Monster on the loose!
Beware. A
massively hostile monster looms around the globe preying on each person it can
find and completely inconspicuous to the eye. Every human being finds a
vulnerable pedestal in the monster’s perspective and nonchalantly falls into
the benign trap that the monster lays down for him. But the irony is that when questioned,
nobody concedes the monstrosity of this creature and rather complies with it
blindly leaving the monster completely unnoticed and unhindered. The monster
apparently has a voracious appetite that consists of a plate full of human
misconception and illusion. It also apparently has a name for it, Theoretical
Dependence.
Now I’m
perfectly aware that this might be the most outlandish thing you have ever read
about and will choose to deny. But let’s not get bogged down by who's a monster
and who isn’t and try analysing the roots of Theoretical Dependence as a whole.
Everything that our human brain comprehends, is perceived as a theory by us.
May it be the occurrence of natural phenomena, ancient scriptures, literature
and many more. It’s always a theoretical explanation that we discern and
remember. This practice has been going on since ages till date. All was going
well until we humans callously began to consider that Theoretical excellence is
the undisputed ultimatum in life and began to venerate it absolutely oblivious
of the consequences.
The biggest
thriving example of this fact is observed in most schools and educational
institutions. When the theoretical supremacy is perceived in the form of marks
and grades, not all students are gifted enough to flair through successfully.
The ones who are unable to do so are ruthlessly looked down upon which
unilaterally relegates their confidence and enthusiasm. It’s the age of steadfast
competition and only those students who outperform in exams are considered examples
of excellence with preconceived notions of guilt and remorse for the rest of
them.
But if we
hold our horses for a second, exams essentially are meant to test a student’s
understanding of a particular subject. If the student manages to efficiently
perform well, it simply reflects the fact that the student is quite familiar
with the subject. If the opposite happens then the student requires assistance
in the understanding of the subject. It looks like a docile hypothesis yet somehow;
the high-performance student is rewarded with accolades and revels and the
other student is merely ridiculed and offered disregard.
Little do
we realize that academic excellence isn’t the only quality that exists on this
planet. There are innumerable talents and attributes that a student can possess
other than just scoring marks in an exam. It could be performing arts,
management, public speaking and whatnot. Yet, unfortunately most educational
institutions do not provide the equitable podium to students to demonstrate exemplary
performances in these aspects in comparison to academic exams.
Another
example of this can be seen quite clearly in the society where there is a
subtle grading system to the jobs which various people do that is absolutely
thick witted of a concept. For example, a sweeper or a cleaner is considered to
have an unsubstantial job whereas a person working in a magnanimous sales marketing
company is looked at with awe. It is an incontestable fact that the incomes of
the respective individuals may differ. But the meaningfulness of the jobs they
perform are undeniably equal. All that extra importance which the latter receives
is like beating a dead horse. If no sense at all! The people who believe that
the cleaner’s job is insignificant are living in an impalpable spell because
they are ignorant of the fact that if the cleaner doesn’t do his job, then
diseases will prolong, our beautified surroundings will suddenly develop a
ghastly layer of garbage all over it and miseries will be unstoppable.
This form
of attenuated ignorance in our minds is what has proliferated the monster and
has made us completely vulnerable against it. Then comes the burning question. ‘Can
the monster ever be apprehended by us?’ The
fortunate answer is yes. But before I’m candid about it, let me narrate an
uncanny short story that displays this aspect.
A priest who
lived in a small village was once taking a ferry ride across the river that was
at the outskirts of his village in order to cross it. It was a torrid afternoon
and the boatman was languidly veering forward in the mild current of the water.
This caused the priest to absolutely embrace boredom, and he was in a dire
requirement of something to pass his time. That’s when he decided to strike a
conversation with one of the men sitting across him. The man introduced himself
to be a farmer who had spent his whole life toiling in fields and had very
little to do with academics. That’s when the peremptory priest acquired an opportunity
to display his theoretical excellence and began asking the farmer questions. ‘So,
have you ever studied the ancient scriptures of Vedas?’ To this the farmer
simply replied no. The priest exclaimed and said” Oh! Well I have and it turns
out by not doing so you have wasted quarter of your life’ He then presented a
different question ‘Have you ever read the Upanishads?’ Again, the farmer
denied this. ‘Oh dear! You have wasted half of your life by not doing so’
Yet another
question followed, ‘Have you ever read the famous epics and war stories?’ to
which the predicted answer was a denial. Oh! My! Three quarters of your life
lays wasted!’ Suddenly the boat began to pick up speed vigorously and the
priest began to get alarmed. The boatman made a terrifying announcement. ‘A storm
approaches and the boat is a bout to overturn.’ The farmer immediately asked
the priest, ‘Dear sir, do you know to swim?’. The priest who had spent all his
time studying those magnanimous texts, hadn’t ever tried to swim. So, he helplessly said no. To this the farmer could simply say, ‘Your entire life is
about to be wasted!’
The answer
to that burning question lies in this story itself. Pragmatism. Actually, the
essential requirement for an individual is the proficiency in performing
practical tasks. No doubt, theoretical excellence is most beneficial. But if an
individual wants to procure himself to be well-rounded, then practical knowledge
stands at a much higher pedestal than theoretical knowledge. It is matter less
whether a person is theoretically aware or not. But it is imperative that a
person develops his or her practical skills in the best way possible.
A lion doesn’t study a book written on hunting
and the gives an exam on it. A swimmer doesn’t learn to swim by reading the
theory based on it. He simply dives into water and picks it up. A scientist doesn’t
make the most startling inventions by simply solving an exam paper and reading
some books. He experiments and works practically with his apparatus and attains
success. Examples are limitless.
As a bottom
line, theoretical expertise has its own importance. It makes our fundamental
understanding of our surroundings robust. But the knowledge we acquire stays futile
if we don’t practically implement it somewhere in order to make a difference or
betterment. By favouring individuals who are theoretically acclaimed, not only
are we feeding the monster in surplus, but we’re also hitting the axe on our
own feet by neglecting the sequestered talents and abilities which other
individuals possess which could have the most formidable applications to uplift
the surroundings and the world as a whole.
So, let us
all slay the monster with the sword of pragmatism and ensure that each and
every talent of all individuals is fostered and given equal opportunities to
exhibit them in the most virtuous manner possible. The world will truly be a
greater place to thrive in!
That’s all
for this one. Do provide any feedback in the comments, it will be appreciated
Signing off!
Soo true ! Developing practical knowledge deserves more recognition and importance ...Looking forward to the next post !
ReplyDeleteThanks a ton!!
DeleteAbsolutely! Theoretical knowledge is quite overrated. Love the example of the farmer and the priest!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks 😊👍
Delete