Someone once asked a soldier, “why are you a soldier?’
“So my son can be a farmer, and his son can be a poet.” He replied.
In the modern day parlance, one can ask the question to a factory worker, and he would probably say that he is working hard so that his son can be a doctor or an engineer, and, if he enlightened like the soldier above, continue and say, “…so his son (or daughter) can be a liberal arts major.”
This was one of the major themes of an Indian movie called “Three Idiots” that I saw last month. It chronicles the life three students of a prestigious engineering college, modeled after the Indian Institute of Technology. The enlightened one amongst them keeps telling his buddies that they should follow their passions. “If photography is what you like, become a photographer, stop trying to become an engineer,” he tells one of them. Indeed, photographer is what he becomes.
This is an appropriate message for a nation where parents are obsessed about their sons becoming doctors or engineers.
It is also good message. At some point in a family’s history there should come a time when passion can trump practicality in choosing one’s profession. This will help the future generation in achieving happiness of the kind that does not depend on material things. The society at large will also benefit, because it is through passion that a culture can move forward.
However, remember that the soldier did not say that his son could be a poet, he would rather have his grandson become one. He sensed that without the prosperity brought about by someone in the family lineage, the farmer, such a dream would be impractical. He realized that without a financial cushion provided by his son, the poet would have a tough time.
Also, the little story stops at the third generation. It is unclear what the poet’s son would be doing. Could it be that the poet would say to his son, “Don’t do what I am doing. Go get some practical education and make a good living. This passion thing wears out after a while and the reality of hard living sets in.”
So will the cycle go into reverse?
May be.
May be not.
March 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I did see this movie in parts. (About 3/4 way). I agree that when a nation becomes obsessed with a one profession or another, this would deprive the nation of a true passion. I do take an exception in this write up when you write :“Don’t do what I am doing. Go get some practical education and make a good living. This passion thing wears out after a while and the reality of hard living sets in.”
ReplyDeleteTo me this senetence implies that liberal arts is not a "practical" education and one can not make a good living by being a liberal arts major. You may not have meant it, but that was the message I received.
Look at the person such as Zubin Mehta, he steered away from the career chosen by his parents to become a foremost conductor and artistic director. You could argue that in general, you may not make a good living if you follow professions such as music, or arts. My argument would be that one has to be happy with whatever he or she is doing. With all the money in the world, Howard Hughes died as a pauper. Generally if you are an artist, you would choose a lifestyle which is appropriate for your income level, just like an engineer would do.
In the summary, I think one needs to anwer to his/her heart and follow his/her passion without undue influence from society or parents. (Especially in country like India). Parents can certainly guide them in choosing career.
I did see this movie in parts. (About 3/4 way). I agree that when a nation becomes obsessed with a one profession or another, this would deprive the nation of a true passion. I do take an exception in this write up when you write :“Don’t do what I am doing. Go get some practical education and make a good living. This passion thing wears out after a while and the reality of hard living sets in.”
ReplyDeleteTo me this senetence implies that liberal arts is not a "practical" education and one can not make a good living by being a liberal arts major. You may not have meant it, but that was the message I received.
Look at the person such as Zubin Mehta, he steered away from the career chosen by his parents to become a foremost conductor and artistic director. You could argue that in general, you may not make a good living if you follow professions such as music, or arts. My argument would be that one has to be happy with whatever he or she is doing. With all the money in the world, Howard Hughes died as a pauper. Generally if you are an artist, you would choose a lifestyle which is appropriate for your income level, just like an engineer would do.
In the summary, I think one needs to anwer to his/her heart and follow his/her passion without undue influence from society or parents. (Especially in country like India). Parents can certainly guide them in choosing career.
Ashok kaka! I often remember this quote and attribute it to you. I found a similar one a long time ago and saved it...
ReplyDelete"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain."
- John Adams
Dear bharatkaka. I don't disagree with you at all. I am just wondering what advice will the poet give to his children (and what would children do with or without such advice). However, I believe that in general liberal arts is a tough major and you should not follow it if money is your primary object. Very few people become rich---a vast majority just survive. This would not matter if your life style is adjusted suitably, and money is not an objective, just like you say, but would if you suddenly find that you can not do certain things because of lack of money.
ReplyDeleteJoseph Campbell said, "follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for where there were walls". Your bliss could be poetry, or it could be mathematics. Becoming rich may be orthogonal to your bliss or somewhat aligned - if it is aligned then there might be additional side benefits, just as leisure time and a life without conflict may be orthogonal to your bliss, but could be a nice side benefit.
ReplyDelete