Changing perceptions...

Sometime ago, a friend assked me what I disliked most about this life. And I replied, without thinking for a sec, that it was the fierce competition. FIERCE... That is the word. It is a man eat man world out there, atleast that's what it seemed to me, back then. Then there was the crab mentality. People are more concerned with being better than the others, and not bettering themselves per se. It was like whenever you get a result, the first thing you ask is how much the other guy got. I confess, I have been no exception.

Back then, the friend disagreed with me, and said that people are mature and sane, and that it is all a part of a healthy competition that is essential for any kind of progress. I disagreed, but me being the me that me is (whatever that means) I did not brush aside his arguments and took them as a valid 'other' point of view.

With the passage of time, I got to believe more and more in the 'other' view. I too thought that people are mature. They are not kids anymore, and that some degree of competition is expected, nay vital, for our survival and growth. I grew up to appriciate the fights, the disagreements and the showdowns. Begun to enjoy arguments and confrontations.. Had a 'Innocent until proved guilty' and 'dont know dont care' attitude for lots of things. LOTS...

But now again, I am undecided. Life seems to be a rat race, and a mad mad struggle to emerge the winner. The winner, I might add, will still be a rat. One might become the best, the most successful, the most highly paid, the Kalyani or whatever else, but the fact of the matter is that we get tougher and tougher on ourselves as time passes. There never is an end to the everlasting (redundancy in words) performance - expectations spiral that we get into. The guy who has a CG of 2.7 dreams of 2.8. The 2.8 chap dreams of 2.9. 2.9 is meanwhile eyeing 3. Where does it all end? A plush, happenning, exciting and well paid job (maybe not in that order), the (higher that what you currently own) segment car, the (larger than the one you have) plasma tv maybe, cellphone, lappie..... The list will never end. The intense desire to better ourselves will get the better of us one day... And at the rate at which we are going,it could well be sooner rather than later.

PS - Watched Swades today. Worth a look. Mohan hass inspired me. And also scared me. I dont think I can make that sacrifice if I reach a position like he did. But then, I am not supposed to.. Mohan is the reel life Shah Rukh, and I am a mere real life mortal.

Note to me - Better get down to study. Otherwise my neighbours will get better grades than me. ;-)

Quote for the day - "Ek din mit jayega mati ke mol.. Jag mein reh jayenge pyaare tere bol"