On my visit back to Mumbai taking a short break during my MBA, I saw my school’s bus, picking up kids to school. I smiled thinking I must be just like one of them, many many years ago. A small boy was being helped by his dad to climb the stairs of the bus. He turned around and with a small tear around his eye bid him bye. The father, around about 35, gave him a flying kiss and started off to his office on his scooter. It was certainly, if I may term, not a happy feeling for both of them to be apart from each other, particularly the kid. Well, that’s the way a typical human life will be- school, college, then masters, then getting settled and working hard and sending his kids to school to continue the cycle! But why?
During a recent debate at ISB on Gross Domestic Product vs Gross National Happiness as a measure of a nation’s prosperity, it was firmly established that happiness is important. The parties had different views on the measure itself, but both accepted one fact, that all the money that one earns is 'assumed' to get one, happiness. So, why sacrifice happiness to work hard and ‘not be happy’ for a major part of life? Won't the availability of just the primitive needs of food, clothing and shelter suffice?
I always toyed with the idea that if human beings had chlorophyl in their blood, they could make their own food, and do nothing more. Laze around in the sun and be truly free- like the myriad of birds I see around. But say, in theory, everyone gets the amount of food, as much shelter and clothing that is required; will it work?
At another time in ISB, I was preparing my resume. It was as simple as it could be, to the point and as per relevance to my past work experience and achievements. As expected by many others, it was outright rejected in the first review. The reason was that that was not how it is to be written. It needs to be blown out of proportions with ‘gas’. It is a popular joke that the amount of savings and earnings that all students at ISB have achieved, would be greater than India’s GDP! One thing was clear- from our economics learning- if one person does it, all have to do it, else it will be perceived as inferior. Further, the companies know this. So over a period of time, they anyway perceive the person a little less capable than what the resume shows. So everyone has to jack up one’s resumes, even further.
So, in the pursuit of being the best, the child needs to go to the best school, to beat everyone else. But everyone else follows. So, he takes up higher education. But everyone else follows. So he will inflate resumes, and get a great job. But everyone else follows. So he will work still harder, sacrificing those little things that bring him happiness. But everyone else still follows.
What is this life then? Another classic case of the Prisoners’ Dilemma! Oh MBA! What have you done to me?
