Existential meanderings:The advantages of disadvantages and the disadvantages of advantages*

*Title Credits: Malcolm Gladwell, David and Goliath

The inspiration for this article is twofold. I'll tell you about both,in due course of time.
Earlier this week, somewhere towards the beginning, I called my friend on the way home.She asked me what I was doing, and my reply was,no prizes for guessing, traveling. She was surprised at that, because the hour was quite late. When do you get home? she asked. I told her, and added with it the sad afterthought: I don't have energy left for anything once I reach home. It's dinner and bed,and I don't care about anything else ,not even my phone. 

That is so sad, but all our lives are like that, she says.

But I remember my parents. They used to do so much, and still have energy left at the end of their work day. I'm not exaggerating here, because this is completely factual. My mom would work sometimes for three continuous days with as little as 6 hours sleep through that period, and in parallel take care of me and the household chores(neither of which is easy). My dad would work all day, pay the bills and get the groceries in the evening and then study law by night. He too survived on 4 hours sleep per day. Yet,I struggle to recall a day where my parents voiced sentiments of being drained or looked that way. They made it all seem so effortless.


I know right! And after all their work, they would still entertain us and make sure to spend time with us. She agrees with me, and most of the people in my generation would feel the same about it, I think.

Yeah, and unlike us, they never had the luxury of the online world. They had to stand in queues to pay bills, go out and buy things, and all of this involved more time and energy than merely clicking on buttons like we currently do,I add.

Both of us think about this.It seems miraculous that the previous generation had this much energy. They are almost like superheroes in our eyes.

Maybe it's about the way they're brought up. If you think about it, our grandparents were used to more manual labor than our parents, and they were even stronger. Had even more endurance. They make our parents look weak.She proposes an explanation to the mystery.

I give it some thought.That makes a lot of sense. For instance, I travel everyday. But I've been doing so everyday since a long time and I'm kind of used to it. I don't find it as exhausting as you guys would.

Haha, that's right. I'd have shifted my house within a week if I had to travel as much as you, she laughs.

She pauses for a moment and then says: But then, isn't this all so contradictory? Our parents worked very hard just so that we could have a good life. So that we needn't struggle as much as they did. They gave us all these comforts so that we could lead a happy life. And look now, those very comforts are making us weak. What I'm trying to say is this: The whole point of the lives we lead is to improve our standard of living with every generation and ironically, that's actually making us less productive,less strong and less capable.

I was standing in a crowded bus at the moment, and the only thing I did was to agree with her. But the thought remained in my head, for my brain to chew on. Looking back, I'm surprised that such a profound epiphany was hidden in such a commonplace everyday conversation.

Today, I was reading Gladwell's David and Goliath, and he makes precisely the same point. What we perceive as advantages may actually end up being disadvantages--picture the luxuries/comforts in your life, and they all come at a price. What we, on the other hand crib and lament about by perceiving as disadvantages, actually give us that much needed edge over others. Think about every problem you've faced in life, either temporarily or for a continued period, where you literally cursed the fates for giving you this, when everyone else seemed happier. Know without a doubt, that these are the things that make you you. They are the things that define you, and they are undoubtedly advantages. They are your weapons,they are your armor. Treasure them,cherish them. Value them for what they are.These are the stones we must sling at the mighty giants(insurmountable problems,just in case the metaphor wasn't clear) in our life, just as David did at Goliath.

 The problem is only in our perception, that which is very black and white. If we looked at our "disadvantages" as advantages, how many things could we change in our lives?

P.S: It has been a long time since I've read a thought provoking author, and I'm absolutely hooked to Malcolm. He takes data, data that has been lying around for centuries, and then interprets it in a way that makes you wonder if you were blind not to see it that way till now. The points he makes are revolutionary, they defy science and they tug at your senses and sensibilities to think beyond the normal. Outliers was my first read, and I'm now devouring David and Goliath. If you're looking for a non-fiction read, you have my highest recommendation to pick up one of his books.