THE 4TH IDIOT
“Life is too short to….”
Since the emergence of
that phrase in the early years of the millennium, it has been one of the most
adopted phrases, used to provide reasons to do… or not to do something. A quick
instance – When people ask me why I don’t really watch Indian movies, my
response is “life is too short to watch a movie for 5 hours (I exaggerate. I know.
Bite me). Indians are so skilled in strategically embedding music videos in
movies.
Am I the only one who
skips it past the singing and dancing part?
Just sitting to write
now, I remember one Indian movie that got me hooked from start to finish. I couldn’t
even skip the singing and dancing parts. It was just too good to be skipped. It
wasn’t any shorter than usual (2hrs 51mins) but it was a perfect blend of the
right ingredients needed to make a badass movie, and one of the few movies to
earn a hundred percent on Rotten Tomatoes. But I’m not writing a movie review.
You see, most times, a
lot of us journey through life, unconsciously using pressure as the compass, forgetting
that life itself is one big “pressure” park. Just like we’ll select whether we’re
using the Carousel, the Swing, the Bumper Car, or the Roller Coaster, we should
also select the pressure we’re paying attention to, at different points in our
lives. A couple of things go right, more go wrong, when pressure is applied.
That’s why sometimes I
look around and realize a lot of us might just be the 4th idiot from the
movie “3 Idiots”. A lot of people walk around, transferring aggression like
Viru “Virus” Sahastrabudhhe, others like Raju Rastogi, totally dependent on
spirituality to waddle through life’s pressures; others like Farhan “Fahrenheit”,
forming “mans not hot” but burning and choking up deep inside.
Oh! Not also forgetting
those of us like Chatur “Silencer” who’s reaction to pressure is simply “The End
Justifies The Means”. Then of course, the “Rancho”, pressured into living other
people’s lives. One thing that makes no sense is when people do what they hate
just so they can be paid enough to afford the things they love. Which is the
reason some people only smile at month ends. I’m serious.
A lot of “4th idiot” sports
personalities, suiting up to the bank daily. “4th idiot” farmers, sitting in a
cubicle, wearing headsets and robotically reciting “Thank you for calling XYZ
telecoms. How may I help you today?”. “4th idiot” job seekers, searching for
employment for 4 years, when their businesses should be celebrating its 4th
anniversary. A lot of us are just living lives according to societal, cultural,
financial, and emotional pressures around us.
Our words may be
false, our actions may be deceptive, but pressure is a revealer. Give two
people the same task. One who’s just there for the money you promised to pay at
the end and another who’s not only skilled, but also passionate about that
thing and see the contrast in their results. It’s time to stop being the “4th
idiot” and exchange the “Pressure Compass” we’ve carried all these while for
the “Passion Compass”.
“Follow your passion, for
on that path lies the Joy of living a fulfilled life”
Cheers!
PS: To fully
understand this article, you might need to first watch the Indian movie “3
Idiots”.
Mature Minds Talk
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