We read this case study in HR once, ‘how low you can go’. It was particularly about clinching a business deal by satisfying clients' unethical demands. The two marketing guys have to decide if they agree to it. The one against supplying Russian chicks to satiate the customer believed that besides it being unethical and debased, they may have to fulfill his other even more unreasonable demands later on. The other contested, if they don't do it now, somebody else shall do it and they will eventually end up losing the business. I wasn't very observant of HR case studies as it was not my major subject, but this one still intrigues me. Personally, over time from first year of MBA to 3 years into corporate world, i've shifted my inclination towards the latter guy- grab the deal, everything's fair in business; we'll worry later about what next is demanded. So does that mean, i'm now 'lowerer'…
So who decides black & white, how do we know if something is unscrupulous, how do you actually evaluate conscience. Yes, upbringing and society has to with it. But no parents teach their kids to dope or cheat in exams. I've observed whenever we have a dilemma over if this is the correct thing to do, the secret is, we always know what we want in the first place. We just start justifying the act. Like, cheating on one's wife. One may justify it by saying...my wife doesn't have time for me anyway, all she does is crib about kids and expenses and chores and her weight. She nags me incessantly, we have fights almost all the time, our sex life is zilch, and she doesn't even cook my favorite dish anymore. I work hard from day to night, poor man deserves some happiness, some relaxation, some love (even if purely carnal)....i'll tell her that I have to stay overnight in office for a presentation coming up next week. I'll lie that I may be promoted soon, at least it'll make her less pesky about it.
Or as simple as jumping a red light. We say to ourselves, what a useless junction to put up traffic light, it’s actually become a bottleneck here. Traffic too isn’t much at this hour...no cop on duty I see. Think i'll save some time; after all India is actually winning after such a long time. I always have to settle for highlights....Prashant does it all the time. And you drive through. Now many more such red-lights will follow and you'll hit the pedal much sooner.
There are so many acts we commit over life which to an observer sitting outside may pronounce as 'wrong', but in our train of thought the heart and mind reaches a reconciliation where we follow the heart and mind gets us the morally legal getaway. While we do this we have mentally set our ethical bar an inch lower, so that this particular act can cross the threshold in future without much mental negotiation to the territory marked 'correct'. We progressively keep indulging and keep lowering the bar till....probably till one can keeps getting away with it...till one can digest the fear of being nabbed or convicted. It was very long back, but a very senior person in our organization, well known for his candid remarks at the most inopportune time once said, "We all would have been rapists, it is only for the law we don't dare". Of course, the quantum of immorality attributed to different actions will vary and some, to society at large may even appear innocent (like fagging! because so many patronize it), but committing every such deed is like making headway towards being unprincipled…for some little by little and for some in leaps and bounds.
Ok, so I’ve pretty much covered up my sins :), but do we ever raise this slab. Surely we must be, otherwise all oldies would be outlaws. Take our parents. They are honest tax payers, perfect couple, don't cut corners, follow traffic rules, don't smoke..blah blah.......Or do they hide all this from their kids efficiently their entire life to put up a ideal family picture. Or are they too tired for any more adventures. Or they're too scared to reveal.
But for sure, nobody lives a guiltless life like Forrest Gump.
Mmm....I found it hard it's hard to find.....Oh well whatever never mind...hello, hello, hello...how low???
Friday, February 18, 2011
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Top 10 ways we waste our time
When do we say we have wasted our time?
I believe when work done is zero, no matter how many newtons of force is applied, is when we have wasted our time. But what about the fact that we actually ‘tried’..well honey..it doesn’t even matter! I know it sounds uncouth, but thats not just me. You couldn’t complete the presentation on time, you couldn’t churn out the magical numbers by month end, you couldn’t save a dying relationship, you missed your flight, your kids went to school without having breakfast…end result zilch..so all we did to reach this point, even if it was missing it just by a breadth of a hair, is useless..waste of time (hence LHS=RHS!!) But still the fact is that we TRIED. Alright! Alright!…then there must be other things where we actually waste our time. Keeping aside the activity of looking out for misplaced things like specs on top of your head, I’ve listed all I could think of:
1) This tops my list, Waiting for a call from your beloved – Mmmm…dreamy? Get up moron! (smack in the head). That’s the worst way you can waste your time and if we see, talking to them in itself a waste of time, especially if it’s 19 hours and 34 mins (prove me wrong with the stats..ha!) out of a day. What did u have? What you did in the last 10 min? Missed me? Come on! Getta life!
2) Following a test match and India loses – you are too shocked to even move..more out of the realization that you wasted time on this(!) than being hurt on India losing. Now you know why we are such huge fans of 20-20. Our players won’t improve, so lets save ourselves the effort.
3) Channel hopping – hair spray that grows your hair back in ten days or money back guarantee plus 211 people corroborating that. Saas-bahu saga where everything moves at snail’s pace, you hop back and they are still staring (don’t know where)..trying to look worried or constipated with dramatic sound effects in the background. No movie can ever be caught from the beginning, and when you do, it was not worth your time. So a complete waste of time unless you know what to watch, even if that’s another piece of crap.
4) Walking – when we can drive or ride or hire or hijack! Sheer waste unless the intention is to lose a few pounds.
5) A few ‘cosmetic’ changes in your totally prepared report – I say this is the frustrate-them-enough-to-commit-suicide motto of anti-employee-bosses-rule association. When you are totally done with a report, complete with slides with hyperlinks and background in cornflower blue, that’s when your boss will say- can we break the ageing bucket of 60 to 90 into two or I think the data’s too revealing, lets cut first quarter figures. Its so painful (sob sob..)
