CONFIDENCE

Most people assume that confidence is about being sure about everything you say and do. I think thats something called as self-confidence, not confidence. Confidence is relative. Hell, even Sachin Tendulkar has confidence issues. Its just that in comparision to someone else, you may just totally suck. That's why i believe it is a little daunting to put your best to everything that you do. Cause the fear is there. The deep-seated feeling of insecurity that no matter what you do, how well you prepare, how much desire and passion you show towards it, somethings just may not work out the way you want them to. Its baffling why this happens. Cause all our life we've been taught that the human spirit can overcome anything, that it is big and all-encompassing, that challenges are nothing but minute, little obstacles for THE HUMAN. Cause the HUMAN exceeds all living creatures, it is the supreme being on this planet. But tell me something. Can an ant kill an elephant? Is it possible? IS the HUMAN mind open to such a illogical question? According to most theories of thought, yes, the ant can kill the elephant. But thats theory. Put it into practice and then you'll find out. Im a teacher. I know kids are given false HOPE AND DREAMS everyday. They are told that they can be whatever they want to. But ive observed closely. And some of them, some of them just can't crack the CAT/CET or whatever they want to. Its not because they dont work hard. Cause i see them putting their days and nights into it. They work like absolute machines. But then why are they not given the respect that they deserve? And ya, ill admit it. A lotta them do work harder than me. Then why the bigotry, the second-handed treatment and the pressure from their peers and parents? Just because they're not inherently talented like some maniacs. Appreciation in this world is highly biased. Only to the good and brave and successful do the plaudits go. The others can eat dust.

This is the problem with a capitalist society. Survival of the fittest. The bad things in life are never praised, cause we want to be impressed, we want that gratification that all that we're associated with is freaking awesome. But its not. Most of the things around us are ordinary. The people we know are ordinary. The place where we stay is ordinary and the life that we live is ordinary. Its all about perspective and here lies that inherent quality of confidence. Don't tell me that you've never seen a Sachin Tendulkar, a Shahrukh Khan or an Angelinda Jolie and said that "I DONT WANT HIS/HER LIFE". If you can say that with 100% percent clarity and honesty, then you're a freaking king. But most of us are just bull-shitting oursleves. We'll tell others something else but know that the truth is different. Cause we know if we admit it, we'll be called "wannabees", "numbskulls" or some other sarcastic insult. Most people know their level and very few can raise it to another one. That's not the sad part. The sad part is that those who cant, but work like dogs to do it are never given any credit. that's what pisses me off. The common labourer, the house-maid, the building watchman, the havaldar, the clerk/peon in an office, the garbage collection man. These guys may work like crazy, but no, they are viewed as the lowest level that you can sink to. Imagine what sorta confidence they have. And on top of that if they'd hear some stupid psycho-babble about achieving anything you want in your life, they'd feel like shit.

There are losers everywhere. Its just that some people call them that, and others GET TO KNOW THEM. They get used to it. Used to thinking that they're the lowest rung of the ladder. That no matter what they do, they'll suck at it. But so what?? Even if they suck at it, atleast they're trying. They're living their life, putting their all, experiencing stuff. Just cause they weren't born with wonderful parents, money, intelligence, does it make them any lesser than us. Even segregation based on intelligence is DISCRIMINATION. Its just that that segregation is not viewed in the same light as a lets say, racial division or division based on caste. You might argue here that people cannot change their caste or race, but get real, lotta ppl cant even change their level of intelligence. Its just the media and big, fancy corporates who drill people that intelligence can be achieved via hard work and dedication. These people are the real LOSERS because they judge you by your CV, your academic record, how much money you make or which college you're from. What criterions are those? Even the dumbest, stupidest fellow on this planet can get into a brilliant college because his father has money. Does that mean that all the autowallahs and taxiwallahs in Mumbai are lower than him? Who really determines such stuff and why? Ill tell you. Its the people who are successful who do this. The people who are at the top of their game are the ones who come up with methods, designs, IQ tests and graphs to rate HUMANS. The word confidence does not exist. Ill tell you what. A person can only truly be confident when he knows that he is better than EVERYONE ELSE at EVERYTHING. Everything else is self-confidence or just playing up to your good qualities. Its not bad, cause to survive in life you have to only talk about the good stuff about yourself. Otherwise, you're mincemeat.

This is not a pessimistic post, but just a brutally honest one. If you really want to be confident I believe that no matter how many times you fail, you should not accept it. Cause for a confident person, there is no failure. Everything is feedback. Everything is knowledge on how to improve himself. As long as he has that desire and fire to improve, he/she should be respected, no matter if he is the King of Brunei or Ramu the milkman.

Jai Hind. (Our wonderful country has not yet descended completely into barbaric capitalism, so lets rejoice that for a brief, fleeting moment)