Aspirations of the herd....

Few years ago and until last year, it was the time of software engineers. Every Ram, Shyam and Ghanshyam in the neighourhood wanted to be a software engineer because of the attraction of high bucks and trips abroad. These Ghanshyams didn’t know where their own mind or strength lies. They just felt happy to follow the aspirations of the herd. They spoke excitedly about latest trends in open source, neural networks and artificial intelligence. The wave was so intense in the period of 1998 that software engineers were seen as demigods. This phenomenon lasted quite long until 2005/06.

Then the herd collectively changed its mind and thought that oh, actually finance is also a good profession, isn’t it? Now the same Ghanshyam in the neighbourhood started talking about balance sheets, hedge funds & private equity. He still didn’t know where his own mind or strength lies. He was again following the herd. It became muted after the GFC. Then it was the turn of Medicine as profession (which was nothing new by the way. it was there in early 1990's as well and will repeat again in future).

The same story had happened with Ghanshyam's uncle in good old days when the herd was unanimous that either Government or administrative profession is infact a nice profession. Being Ghanshyam's  uncle, he was not much of a thinker and he didn’t know where his own mind or strength lies. He was just following the herd. The same story is poised to happen with Ghanshyam's  daughter, and will probably happen with her son & grandson.

The names here are used just randomly, but the fact remains. No wonder that our nation doesn’t produce enough sportsmen, right? Because everyone believes in following the aspirations of the herd. The attitudes seek fast money & fame and go with the profession of the era. So first you have a less supply & higher demands but the demand curve takes a ‘U’ turn in a relatively shorter time because of the Shyams and Ghnashyams. Isn’t this attitude a potential threat to the nation? May be I am wrong, but I believe that the real long term problem for the nation lies not in burgeoning population, BUT it lies in the attitude of the nation to follow the herd.

Let aside a sportsman, try to think whether the Shyam in your own neighborhood will ever aspire to be a professional violin maker, for example ? Or to be a behavioral economist ? Or to be painter, an author, a clay animator?

The answer is ‘Never…’ .He/she will follow the attitude of the herd. The nation will loose one more sportsman or pianist. The story will go on…

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