6) Standing in the queues to pay bills – if u’re still doing it, pls switch to e-payments or rather don’t pay at all.
7) Making a list of debts you have to pay – chuck it coz you’ll never pay. So don’t make yourself feel like a thug.
8) Forwarding chain mails – that will bring you good luck, let you know how many true friends you have, every mail you forward will add a penny to operate 2 months old child heart and blah blah. Pls do yourself and others a favor. STOP IT.
9) Open book exams – examiner is so confident that even with books open everyone will flunk and students with the temptation don’t study at all and eventually fail (fan of irony?), so why conduct these except that it satiates one’s ego and grants another’s prayer for an official break from study (chill kar..open book hai!)
10) Writing honest feedback for a D-shaped suggestion box at the reception -- Leaving alone the risk that you may miss your flight for your over-indulgence, these are just another corporate initiatives to be adhered to by staff. Nobody reads them after initial fetish is over and even if they do, it’ll be finally used to wipe glasses panes (ever tried it? they do wonders!).
I believe when work done is zero, no matter how many newtons of force is applied, is when we have wasted our time. But what about the fact that we actually ‘tried’..well honey..it doesn’t even matter! I know it sounds uncouth, but thats not just me. You couldn’t complete the presentation on time, you couldn’t churn out the magical numbers by month end, you couldn’t save a dying relationship, you missed your flight, your kids went to school without having breakfast…end result zilch..so all we did to reach this point, even if it was missing it just by a breadth of a hair, is useless..waste of time (hence LHS=RHS!!) But still the fact is that we TRIED. Alright! Alright!…then there must be other things where we actually waste our time. Keeping aside the activity of looking out for misplaced things like specs on top of your head, I’ve listed all I could think of:
1) This tops my list, Waiting for a call from your beloved – Mmmm…dreamy? Get up moron! (smack in the head). That’s the worst way you can waste your time and if we see, talking to them in itself a waste of time, especially if it’s 19 hours and 34 mins (prove me wrong with the stats..ha!) out of a day. What did u have? What you did in the last 10 min? Missed me? Come on! Getta life!
2) Following a test match and India loses – you are too shocked to even move..more out of the realization that you wasted time on this(!) than being hurt on India losing. Now you know why we are such huge fans of 20-20. Our players won’t improve, so lets save ourselves the effort.
3) Channel hopping – hair spray that grows your hair back in ten days or money back guarantee plus 211 people corroborating that. Saas-bahu saga where everything moves at snail’s pace, you hop back and they are still staring (don’t know where)..trying to look worried or constipated with dramatic sound effects in the background. No movie can ever be caught from the beginning, and when you do, it was not worth your time. So a complete waste of time unless you know what to watch, even if that’s another piece of crap.
4) Walking – when we can drive or ride or hire or hijack! Sheer waste unless the intention is to lose a few pounds.
5) A few ‘cosmetic’ changes in your totally prepared report – I say this is the frustrate-them-enough-to-commit-suicide motto of anti-employee-bosses-rule association. When you are totally done with a report, complete with slides with hyperlinks and background in cornflower blue, that’s when your boss will say- can we break the ageing bucket of 60 to 90 into two or I think the data’s too revealing, lets cut first quarter figures. Its so painful (sob sob..)
6) Standing in the queues to pay bills – if u’re still doing it, pls switch to e-payments or rather don’t pay at all.
7) Making a list of debts you have to pay – chuck it coz you’ll never pay. So don’t make yourself feel like a thug.
8) Forwarding chain mails – that will bring you good luck, let you know how many true friends you have, every mail you forward will add a penny to operate 2 months old child heart and blah blah. Pls do yourself and others a favor. STOP IT.
9) Open book exams – examiner is so confident that even with books open everyone will flunk and students with the temptation don’t study at all and eventually fail (fan of irony?), so why conduct these except that it satiates one’s ego and grants another’s prayer for an official break from study (chill kar..open book hai!)
10) Writing honest feedback for a D-shaped suggestion box at the reception -- Leaving alone the risk that you may miss your flight for your over-indulgence, these are just another corporate initiatives to be adhered to by staff. Nobody reads them after initial fetish is over and even if they do, it’ll be finally used to wipe glasses panes (ever tried it? they do wonders!).
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Naming a blog
Why would you name your blog 'license to abstraction' or 'frugal thoughts' or 'thats just my opinion'. Naming a blog is almost like naming your thought that inspired you to create one! I've noticed that i almost always carry a contrasting view or sentiment than others, about everthing, but not very comfortable with the idea of exposing it uninvited, so the blog seems alright. Also, I thought i must graduate from commenting on posts to create on for my self and i wish that people actually contibute to my ideas, which may seem juvenile or offending or narrow to some. And in my defence, Thats just one man's opinion!
Best of all..u choose which comment to keep...wat else do you want! Why so late? well i used to think its lame..people care to just write their own stuff than reading and responding to others and it just ends up becoming a one-way traffic. i have come across such brilliant blogs but they could find no responses..like one since it was posted on 12 feb 09..It is vexing as well. But anyway i'm giving it a shot (when ppl are flocking to twitter..late again am i?)...
Best of all..u choose which comment to keep...wat else do you want! Why so late? well i used to think its lame..people care to just write their own stuff than reading and responding to others and it just ends up becoming a one-way traffic. i have come across such brilliant blogs but they could find no responses..like one since it was posted on 12 feb 09..It is vexing as well. But anyway i'm giving it a shot (when ppl are flocking to twitter..late again am i?)...
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