Monday, February 19, 2007

Dialogues - 1`

"Why do we live?", she asked suddenly, "When life is so full of pain?
Why put in any effort, when we have nothing to gain?"
"Hope, my friend", he assured her, "is on what we live on
Hope of life getting better, and all our worries being gone."

"You know I have been wondering, about the purpose of life,
and finding none, have many a time stabbed my arm with a knife."
"Why, for God's sake, would you do this to yourself, and it amazes me,
why cant you see the gifts of life, and how beautiful it can be."

"Can you explain then, as to why do we live a purposeless existence,
All this talk is fine, but to me now, your words make no sense."
"Think of the people in your life, and those who love you,
and if you leave them and die, what all will they go through."

"But I just dont feel things any more" she replied, "I seem to have lost a part of my mind
What are emotions like love and happiness, I just cant seem to find"
"You know, three weeks before, life seemed worth ending as nothing was going right
I felt like you do, but then I started reading, and writing, and it seems foolish in hindsight."

"I think I am better now. Thank you for talking to me today, and making me see some light,
and I wish you all the luck, wherever you may go, may your days always be bright."
"Just remember, there was a time when I was screwed up as you are,
and if you want someone to talk to, I will always be there."

(To be continued)...

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Management

Management, like most other things in life, is a sham. Atleast for me. As I was telling a friend on chat today, a PGDM for me constitutes nothing more than drinking, doping, playing computer games, playing cricket and tennis, watching movies and serials, and last night studying (sometimes I skip even this). I dont give too much damn about my CGPA and all, but even then I am not doing too bad. I mean I am not doing good, but in some other place, this lifestyle could have landed me at the bottom of the list. Not here though. And while I am happy about that fact (Regular readers might say, you are finally happy!, but actually not: I am using happy for want of a better word) but there is also the lingering frustration about not doing what I am supposed to do.
I hate authority, unless its my authority (thats pretty cute). Just read Another Roadside Attraction. It talks all about the same things: authority and its misuse. I have a feeling that noone really likes authority. It is based on the perception that human race is, at its root, evil. I believe (or, maybe, I like to believe) this realm in by and large false. People are basically good, it is just the situation that make them bad. When we step into this world, we are inherently good, and mean no evil.
If you are thinking, why this sudden change of topic, the point I am driving at is this: people are trying to kill IIMC culture by bringing in authority to this place. In the past, IIMC had prided itself in its "no attendance" and the fact that people here did not get into the rat race, unlike many other premium institutes of the country. Then some wise crack magazine decided to make a fast buck by including a concept of B-school rankings. And IIMC slipped from 1 to 2 to 3 in these, because here, the focus was not being on the top, but being good.
And then they got worried. People, who thought that IIMC was not doing justice to what it could be, decided to implement changes. Attendance rule was imposed, so that people who came back to the campus for their PPT's could no longer boast about how they used to skip classes and still managed to pass out with good GPA's. No, now you cant pass without the requisite attendance, but how is sleeping in the class, or reading novels there, going to help the institute rankings, I have no idea.
Why exactly I want to ask, do we need to improve our rankings? Why does it matter to us, what rank is us, as long as we know that we are good. Why does everyone want to be a winner at the end of the day? Let A and B lead us, why do we care? How good it would be if we could just get out of this rat race for the moment, reflect on who (and not what) we are, and just relax. Why do I have to wonder about the other guy cheating in the exam and getting more marks than I do. If I am smart enough, I should cheat the system too. Why should I get angry if the other guy gets a slot 0 shortlist and I dont. Stop being so competitive. Relax. Take deep breaths. Life is much larger than this, I hope. Enjoy. Que Sera Sera.