The neverending battle between Money and Morality.

Through out my formative years in school, college and university I had always been told by professors and wise men alike that being an Engineer is not as tough as what it is generally conceived to be, in the plebiscite but being an engineer who is morally right is what is most challenging. I vividly remember those days where I used to ask myself – “What the hell is wrong with these guys? Where is morality here? And what is the big deal about preferences and priorities? You study and you get a job, its that simple, aint it?” – Well turns out, it isn’t.

All of us who like to label ourselves engineers (or for that matter any professional person) carry along with us a baggage, known as ranking system and an undying urge to top the class or group or whatever other thing that we have gone out with or have been a part of. This creates so many problems, a) we find ways to climb up the ladder, even if it means pushing down some other irrationally b) we always like to think that superiority comes through academic reports and later pay cheques. c) the sense of satisfaction is forever lost; and finally the most important of it d) In the struggle between morality and money, the latter always wins.

To elaborate, for most of us, all that matters after our education is the amount of money we earn. Sure its not really bad, but the intensity of it and the desperation to do whatever it takes to get there is what is killing. I would be lying if I said, I have not been there. All of us have been there, some of us have just learned how to not get tied up in that vicious zone while the rest of us haven’t. And what is just more depressing is how we are judged by the society by the amount of money you earn or the brand you work for; not a great quantifier that, understandably of course. Most of us don’t know what we want by the time we start with our undergraduate education and by the time we realize what we want, the time would have gone by and we try to keep up with where we are and what we are, instead of chasing our newly discovered passion; because we want to always play a safe game. And that is what is depressing. In pursuit of safety what we compromise upon is something that might have gotten us eternal satisfaction and joy. So we become basically dimensionless after a point and start to think, “Well, now that I don’t like it, let me at least make some money” and once we fall prey for that, everything else takes a back seat. And let’s not talk about “Oh my cousin is an engineer and later went to IIM and he makes money, so I would do that too” kind.

“So yea, what is the big fuss about morality here? Hasn’t it got to do with the system; that thing we always like to blame?” – Well the fuss with morality is that, while chasing something that isn’t really our dream in the first place what we tend to do is be a pushover and a hindrance to people whose dream is actually that. For instance, doing something that is not our cup of the tea in the first place kills the quality. With all due respect to our bragging rights and typical HR answers that go like, “Oh I’ll learn anything”, “I’m a great learner” “Oh you don’t know sir, my best achievement is I have learned to swim through Indian ocean twice”, it is still as annoying for us as, asking Micheal Jackson to not dance well or Indian cricket board to not mess up with their players. Its high time we let people who are best at a business to do it and we focus upon things that we are good at and that doesn’t include being a pushover or an arrogant brat, all though we are awesome at it.

Here, I’m not addressing people who switch their specializations for big bucks, so if any Engineer aspiring to be an IIM’er or is already one needn’t take any offense at it. I’m just trying to say, if you are good at it and if you enjoy to the fullest doing a job or being in a profession, do it, but just don’t be something or someone because you get big fat cheques and a no objection certificate from a girl’s parents. I’m not being judgmental here and I’m not saying something is right or something is’t. I am nobody to do that. I’m only trying to make people think that there is life beyond a villa and a BMW. Chase your dreams and your dreams alone and you needn’t make someone else’s dreams your dreams just because those dreams look and sound way more cooler, even if it is your parent’s dream. Period.

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