I wrote my last exam at IIMB today.
The MBA, as I know it, is OVER. No, I am not emoting yet - it hasn't sunk in. I will reserve a separate post for the time when I get sentimental! (possibly after the last L^2)
I made a lot of friends at IIM. I wonder how many I will "keep in touch" with. I'll probably say that to everybody I meet over the next few days - but I know that is such an abused phrase. When I left Oracle, I thought I would never lose touch with my colleagues - today, I hardly talk to 2 or 3 of them regularly.
Makes me wonder : there are 3 circles of acquaintances we all have:
The "Like" circle
The "Dislike" circle
The "Indifferent" circle
The first circle comprise those people whom you really LIKE being with. The ones with whom you feel the urge to share ideas, opinions, cribs, and more importantly - the ones with whom you can be yourself - AND be comfortable, being yourself.
The "dislike" circle is the opposite - would be quite small for most people.
The largest of the 3 circles is the Indifferent circle. These are people who don't dislike you. It is just that they don't care. You have your life, I have mine :). We don't realize this, but almost 75% of all your acquaintances will belong to this category.
Managing your social relationships is about understanding the asymmetries between the 3 circles : You might place a friend in YOUR "like" circle, but he might place you in HIS "indifferent" circle - and vice versa!
It is interesting to see how these relationships will play out in the coming years.
For now, here's what I say to my "like" circle at IIMB:
I'll Keep in touch !!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Half-a-story of a Stony,Grey Building
In the land of LORE’B, there was a Grey, Stone Building and the Grey, Stone Building was important. It was important because the Elders had established it with a specific purpose : The high and lofty goal of Learning, that of dispeling the darkness of Ignorance. Someone remarked that the grey was symbolic of the darkness-to-white light transition. He owned a zebra.
Over the years, the grey stone building developed a reputation for selecting the brightest kids in the land. And all this was mainly due to an animal. A cat.
To be precise, it was a cat with a whim. And this capricious cat roamed at the entrance and would never let kids enter unless they strung a bell around it. So kids of the land began to obsess over felines and bells. And that’s when things began to get ..….very, very arbitrary.
Somewhat arbitrary were the kids themselves : for whom, it became more important to ‘get into’ the Grey, Stone Building – rather than think of what they would do once they were inside. A million kids were trying to squeeze in, and by some inexplicable reason - it turned into a stupid competition of who-can-squeeze-in-first. One kid was asked, “ If everyone jumps into a well, would you jump too? “ For which, he nonchalantly replied “ Of course, there must be something in the well ! “
Somewhat very arbitrary were the kids’ parents: for whom it became a matter of 'social prestige'. Their starry-eyed neighbours would exclaim : “Wow , did you say your daughter entered the Grey, Stone Building ?”. It felt good. It felt so good that nobody wondered why.
Probably the most arbitrary were the things that happened to the kids once they entered the Grey, Stone Building………
The lives of the kids inside were governed by the great decree of Gaussian Curvature. By this decree, the kids had to wear electronic headgear with lots of tiny, white bulbs. The bulbs were digital display, so each kid had a number glowing over his head – 3.25, 2.41, 3.67 etc.
The numbers came about through an extremely elaborate, entirely random process.
The process was this :-
Every few months, the kids were given books to read. Every few weeks, the kids were asked questions on what they read. Early in the morning, the Elders would take the kids on top of a hill. The shape of the hill was specially designed to suit the great decree of Gaussian Curvature.
One Elder would shout the question, the fastest kid would answer it, so he got to stay. The rest were pushed off the top by the Elders and they came tumbling down the hill. It was that simple: Question, Answer, Push. Question, Answer, Push. The system was as perverted as it was curved.
It ran like a well-oiled machine - the only thing that mattered to the kids was to absorb every book thrown at them. It didn't matter whether the books were relevant to their lives outside the grey walls. 'Absorption' was the only way to avoid the ignominy of tumbling down the hill. Everyone hated being pushed around. It was the grand decree of Gaussian Curvature.
The system was so evaluative that it began to change the kids’ personalities. Having been constantly pushed and bruised, most kids became aggresive. They also became very judgemental. They would measure each others' self-worth by the numbers that the Curvature assigned for their digital displays. The higher the number(glow), the greater the respect a kid got.
