The title itself may bother some.. Why should some one have a thirst for mediocrity ? In an ideal world and thinking, it may not be so... But we hardly live in one. The beauty is that everybody practices it and no one just wants to admit it. Right from the vegetable vendor who may sell you pieces of rotten stuff among good ones or have an uncalibrated weight up to a relationship manager in an MNC bank. I have long wondered why this happens almost everywhere and at most of the times (By most I mean 99%). I suppose it has to do with the intention on the part of the practicing mediocran (that is a cool phrase coined by me) to complete the work he is doing - which at most instances refers to rendering service to a customer. The purpose of a service is expected to be fulfillment of the service seekers' expectation. But here we only seek to complete the work - however shabby and incomplete it may be. My theory is substantiated by countless examples... It is also reflected in the state of things around us. We MAKE good things but do not make them to last long or take care of them. Hence the bad roads, the building which loses its radiance quickly and so on. Some may argue it is because we do not maintain them. Well, I would say that it is part of the whole scheme of work. Building some thing that cannot be maintained (either by design or by intention), providing a service that cannot be sustained all fall under the umbrella of mediocrity.
One of the oft repeated phrases is "New" in everything you buy - be it service or a product. For these people who provide these "New" stuff, it is an escape from the previously existent entity which was left incomplete... None of the things that are advertised as "New" sustain for long. Why is that ? I strongly feel it again points to mediocrity. Do some thing, label it "New", push it in the market, people will buy it and by the time they realise, push another one that is "latest".
One of the oft repeated phrases is "New" in everything you buy - be it service or a product. For these people who provide these "New" stuff, it is an escape from the previously existent entity which was left incomplete... None of the things that are advertised as "New" sustain for long. Why is that ? I strongly feel it again points to mediocrity. Do some thing, label it "New", push it in the market, people will buy it and by the time they realise, push another one that is "latest".
1 comment:
Sir
Never knew you had a blog in place 12 years back and hats off to your prescient thinking that it would get picked on more than a decade later. As you have correctly and very elegantly mentioned, the concept or problem or issue (or whatever else one may call it)is that the of mediocrity lies in our soul being passed on generation to generation to a chalta hai attitude.
I would not blame the polity entirely for not having the knowledge that is required to provide a non-medicore atmosphere given that they also rose from the sludge and morass that encompasses us but also added to its sullifying odor, visage and tang.
Sometimes you need intellectualism to discuss, share and more often than not argue and shout about. It is ok to agree to disagree. But given the almost evanescent firmament of quality of discussion, it does lead to fatigue of the mind when surrounded with mediocrity - people actually wear this on their sleeve, collar and feel pretty proud about it.
the unedifying scene and threat of continued displacements in the industry is not adding to the already existing mediocrity.
Looks like we have to put up with the same like we bear heat, dust and added to it the perennial water scarcity of chennai.
Looks like forebearance is going to be the mantra for us - stay patient be focussed and wait for the rot around us to rot further.
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