Monday, January 23, 2006

Conventional Wisdom... anyone!?

The world we live in, is soon becoming a scary place in more ways than we can imagine. People today lack the conventional wisdom or common sense that is actually responsible for all what we have gained during the time we have existed on this planet.

I was so disturbed to find out how effective our marketing strategies have been in brainwashing minds all over. For instance, if you know to use a computer, or you choose to work using one... you are deemed as intelligent... and actually admired or perhaps even worshipped by others for your 'mental prowess'. When in reality... computers are just dumb machines... or tools if you can call it that... and the only they do is to compute... being a computer user... is thus neither a sign of intelligence nor is it some kind of rocket-science that is beyond the scope of any ordirnary person! However the stereotypes we have in our society would force you to believe otherwise.

On a related note.... I received this forward from a distant friend... and it was just titled "Intelligence"... and contained some lewd riddles with seemingly double meaning answers... rather it was a like a story where a six year old from first standard wants to go over to the third standard... and is made to answer these riddles. And at the end of all that torture, the kid supposedly answers all the questions... and his teacher replies that he is so intelligent that he should join IIM-A!

And that was it... this is so horrible... ok... before I rant any further... I'd like to tell the un-initiated that IIM-A happens to be one of the premier business schools and perhaps also one of the most sought after business schools in the country. But what has that got to do with intelligence.... with all due respect to all those fine folks who have cracked the CAT and made it there... I fail to see the link.

And I also hate to see how stereotypes are corrupting and ruining our sense of conventional wisdom!

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Like I care!?

I like the sound of those words... perhaps it is totally false... but it gives a notion of power. Not to be worried or concerned about something is an indication that thing cannot assert its power over me... and that makes me feel powerful. To be free again... is a sign of empowerment!

"Grow up, you foool! You cannot become powerful by shutting yourself off from the rest of the world" the loud voice screamed at me.

I looked around my cube... not to find anyone... "So it is you again!?" I whispered in contempt... "How I hate this voice"... I muttered under my breath.

"You cannot free yourself from me... You hear!" the voice screamed again!

"Yeah... yeah.... you say that all the time. But you never mean it!" now it was my turn to scream.

And then... it began to rain... I couldn't believe this... it was actually raining in my cube.... I stepped out of my cube to the still dry Street H... and walked out of the building... wondering... "Like I care!?"

Friday, January 06, 2006

Golden eggs...

Why do we end up killing the hen that lays golden eggs!?

I have a vague graphic memory of this story from Tinkle Comics... once and perhaps still the most popular comic book among children in India. It was this farmer who gets this hen that lays golden eggs every day... eggs of pure gold... and quite obviously the farmer goes onto become very rich. However... his greed eventually gets to him... and he tears open the stomach in search for the source of all the infinite gold... and expectedly enough... finds nothing... ends up killing the hen, loosing the source of all his riches.

I guess the same applies to all of us in our lives... we are so taken in by greed that conservation never comes to us. And the funny thing is that we also do know that what we are doing is wrong... yet we don't learn!

I guess this has something to do with human nature... we always want more... and in our quest for more... we do such stupid things that we end up loosing everything. Or perhaps all of us think like Oscar Wilde is believed to have said or written...

"Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing Succeeds like excess"

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Three dots and no more...

"What is it with three dots!?",I asked...
"It keeps you waiting!", the voice replied...
"But I don't want to wait!" I replied with a sigh...
"You don't have that choice!" the voice replied,sterner than before...
"Thats not fair..." I replied, my voice more feeble than ever before.
'Was I being submissive here' I wondered.'Or perhaps I see the futility in hurrying things up, especially when the race is only with myself, as there is no one else around'. I looked the other way the see the distance I have covered, only to realize that I haven't moved at all... all this while!