Introspection

It has been an interesting journey for me after I got my B.Tech degree. I have been living in Hyderabad and preparing for civil services ever since. I believe I developed as a person and my perspectives have grown broader during these 4-5 months.

My views on leaders:

I used to have a heavily skewed perception of our leaders. In primary school we are taught  that great leaders like Gandhi, Nehru, Tilak etc. are awesome. In secondary school and teenage years we learn about the flaws of these great men. Believe me when I learned as a kid that Chacha Nehru smokes cigarettes and most probably had an illicit affair with Lady Mountbatten, my heart was broken and I started positively hating him. Finally when I reconciled with the truth that all these leaders are just humans with flaws and started reading about these leaders again I realized their contributions to the society. I understood that their greatness does not lie in their virtuosity but on the great impact they had on the society. 

My views on people:

After hearing the rantings of my room-mate on the shortcomings of other people, I realized how judgmental each of us can become due to trivial issues. Every time I judge a person, I remember my room-mates pettiness and try to think positively about the other person. Then there is this whole oxymoron thing where I become judgmental of people who are judgmental. I often wonder how easy life would be if one can live one's philosophy !

My views on situations:

It is not just people who have two sides, every decision has merits and demerits,every situation has positives and negatives.One has to hear both sides. I am not sure if there is any decision one can make that can do justice to everybody . As I am living in Hyderabad I get to hear the perspective of Telangana people on why they want a separate state. I understood the complexity of state division and my idealistic view of not dividing the state is shattered. The truth in Neitzsche's statement 'There are no facts,only interpretations' dawned on my dumb head.

My views on girls:

I used to be afraid of talking to girls.Even my limited interaction with opposite sex during my IIT days used to be awkward. I found my fears unfounded when I befriended some girls in my coaching center. I understood what an idiot I have been for the last four years. Of course, my new policy of not reading too much into conversations did help me. Finally I have friends who are girls :)

My views in general:

As I read more and more I grasped the meaning of Socrates quote 'The only thing I know is that I know nothing'. The moment one thinks that he knows something, that is the moment he stops learning. There are different perspectives floating in the intellectual spheres. The moment we decide to hook on to a perspective, our ability to view the world in a different perspective gets narrowed. When we approach any subject it is better to keep an open mind. It is possible that a new idea may surprise us,overwhelm us,reward us. There are multiple truths. Never zero on a truth and believe that it is the only truth. You may miss out on something better.