In my class here at IITK, I've not met more than a handful of people who are truly passionate about what they are doing. The rest seem to be like me - here by a combination of choice and circumstance, mostly the latter. Not that these are people incapable of good work - they are all selected through extremely competitive exams and tough interviews. But what really drives them to do what they do?
Money, the prestige of an IIT degree, the security of a job in a reputed company - these are some of the reasons I can think of to explain why most of us are here. It's a bit of everything for me as well, in addition to the chance to learn more about a field that I really like. But I'm not here out of a true passion for learning Computer Science. Fortunately or unfortunately.
I'll probably get out of here with all the above benefits, which is great. It will allow me to live life with a little more freedom than I could have if I had not made it here. For instance, I probably won't have to hesitate or worry about the cost before picking up a DVD or a book any time I want to. It goes further than material benefits, however. I won't feel uncomfortable walking into a job interview or a high-profile meeting at work - the IITK experience has already taught me not to feel intellectually intimidated by anyone.
Yes, my life will be better as a result of what I'm doing.
But then, should my job be something I do to facilitate my life, or is it something that should define my life? That's precisely the distinction between good things and great things. I don't think great things are ever created out of mere competence. I can realistically expect to become a good software/research professional, but I will never become a great one. Is that good enough?
Satyajit Ray was a good advertising professional, but he achieved greatness only when he followed his dream and became a filmmaker. Had he not taken the plunge, his would have been another in the millions of such lives lived everyday - happy, comfortable and secure, but incomplete. A life that I would regret having lived.
What use is 99% worth of perspiration without the 1% that really matters?
EU diaries - day 0 and 1
4 weeks ago
12 comments:
What do you think is your first calling? I've never really figured out mine either. I'm a mech guy turned manuf guy turned IE guy. Hopefully my state space search will yield a solution close to the optimum sometime soon :P
Exactly... where do you think you would be really happy? As a photographer? Quiz-master? Pimp... hehe couldn't resist!
Anyway perhaps the only way to achieve greatness is to have the guts to take the risk to venture into an unconventional professsion. Noone I know has the guts...
Everything I write, prefix "IMHO" to it.
We have already discussed it, but I'll still write that because it might affect the comments of other readers of your blog.
So, in my viewpoint, ours is the best profession in the sense that we (should) get handsomely paid and therefore if we can manage, we can pursue our interests without having to worry about the financial aspects of it (in most cases). Best example of this is the quiz master who visited our campus this time, probably you can tell the name as I don't remember it. He is a S/W engineer and also a quiz master side-by-side.
But what if you find yourself busy in the office most of the time and do not manage to devote sufficient time to your 'interests' (which I expect to happen)?
Btw, when I was in the Honeywell PPT, I got an idea. You can be a HR employee in some top-notch organization 'coz that way you'll get to visit to so many campuses for Campus Recruitment (Remember you wanted to do something which included lots of travel?) :-P
@SP: Hopefully my state space search will yield a solution close to the optimum sometime soon - proof that we can still be geeks in any field that we choose to take up :)
@Arjun: Photographer - I'm not good enough; Quizmaster - hmm...; Pimp - interesting thought. (Do you think I have what it takes? :P)
Guts is exactly what is necessary. Especially in a society like ours (mine) where people with unconventional jobs are looked upon with suspicion.
@Varun: Like I said, it's basically a choice between a job as a facilitator and a job as a passion. And your point about devoting sufficient time to one's interests is bang on - that's another thing that's driving me away from following the beaten path.
And trust me, if I become an HR guy, I won't give presentations as uninformative and boring as the Honeywell thing!
@all: The easy part was expressing my dissatisfaction :) The tough part is figuring out what I want to do instead. Need to give it a little more thought.
u just spoke out what i had been holding on all these days ...
Personally, this has been the best post ive read in a long time in anybodys blog. Simply because this post is painted with honesty and reality. I guess as a fellow grad student, I totally understand what you say. Werent you the one who said in SPs blog that if you dont a make an effort in being good at something youve choosen, what is the purpose in life. I think for some of us, to realise that we will never become a great one is the first step.
P.S: next time try not to be so blunt. It cant be really good for the ego!!
@Arun: It's surprising to discover that many people, including you have had these thoughts. I guess people are not as contented as I thought they were.
@Kierthi: Thanks da. I was quoting SP himself while replying on his blog, but I stand by those words - aiming high is necessary, whether or not the path chosen is the one we really want.
And yes, it's been a bit of an ego buster, but I don't really mind, as long as there's a chance that it will help me figure out what I want.
..................
For a change it's a regular quote of mine that someone attributed to you.... grrrr.... usually, your bad jokes get attributed to me and my good jokes (well, they're ALL good, so let us say, my BEST jokes) get attributed to you.
@Einsteinophile: " "
@SP: So that's where I got my reputation for lack of a sense of humour from! Your pathetic anti-logical utterances have made me look like the bad guy. Grrr...
Life is strange.. I mean one needs the net to find another blogger in IITK... :-)
Hi... first time here and I liked what I read...
Drop in sometime at my place.... I call it Alone With Life And Hypocrisy
-- Alien
That was one post with utmost sincerity and honesty! I agree with you on the financial security part, which gives us absolute freedom to pursue our life's calling!
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