Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Introspection
It happens so often that a stroke of good fortune proves to be a catalyst for serious introspection. At the end of which you begin to wonder whether you deserved the slice of luck after all!
A week ago, I received an interview call from IIM Kozhikode(probably the most mispronounced city name in the country). Given the disastrous show i put up on the day of the entrance exam, a solitary call from one of the 'less sought-after' IIMs is the best result I could have hoped for. The immediate reaction was unmixedly one of elation and relief soon tempered by the realisation that converting it is going to be bloody tough.
What prompted the bout of introspection which led me to my present 'depressed' state was the questionnaire in the IIMK interview form. Questions like-
Why MBA?
What's your most significant accomplishment so far?
What alternative careers are you contemplating?
et al.
After looking inward to find answers to the aforementioned questions, I realised the truth. The fact that I'm an incompetent engineer, a weak-willed person who always shied away from following the callings of the heart, a guy possessed with an inexorable instinct to conform to the zeitgiest, obsessed with self, seeking to define myself in a world that emphasises on achievement by means of associating myself with an educational brand....
The Probing of the heart has also led me to question the efficacy of the Market in fulfilling the pursuit of happiness - which is the supposed goal of a society organised along capitalist lines. Let me clarify that I'm no market-baiter. I have faith in the efficiency of the market when it comes to allocating resources, spreading risk et al. But one of the failings of the Market is that it renders certain vocations/walks of life more attractive than others.
The craze for the so-called 'professional degrees' for instance can be attributed to the market. The craze is good for society. But for it, there shall be no economic growth. But it is not necessarily desirable from a sociological point of view. It results in people ending up pursuing professions for which they are ill-suited. This is dangerous as it can lead to the ruination of talents that are not needed by the market.... It can also lead to the damnation of the soul.
|
It happens so often that a stroke of good fortune proves to be a catalyst for serious introspection. At the end of which you begin to wonder whether you deserved the slice of luck after all!
A week ago, I received an interview call from IIM Kozhikode(probably the most mispronounced city name in the country). Given the disastrous show i put up on the day of the entrance exam, a solitary call from one of the 'less sought-after' IIMs is the best result I could have hoped for. The immediate reaction was unmixedly one of elation and relief soon tempered by the realisation that converting it is going to be bloody tough.
What prompted the bout of introspection which led me to my present 'depressed' state was the questionnaire in the IIMK interview form. Questions like-
Why MBA?
What's your most significant accomplishment so far?
What alternative careers are you contemplating?
et al.
After looking inward to find answers to the aforementioned questions, I realised the truth. The fact that I'm an incompetent engineer, a weak-willed person who always shied away from following the callings of the heart, a guy possessed with an inexorable instinct to conform to the zeitgiest, obsessed with self, seeking to define myself in a world that emphasises on achievement by means of associating myself with an educational brand....
The Probing of the heart has also led me to question the efficacy of the Market in fulfilling the pursuit of happiness - which is the supposed goal of a society organised along capitalist lines. Let me clarify that I'm no market-baiter. I have faith in the efficiency of the market when it comes to allocating resources, spreading risk et al. But one of the failings of the Market is that it renders certain vocations/walks of life more attractive than others.
The craze for the so-called 'professional degrees' for instance can be attributed to the market. The craze is good for society. But for it, there shall be no economic growth. But it is not necessarily desirable from a sociological point of view. It results in people ending up pursuing professions for which they are ill-suited. This is dangerous as it can lead to the ruination of talents that are not needed by the market.... It can also lead to the damnation of the soul.
Comments:
Post a Comment