The junior kids would outstretch their hands in salute of their senior: "Hail the great one!" It was an obsession.In every definition of the term.
Even the elders rewarded the kids on-top-o-the-hill. If they desired feedback, they would call only such kids for the discussion. Apparently, they didn't seem to know that talents can actually differ amongst individuals.
And such was life at the grey, stone building.
Now, was that the whole story ? No.
After all, it was not as if everything was wrong about the grey, stone building. Certain things were , in fact, truly amazing - they made all the 'squeezing in' worthwhile. To speak of these great things, a moment has been chosen - A month from now, an event of great significance is about to take place at the building. The pen shall write again. Peace out.
**END OF PART I**
Over the years, the grey stone building developed a reputation for selecting the brightest kids in the land. And all this was mainly due to an animal. A cat.
To be precise, it was a cat with a whim. And this capricious cat roamed at the entrance and would never let kids enter unless they strung a bell around it. So kids of the land began to obsess over felines and bells. And that’s when things began to get ..….very, very arbitrary.
Somewhat arbitrary were the kids themselves : for whom, it became more important to ‘get into’ the Grey, Stone Building – rather than think of what they would do once they were inside. A million kids were trying to squeeze in, and by some inexplicable reason - it turned into a stupid competition of who-can-squeeze-in-first. One kid was asked, “ If everyone jumps into a well, would you jump too? “ For which, he nonchalantly replied “ Of course, there must be something in the well ! “
Somewhat very arbitrary were the kids’ parents: for whom it became a matter of 'social prestige'. Their starry-eyed neighbours would exclaim : “Wow , did you say your daughter entered the Grey, Stone Building ?”. It felt good. It felt so good that nobody wondered why.
Probably the most arbitrary were the things that happened to the kids once they entered the Grey, Stone Building………
The lives of the kids inside were governed by the great decree of Gaussian Curvature. By this decree, the kids had to wear electronic headgear with lots of tiny, white bulbs. The bulbs were digital display, so each kid had a number glowing over his head – 3.25, 2.41, 3.67 etc.
The numbers came about through an extremely elaborate, entirely random process.
The process was this :-
Every few months, the kids were given books to read. Every few weeks, the kids were asked questions on what they read. Early in the morning, the Elders would take the kids on top of a hill. The shape of the hill was specially designed to suit the great decree of Gaussian Curvature.
One Elder would shout the question, the fastest kid would answer it, so he got to stay. The rest were pushed off the top by the Elders and they came tumbling down the hill. It was that simple: Question, Answer, Push. Question, Answer, Push. The system was as perverted as it was curved.
It ran like a well-oiled machine - the only thing that mattered to the kids was to absorb every book thrown at them. It didn't matter whether the books were relevant to their lives outside the grey walls. 'Absorption' was the only way to avoid the ignominy of tumbling down the hill. Everyone hated being pushed around. It was the grand decree of Gaussian Curvature.
The system was so evaluative that it began to change the kids’ personalities. Having been constantly pushed and bruised, most kids became aggresive. They also became very judgemental. They would measure each others' self-worth by the numbers that the Curvature assigned for their digital displays. The higher the number(glow), the greater the respect a kid got.
The junior kids would outstretch their hands in salute of their senior: "Hail the great one!" It was an obsession.In every definition of the term.
Even the elders rewarded the kids on-top-o-the-hill. If they desired feedback, they would call only such kids for the discussion. Apparently, they didn't seem to know that talents can actually differ amongst individuals.
And such was life at the grey, stone building.
Now, was that the whole story ? No.
After all, it was not as if everything was wrong about the grey, stone building. Certain things were , in fact, truly amazing - they made all the 'squeezing in' worthwhile. To speak of these great things, a moment has been chosen - A month from now, an event of great significance is about to take place at the building. The pen shall write again. Peace out.
**END OF PART I**
Sunday, February 1, 2009
A Simple Thought
Certain things are just not meant to be
And realizing this is really the key.
Obsess with them and you are your own foe
You can't have it all, so LEARN to let go.
And realizing this is really the key.
Obsess with them and you are your own foe
You can't have it all, so LEARN to let go.