The Alter Ego..

Photo by Bhawani

“Tell me the name of the person you wish to be like”, asked John Williams. “You may also share why but that’s optional”.

“Al Gore”. I replied. “He is one of those who have taken up the fight against common greed”.

We were attending a workshop conducted by John Williams, the principal and founder of an Australian consulting firm called JHW Pty Ltd. After replying I sat down, thinking whether it was necessary to share the why. It came out of spontaneity as I have been impressed with Al Gore’s contribution and the purpose he carries in life, though I found some of the participants immediately gave that 'W..t..f..' look.

Today we justify our interactions only on a profit scale and if there is no profit, any thought or action in that direction is considered wastage of time and energy. This mindset has reached most of us already. The greed has us already. Everything is business and we are supposed to mind our own business.

Even professions, which are supposed to be guided by method, have turned into businesses (and thus guided by result). As I look around, the professions like teaching, sports; practices like medicine, legal, consulting have already become businesses.

And then it’s futile to blame organizations for it because at the other end, we ourselves are the organization (as shareholders, promoters, owners) that believes in cutting cost and getting rid of employees to ensure distributable profits. Till the time we are not impacted as employees, we prefer talking about profits.

This business mindedness has already brought our personal life, other’s life, overall society’s existence at risk. For all of us it is important to come out of this psyche. I guess then only we will be able to avoid the collapse of the family and social systems.

And to begin with, it will be my personal milestone to keep the methods alive in pursuit of the result.

Photo by Ravi Garg