Graduation

In the month of march, 2011, one of the graduating student (second year completed) met me on the corridor by chance or may be by mistake and with utmost sincerity said to me, “Two years at XIMB is the best of my entire life, at least so far. And I am very sad to leave the campus.” I too with utmost sincerity responded to him, “If you do not want to go away from XIMB, I can make necessary arrangements for you repeat the course.” The student literally jumped away from me and said, “No sir, I did not mean that.” I did not leave him, “OK, if you do not want to repeat, then you can join FPM program, and it will keep you on the campus for four years and afterwards you can become a faculty. Since you had best of time here, why not have it for longer period of time. More is merrier. You will be an example of perpetual happiness which is just little short of enlightenment.” He did not buy any of my improved offers and my persuasion skills failed miserably. He said, “Sir, I have important work, I must leave you now, see you latter” I knew that he will run for cover if he happens to see me in future.

I went to my room and I was in a rather deep reflective mood. How is that he could see his entire two years at XIMB as one of happiest days in his life. Does it mean that he did not have any negative experiences? What the hell are we doing as professors? That can’t be true, I have seen in the facebook, our students hitting the blackboard with their heads while preparing for exams, condemning the entire educational system. So what has really happened? The possibility is that he along with his friends might have discussed how they enjoyed their life in the last two years, narrating positive events from JLT to outbound learning. Then took those positive and pleasurable experiences and painted the entire two years with those positive feelings. Thus his mind erased negative experiences and made him see only positive things.

It is then I started feeling guilty that I have spoiled his game. I should have allowed him to continue to live in that positive state of mind; at least till he leaves the campus. I am sure there will be some other students who will recollect only the negative experiences and paint their entire two years with those negative feelings and remain in the state of depression, whereas, this student, fortunately, had selected only positive events and generalized them in a generous way.

This year, on the same corridor, on the same month another student (graduating) said the same things – life at XIMB was the best etc… Having become bit wiser, I just congratulated him and wished him all the best. Having a positive illusion is not a bad thing. After all what is reality? Whatever our mind projects are the reality as and when that happens.