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Monday, May 18, 2009

Is solitude the refuge only for Geniuses?


Just watched ‘A Beautiful Mind’; a story about the life of John Nash and this got me wondering if it’s only the geniuses who don’t feel part of the regular world. Nothing against the genius but why is it that anyone who chooses to not be part of the regular is looked upon as either a snoot or a potential genius.

I have known a few who don’t go around doing the regular things like going out for dinners, hob-knobbing with the crowd, lighting the dance floor on fire or picking a conversation with people; it’s not like they think that people are not worth talking to but it’s just about not finding the same wavelength or not having the acumen to strike a topic that would be engaging enough for everyone to discuss.

Don’t people like these have the right to do their own thing without being titled one of the above?

Solitude can’t be just for the geniuses, being one is always a very good excuse but what about people with average IQ levels; do they also need an excuse?

People don’t have to be judged basis how many people they talk to; few appreciate their space and don’t need to have justifications or reasons for their behaviour. They are not out to cocoon themselves, they always welcome people who would want to exist in their world, but it’s just that this world doesn’t appeal to a very wide audience.

I come from the atmosphere of a Business School, where befriending as many people as possible is a surrogate for ‘networking’, this word has been bastardized by the all so many people who have made studies at B-school much more about networking than about learning. This attitude puts negative pressure on the students who don’t wish or are unable to have many friends but instead have only a few who they open-up to.

I hope while they may not be the most efficient networkers, they will turn out to be efficient managers because that’s what they are here for.

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