The dreaded plateau of complacency
Written on a random impulse--not well thought out!
Let me start with a word that strikes me as ambiguous in its connotations.
Settle
When you hear this word,what are the images that come to your mind?
Possibility 1:A serene,calm and happy life.Stability.A steady routine that comforts you by removing all elements of uncertainty.Ripples of familiarity that are as soothing as the sounds of a babbling brook. A feeling of contentment at having reached the zenith of your life.
Possibility 2: You dread the very word.It feels claustrophobic to even think about.Images of stagnant water.A closed horizon of possibilities.A path that you have walked a million times before with nothing left to discover.A dead end with nothing to look forward to.A routine that is monotonous simply because it is predictable and entails no creative thought.
The dictionary defines it as
Settle(verb)
adopt a more steady or secure style of life, especially in a permanent job and home.
Although this definition is probably unbiased,it seems to be along the lines of the first possibility and therefore a positive connotation of the word.
So which way do you see it,Reader? If you go with the latter,you're probably going to relate to what follows better.
Yeah,you guessed it right.As is obvious from the title,I fall into the second category.I abhor the word settle.Not that I don't want a job or home or any of that,it's just that I want my life to be more than these.I am scared that I'll be lulled into a false sense of achievement by all of the above.Scared is not the word--paranoid comes closer.
One of the things I love about life is learning something new.But as a student,I have enough motive to learn.I have to learn to catch up.To stay updated. What about when I start working? Granted that in the initial couple of years spent learning the ropes,there will be a good amount of learning. What about later? What about when I have learned enough to do my job efficiently? What about when life gets hectic enough that I have other responsibilities besides work?I will obviously have no motive to learn and lesser time even if I muster up the enthusiasm to try.What then? Will a sheer passion to learn survive all the vicissitudes of life? Or will I end up as yet another victim who goes no farther simply because he(she) deludes himself into thinking this is the limit?
Dear Reader,if you happen to know me personally and read this,please do me a favor.If at any point of time you feel that I'm getting complacent,send me a link to this.It will remind me to wake up and expand my horizons.And that is about the best favor you can do me:)
P.S:If you're wondering,I happened to be looking at the Oneplus tagline Never settle when I got the idea for this article:P
The request I just made reminds me of this(random unrelated fact--like I've said before,almost everything reminds me of Sherlock in some way:P)
Sherlock: If you ever think I’m becoming full of myself, overconfident or cocky, would you just say the word “Norberry” to me, would you?
Mrs Hudson: Norberry?
Sherlock: Just that. I’d be very grateful.
Let me start with a word that strikes me as ambiguous in its connotations.
Settle
When you hear this word,what are the images that come to your mind?
Possibility 1:A serene,calm and happy life.Stability.A steady routine that comforts you by removing all elements of uncertainty.Ripples of familiarity that are as soothing as the sounds of a babbling brook. A feeling of contentment at having reached the zenith of your life.
Possibility 2: You dread the very word.It feels claustrophobic to even think about.Images of stagnant water.A closed horizon of possibilities.A path that you have walked a million times before with nothing left to discover.A dead end with nothing to look forward to.A routine that is monotonous simply because it is predictable and entails no creative thought.
The dictionary defines it as
Settle(verb)
adopt a more steady or secure style of life, especially in a permanent job and home.
Although this definition is probably unbiased,it seems to be along the lines of the first possibility and therefore a positive connotation of the word.
So which way do you see it,Reader? If you go with the latter,you're probably going to relate to what follows better.
Yeah,you guessed it right.As is obvious from the title,I fall into the second category.I abhor the word settle.Not that I don't want a job or home or any of that,it's just that I want my life to be more than these.I am scared that I'll be lulled into a false sense of achievement by all of the above.Scared is not the word--paranoid comes closer.
One of the things I love about life is learning something new.But as a student,I have enough motive to learn.I have to learn to catch up.To stay updated. What about when I start working? Granted that in the initial couple of years spent learning the ropes,there will be a good amount of learning. What about later? What about when I have learned enough to do my job efficiently? What about when life gets hectic enough that I have other responsibilities besides work?I will obviously have no motive to learn and lesser time even if I muster up the enthusiasm to try.What then? Will a sheer passion to learn survive all the vicissitudes of life? Or will I end up as yet another victim who goes no farther simply because he(she) deludes himself into thinking this is the limit?
Dear Reader,if you happen to know me personally and read this,please do me a favor.If at any point of time you feel that I'm getting complacent,send me a link to this.It will remind me to wake up and expand my horizons.And that is about the best favor you can do me:)
P.S:If you're wondering,I happened to be looking at the Oneplus tagline Never settle when I got the idea for this article:P
The request I just made reminds me of this(random unrelated fact--like I've said before,almost everything reminds me of Sherlock in some way:P)
Sherlock: If you ever think I’m becoming full of myself, overconfident or cocky, would you just say the word “Norberry” to me, would you?
Mrs Hudson: Norberry?
Sherlock: Just that. I’d be very grateful.
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