Humble Beginnings

I hate blogging. I admit it. I’ve never blogged before. To a seasoned reader, a blog will often let slip more about the writer than he or she intended to reveal. In many ways, it’s akin to getting naked. Oh it’s fine in the confines of your room, but imagine doing it in the middle of a Mumbai local during peak hour. Talk about being vulnerable. It’s like Superman handing out kryptonite to the Museum of Natural History. So what brings about this change of heart??? Is it because of a boring workplace, maybe an absence of a social life or is it a demented plot to woo the girl of my dreams with my magical words… (do chicks still dig bloggers btw?) !! Probably none of the above and yet all of the above. I’ll let you figure that one out. Either ways, I haven’t written in a while and my writing could use some practise. Pardon the numerous grammatical errors in the blog (Its artistic writing anyways!)

So now comes the next big question. What in heaven’s name do I blog about?? What would I have to say that would possibly interest people? It would’ve helped had I been a tsunami survivor or a Kargil veteran, but since I’m not I guess I’ll stick to the most readily available form of prose in existence.. ‘Unsolicited Advice’.

Yes, you heard me right. I’m now going to attempt to tell you how to take the right decisions in life. Given my mishaps in the recent past, I would like to believe I’m somewhat of an expert on this topic. I’m going to attempt to link popular philosophy with everyday existence.

I’m now going to paint my imaginary world as it stands. If you are an Indian with a high degree of scholastic aptitude, you’ll probably relate to my view of the world. In my world, life is a struggle and salvation lies in pursuing the golden Indian middle-class dream – a stable career, a car and a home. In my world, hard work is the answer. If you’re not top of your class since first grade you’re not working hard enough. If you’re not working for a multi-national with a fixed income and a pension plan, well, you’re not working hard enough. If you don’t get all 5’s in your appraisal, you’re obviously not working hard enough. In my world, the ultimate purpose of life is to do something just to be better than the next guy doing the same thing. In my world, people expect me to look at my outlook calendar in the morning and moan with orgasmic delight.

So how the hell do I exist in this world without being termed clinically insane? Well, I’ve finally nailed it down. It’s all about realizing that our worlds are a simple linear function of our own decisions. The question then is how to make the right decisions? Now I want you to take some time and think about a few of the big decisions you’ve made in your life. I believe that all decisions that we make in life can be classified into two types..

a) Instrumental Decisions: These are decisions that one takes because they believe it’s going to lead to something else, regardless of whether you enjoy it or find it worthwhile. You know, simple equation again. I do X because x is going to lead to Y which is going to lead to Z at some unprecedented time in the future.
b) Fundamental Decisions: These are decisions that one makes because they think it’s inherently valuable regardless of what it may or may not lead to.
Here’s a simple illustration. When you decide to go out for a drink, it’s a purely fundamental decision. You do it because it brings you joy at this current moment of existence. Now imagine when you decide to spend a weekend making a power-point presentation. A classic case of instrumental decision. You do it because you believe that it is going to affect your boss’ perception of you, which will in-turn affect your appraisal and ultimately a potential promotion 6 years down the line (A->B->C->D). Well, here’s news for you. Life has no freakin plan. Things are and will remain complex and chaotic. And above all, things change.


Whereas not all decisions are likely to be this simple, I presume you get the point. I do not advocate that you take fundamental decisions every single time, but as long as the fundamental ones are more than the instrumental ones, I believe you’ll lead a fairly content life. On the flip side, I realize that it’s not going to be easy. It implies incredibly difficult choices and inevitable obstacles. But I promise you that it will be a transformational experience, a broader and deeper appreciation of the immense possibilities in life. And you will always ensure that a ‘means to the end’ never becomes an end onto itself. So even if it feels like a mistake, go ahead and take those fundamental decisions. After all, the biggest mistake in life is to be afraid of making one.