Half time report
Its a shame by the time I got to writing this, it is already 2 months since I first thought about writing this. I have more than a couple of reasons for this and they must be documented for the sheer enormity of their influence in our daily lives. Yes, one is predictably and ironically Technology and the other is Divided Time.
It has been 6 months in Malaysia and if I simply had to write my plans down as I had them when I landed here and recite them in past tense as if having done them, I could seriously compete with Anthony Bourdain for a prime time travel show. Of course none of my plans have worked out but that has absolutely no connection with the theme of this post. Its just a passing thought, one of thousands that zip past me when I am busy thinking, doing, walking or even pretending to be busy. Our lives are becoming a mash-up of so many tiny fragments of actions that in the end I fear they might not add up to anything. What I have chosen to call the culture of distraction, luckily enough for me it is a rarely used hashtag on twitter, is becoming the reason why we know more and more about nothing.
The other day I came across a marketing initiative by ET on something called half knowledge. This is a product of distraction. Knowing just enough is unlocking far more opportunities for far more people than it ever has. At least I see it happening everyday, more people are donning their know-all hats with such confidence that the confidence in itself dissuades people around them to listen. The age of information and the fear of missing out is actually a hunting ground for those with scratch the surface knowledge and a desire to ramp up quick. If you talk to me about penguins and their mating habits and I feel compelled to respond to you engagingly by insisting that I love watching the Discovery channel and love penguins, I have begun what I now like to call the downward spiral of my humility and knowledge. However if I admit that I cannot contribute as meaningfully to this discussion, I have drawn the line between pointless drab and meaningful dialogue. However, the world will judge you for the words you say and for that matter even the words you dont say. More precisely, if you listen to most conversations intently enough, those talking to you are responding to what they think you will say. Surprise them and leave them shocked.
I also intended to make a passing mention of my time in Malaysia. It has been an enriching 6 months of new people, new but old work and a mixed bag of emotions. In retrospect, well in the context of this blog post that is, I feel the 6 months experience requires a separate blog post.
I started out by saying technology was at the center of my inertia. While I am writing this, the Twitter tab tells me there are already 50 new tweets dying for my attention, there are 3 new emails waiting in the wings and it is best if I dont even get started on the meaningless youtube videos playing in my background. Together they are ready to split the single most precious thing I had only a few days back - time. Till just some years back, I used to have 24 hours which I used to plan and play for. Well, now I have 12 blocks of time each with 2 hours fitted inside them. I am reasonably confident I have 2 hours in each block, some of my unfortunate contemporaries are stuck with lesser. Its not a choice, its an inheritance of our age.
I can already see this post ending abruptly, I am not surprised but I am glad I got this far.
It has been 6 months in Malaysia and if I simply had to write my plans down as I had them when I landed here and recite them in past tense as if having done them, I could seriously compete with Anthony Bourdain for a prime time travel show. Of course none of my plans have worked out but that has absolutely no connection with the theme of this post. Its just a passing thought, one of thousands that zip past me when I am busy thinking, doing, walking or even pretending to be busy. Our lives are becoming a mash-up of so many tiny fragments of actions that in the end I fear they might not add up to anything. What I have chosen to call the culture of distraction, luckily enough for me it is a rarely used hashtag on twitter, is becoming the reason why we know more and more about nothing.
The other day I came across a marketing initiative by ET on something called half knowledge. This is a product of distraction. Knowing just enough is unlocking far more opportunities for far more people than it ever has. At least I see it happening everyday, more people are donning their know-all hats with such confidence that the confidence in itself dissuades people around them to listen. The age of information and the fear of missing out is actually a hunting ground for those with scratch the surface knowledge and a desire to ramp up quick. If you talk to me about penguins and their mating habits and I feel compelled to respond to you engagingly by insisting that I love watching the Discovery channel and love penguins, I have begun what I now like to call the downward spiral of my humility and knowledge. However if I admit that I cannot contribute as meaningfully to this discussion, I have drawn the line between pointless drab and meaningful dialogue. However, the world will judge you for the words you say and for that matter even the words you dont say. More precisely, if you listen to most conversations intently enough, those talking to you are responding to what they think you will say. Surprise them and leave them shocked.
I also intended to make a passing mention of my time in Malaysia. It has been an enriching 6 months of new people, new but old work and a mixed bag of emotions. In retrospect, well in the context of this blog post that is, I feel the 6 months experience requires a separate blog post.
I started out by saying technology was at the center of my inertia. While I am writing this, the Twitter tab tells me there are already 50 new tweets dying for my attention, there are 3 new emails waiting in the wings and it is best if I dont even get started on the meaningless youtube videos playing in my background. Together they are ready to split the single most precious thing I had only a few days back - time. Till just some years back, I used to have 24 hours which I used to plan and play for. Well, now I have 12 blocks of time each with 2 hours fitted inside them. I am reasonably confident I have 2 hours in each block, some of my unfortunate contemporaries are stuck with lesser. Its not a choice, its an inheritance of our age.
I can already see this post ending abruptly, I am not surprised but I am glad I got this far.
posted by Saurabh at
12:03 AM
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