The Middle Class

This post is partly inspired by the usage of the term "Middle Class" by a friend of mine who is now at Microsoft. I guess he must have forgotten this by now.

One of the perks of being a Computer Science student is understanding the process of Abstraction. Well simply put abstraction is knowing something on a need to know basis. One of the best examples is a light switch. We all know that if we turn on the switch, the bulb glows. We certainly don't have to know what processes are triggered when we turn on the switch or how the electrons flow from one place to another or the so.

My definition of talent is sometimes abstracted to only two levels : 1)The middle class, 2)The Wunderkind. The Wunderkind is an enigma. He can be the basis of the theist rebuttal argument to the atheist. He can achieve what he wants and the achievement will come as no surprise to anybody. His successes are awe-inspiring. Everyone aspires to be him, but it ain't that easy. The crests and troughs in his brain are wired for greatness. Add a few qualities like hard work, discipline and commitment and hey presto! you have a machine whose output is always correct. Talking about him is only redundant for you all have seen him somewhere in your life.

I now go to The Middle Class. In the line PQ, if point P is dull and point Q is genius, our hero will stand at the mid point, i.e (P+Q)/2. He is at a certain advantage here. He surely knows that he has to move forward thereby increase his proximity to genius. He also knows where a fall back would lead him. Surprisingly enough! you would see that in life it is Middle class that struggles much harder than anyone. Nothing is given on a platter to him. He needs to work hard and even harder. The Law of Equivalent Exchange is only for Physics and Chemistry. Life does not work that way. He faces constant failures but his endeavor to succeed never ceases. By Hook or Crook he shall try to move a rung up in the ladder of success. The Wunderkind has genius in him, but the Middle Class has fortitude in him. It is this fortitude that carries him forward. It is this fortitude that allows him to scale heights. It is this fortitude that inspires his fellow Middle Class to work harder. He looks in awe at The Wunderkind and tailors the ethics to suit his needs. In life he has a higher percentage of survival and success thanThe Wunderkind. Oh! if you look around you would see that he is not affected by any criticisms. He has a sound mechanism to block it and carry on with his work.

Now why did I write this post? It is because I also came across What it takes to be great?. Oh yeah I guess I must have posted this long ago somewhere else too, but then one shouldn’t forget the article, not because it gives the hope to an otherwise dull mind, that it has all the ingredients in it to aspire for greatness, but because it motivates the same dull brain to come with, at least a percentage of work that is considered better than ordinary :-).

That sense of Awkwardness

Awkward : socially uncomfortable; unsure and constrained in manner; "awkward and reserved at parties"; "ill at ease among eddies of people he didn't know"; "was always uneasy with strangers"

Have you ever been in an awkward social situation? How do you react to that? Do you get carried away by the moment? Do you really reflect on it? Do you later on try to view the situations with your inner eye? How much of what people say do you really care about? What do you do in the following situations:

The Sudden meet: So you have great friends. As friends you hang out together, you make plans for weekends, you make fun of each other and all the normal things that friends do. There cometh a time when the friends move on especially when they find potential life partners. Their lives become different then. The luncheons become progressively lesser, meets rarely do happen. The times become hectic. Suddenly out of a blue you meet each other. Both of you have nothing to say. What happens next? Awkwardness

The Repartee : So you for a long time bear the brunt of teasing in your group. One fine day you just happen to joke on one of the others. The person receiving it takes it so badly that sometimes the accusation of negativity drops on you. What do you do to reply? Every other day the person would have been taking their liberties on you, making fun of you with all and sundry. All this takes a negative turn when you give the joke back to them. The next moment all you feel is plain Awkwardness.

The Worker : You bug your best friend to do a lot of work for you. He might be better than you at certain computing tasks. You get all your work done from him. You have the audacity to disturb him and go to the extent of even getting upset since he does not finish your tasks. After everything gets over, suddenly you vanish. You become more important. You have everything now. The next time when he calls you, you ask your office colleague to pick the phone for you. How would your friend react next? Awkward

The Accusation : So you have your certain set of interests. You have your ambitions. You love doing certain things. What happens when somebody says that you do the very things to satisfy somebody else or to be approved by a group. The next moment your whole life flashes behind you. You look at yourself moving through time and then take a moment to get back. Another gem of an Awkward moment.

Life is a roller coaster ride of little moments. One cannot be his best at every given point in time. One aspires to be. Sometimes, the best of them would lose track in the constant barrage of negative cannons thrown at them. Obviously one has to take it. Because only in falling can we rise up again

PS : I really don't know what to write on a rainy day. These were just reflections of a mind which is tired.