[A lot of this is going to sound hackneyed and childish. There is language that some might regret reading. Go away.]
Whether working for two years before doing an MTech was a good idea is still somewhat an open question. Well, there are a lot of questions there, but one thing I got was perspective.
Mundanely enough, I understand a lot more about personal finances than I did, and that’s a good thing. (I just read Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Content is okay, but presentation is very much teh suck)
Secondly, I now have a lot more perspective on how exploitative work life is today (hope a certain friend doing 16-hour days isn’t reading this … if you are, don’t tell me I didn’t warn you). Whether we want it or not, we all (I’m generalising, so sue me) fall into the trap — this needs to be done, this is a really important project
. Agendas (agendae?), prioritised action items. It’s how we’re programmed — hard work good, life bad. So fucking forth.
To what end? More work, greater responsibility (so that’s okay), more stress, a litle more money for me, a lot more money for my employer. Corporations continue to exploit customers and consumers. The rich slowly get richer, the cog turns a little faster, that it’s master needn’t wait so long to rake in that much more. Time with your family? Don’t make me laugh. Participate in social
activities (there are things other than cocktail parties, cherie)? The Master owns your society, and deigns that you need not participate.
I’m bad at articulating this shit. There are many who are infinitely better. And all for nought. Noam Chomsky likes to think that the revolution is coming. That’s a load of bull. No such thing is happening. And I think he Gandhi said something cloyingly optimistic to the effect that The Man is always beaten. Fat fucking chance this times. You’ve been pwn3d. Deal with it.
Ah yes, it’s Chuck Palahniuk that articulates it better. I remember now. Him and a bunch of others.
Alright. Break’s over. Back to the wheel, boys and girls.
7 Comments
Its true. So, what ya gona do about it?
Turns out whether it’s Chomsky, Gandhi or Palahniuk, or Rand for that matter, all their theories were..theories.. Not really followable, just idle fantasies of a “better” world.. better my ass.. V ain’t coming to start a revolution, bud.. Nor is there a Neo to liberate us.. Just understand that you are being raped, and it’s inevitable..so, don’t bother struggling..Just enjoy the sex..
But, isnt it all upto us? If we want we can dare to be different. I know that it might not be possible for us now, but we do have the option which we are not taking up.
Well.. This is a question we ask ourselves at every point in life..To answer your question, Yes..It is upto us only.. Now, I ask you, Are you willing to step forward and change yourself, be different, be a revolutionary, knowing no one else might join you in your struggle? Or will you remain as you are, within your shell, feeling the semblance of safety that routine and order has imposed upon you? Are you willing to give up that illusion of safety to brave the resistance you will encounter? Or rather, will the common man do that? As i see it , each one of us would wait for another martyr we can cheer for or jeer at, rather than fight for someone else..
Yes, thats right. Because, its not just about us. When I have to think about anything, I have the family in the background to think too. But, it is not that everybody would sit and wait for someone else to come up and show how to do it. Only time will tell..
I believe the word for this is pwn3d. :)
Ooh, I know what you mean! So, during my last year of B.Tech, we had one of those year-end projects. And I thought, since its for a nice long 4 months, I woud go to Mysore and visit all the neighboring little villages of B’lore and all that. did NOTHING. sat in lab nearly 18 hours everyday (much of it browsing the Net), and now when I look back, can’t recall ANYTHING of importance that I did, working so much.
Now, am trying very hard to feel like I should work less and live more. But yeah, like you said, its been ingrained in us that we need to work more and that life is work.