Zor Bodan
Published on
Reading Time
20 mins
Explanation
“Zor bodan” is a Persian-Tajik verb meaning “to be tough, cool, powerful, or strong.” Before moving on, I want to tell you that what I describe is a global phenomenon known to almost every person who attended school. You cannot escape it. You embrace it, whether it affects you or not.
Reality
When I got back to Dangara City, Tajikistan, from the Russian Federation, I enrolled in the very first Tajik school, the 56th School of Dangara District (that was the name back then). My first impression of the school was not very good, but I got used to it because it became my reality. I joined the 4th grade, and back then I started analyzing things and came to a conclusion that I'll share with you right now. In Tajik schools, there are terms like “zor” (the strong one) and “zor bodan” (see meaning above). It identifies a person who is physically strong. The process of identifying such a person would go through certain rituals. The person who wanted to become zor would gather his close friends, usually classmates he hung out with, and ask them to check on their peers in other classes, since classes were divided into 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, and sometimes even 4E. Each division had up to 30 students. These friends would secretly observe, chat with, or simply watch students from other groups and then come back to 4A and report: “These people look strong and cool. They act like they don't give a damn and think they can beat anyone.” The guy who wanted to establish his position as zor would then invite those people one by one, usually through intermediaries, to a one-on-one fight.
The location for the fight was carefully chosen so that teachers would not catch them. The fight would begin, a winner would be declared, and the process would repeat again and again until the guy who wanted to be the zor among the 4th graders was convinced that nobody could beat him. The benefits existed only among peers. They would receive a special kind of respect, mixed with intimidation and fear from others. If we speak correctly, it gave them an aura. I don't know whether girls were particularly interested in such guys, but there was definitely some kind of attention from them as well. As you moved into higher grades like 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or even 12, you had to defend your title by constantly fighting your peers and proving that nobody could beat you. It was like an alpha male game. Once you established yourself as the strongest in your grade, you would start checking students from other schools in the same grade. Sometimes, if you were daring enough, you would even challenge someone older than you. By the time you reached the 11th grade and proved that nobody in your school could defeat you, you would move on to other schools in your city. If you remained on top after all those fights, the next step would be to challenge people from other cities. And strangely enough, it was exactly at that point that the interest of everyone involved began to fade.
Faded
But why? Why would you stop? Because the original intention was a dopamine rush. They fought for satisfaction, and that was a big mistake. A very big mistake. They did not succeed in life. Some of them are literally selling bananas, selling fruit, earning pennies, and simply surviving. They got married, but many remained with the same mindset and never moved further in life. I am not degrading these people. The point is that when you do something purely for a dopamine rush or personal satisfaction, you usually do not expect that the activity itself will bring long-term benefits.
My question is simple: after all those years of proving something to yourself and others in vain, where did the results go? What happened to you guys? Who are you now? If you were that good at fighting and proving you were the strongest one, why didn't you choose a path toward UFC? I believe they forgot a simple rule: if you are good at something, never do it for free.
Advice
This is unsolicited advice. You are either going to ignore it or take it. Don't be a fool. If you are fighting, fight for a purpose. Fight to show the talent of your country to the world. School is a place of knowledge, and you definitely need knowledge, right? So why spend 11 years proving something that will eventually be forgotten by everyone? Spend your time wisely.
Scientific Perspective
From a scientific perspective, this behavior is not unique to Tajikistan. Psychologists and evolutionary researchers have long observed that young males often compete for status, recognition, and dominance within their social groups. During childhood and adolescence, the brain is highly sensitive to rewards, social approval, and reputation. Winning a fight, being feared, or being recognized as the strongest can trigger feelings of satisfaction and confidence because the brain rewards such achievements. In simple terms, the individual receives social validation, and the brain interprets that validation as something valuable.
The problem is that status earned through physical dominance is often temporary. As people grow older, society begins to value different skills. Knowledge, discipline, communication, financial literacy, leadership, entrepreneurship, and professional expertise become far more important than the ability to win a fight. A person who invests years into developing useful skills can continue benefiting from them throughout life, while physical dominance eventually loses its importance. This is why many former school champions become ordinary adults, while some of the quiet students who focused on learning end up building successful careers, businesses, or meaningful contributions to society.
Conclusion
When I look back at those years, I don't see evil people. I see young boys trying to find their place in the world and trying to earn respect in the only way they understood at that age. The desire to be recognized, respected, and admired is natural. Every human being wants it in one form or another. The mistake is not in seeking recognition. The mistake is in choosing a path that produces very little value in the long run.
Life eventually asks everyone the same question: what did you build with your time? The title of being the strongest student in school may sound impressive for a few years, but knowledge, character, skills, and achievements can benefit you for decades. If you possess talent, strength, or determination, direct it toward something that creates value for yourself, your family, your country, and the world. That is a fight worth winning.
