon vs moon, Earth vs earth. Or the name of months like March vs march, May vs may, August vs august. All have been explained in the article. So, kindly look at the link to understand better. But i is not a Capitonym, we just replaced the i with an I. what does this change signify in today's world?

For me, as an Indian, who deeply believes in the Hindu culture and traditions, it is natural. The self has always been less important to us than our surroundings. Many great works of art, scriptures, hymns, etc. can't be attributed to any one person as there are no records of authorship. More importantly, we have always been an organic society. Everyone adds something, or changes something, discarding unwanted, adding the wanted to the existing; at least this is how ancient Indians seem to have been. There was never a place for an emphasis on the self. It is a recent phenomenon. Even when we know the people, if we look closely at their lives and works, rarely we see self glorification in them. In our theology, while we say Aham Brahmaasmi, we do not enlarge ourselves to be the universe, we make ourselves a part of the infinite and become humble.

When i write I for myself and you, we, he, she, it for everyone else (and god instead of God, where ever needed), this gives rise to a egotism. My egoism, denies me this pleasure. While i look inwards all the time, i do it to actually improve myself. the lowercase i is an humbling exercise. over the years, even while speaking, the i is becoming smaller and smaller for me, which i believe is a good thing. Till i am able to put myself away and the world before me, i will keep exercising and if i ever achieve it, i will be living in a better world where i will not be needed anyway.