The other day at lunch, the discussion veered to an interesting question that was asked in the film ZNMD: "Karte kya ho?"
What do you do? At times, appearing superficial cos of the regularity with which it is used, the question actually is very incisive. In an interview it tells more than you expect to hear. At a social gathering, it is an indicator of your social status. When we meet someone for the first time, it is one of the first few questions you ask to kill the silence. The top answer, however, and unfortunately, is mentioning what you do in your "professional" capacity. Work - something that roughly occupies 33% of our work life and almost 60% of our waking time.
The question is, has the professional identity surpassed the individual identity?
The front page in todays TOI says that 1/5 of all Indian adults have hypertension or diabetes and the ratio is almost 1/3 in Maharashtra, and that takes question really on the forefront. Have we been so conditioned by our education system, that what we do can be answered only by what we do for a living?
Apparently, the trend to answer that question with your work profile is a very Mumbai thing. Considering it is the financial captial of the country, i might agree with it. There is a chase. Constantly. However, is seems that question can be answered in a "non-bread and butter" reply in Delhi. People have lots more than just work, up there.
Is it possible that because we spend more and more time at our work and thinking abt work and socialising with work people, and most calls on our mobile phones are for work related stuff, that we tend to think work is life? Or work defines what we do??
Has work-life balance become a thing to say and not to follow? Perhaps its time now to introspect and reflect on the question: Karte kya ho?
What do you do? At times, appearing superficial cos of the regularity with which it is used, the question actually is very incisive. In an interview it tells more than you expect to hear. At a social gathering, it is an indicator of your social status. When we meet someone for the first time, it is one of the first few questions you ask to kill the silence. The top answer, however, and unfortunately, is mentioning what you do in your "professional" capacity. Work - something that roughly occupies 33% of our work life and almost 60% of our waking time.
The question is, has the professional identity surpassed the individual identity?
The front page in todays TOI says that 1/5 of all Indian adults have hypertension or diabetes and the ratio is almost 1/3 in Maharashtra, and that takes question really on the forefront. Have we been so conditioned by our education system, that what we do can be answered only by what we do for a living?
Apparently, the trend to answer that question with your work profile is a very Mumbai thing. Considering it is the financial captial of the country, i might agree with it. There is a chase. Constantly. However, is seems that question can be answered in a "non-bread and butter" reply in Delhi. People have lots more than just work, up there.
Is it possible that because we spend more and more time at our work and thinking abt work and socialising with work people, and most calls on our mobile phones are for work related stuff, that we tend to think work is life? Or work defines what we do??
Has work-life balance become a thing to say and not to follow? Perhaps its time now to introspect and reflect on the question: Karte kya ho?
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