12th Fail
Why Scarcity is Good 👌🏼 And Privilege leads to Entitlement
Growing up in India during the 80s and 90s was characterized by shared socio-economic backgrounds among friends. The values instilled by our parents, emphasizing hard work, intelligence, and commitment, were uniform.
It was a different era, with people around us, including teachers and relatives, managing on limited budgets. Dining out was a rare luxury, occurring perhaps once every six months. Vacations typically meant visiting grandparents or relatives.
In those times, the limited availability of resources shaped our experiences. Access to engineering colleges was scarce, and failing competitive exams often led to taking a gap year instead of resorting to parental financial support or "donations" for college admission.
Heartbreaks were endured for extended periods before contemplating new relationships.
The Age of Instant Gratification
Today, as a teacher and parent, I reflect on a society where parents readily invest substantial amounts in college fees without hesitation. Relationships are easily accessible through apps like Tinder, and food delivery services ensure round-the-clock availability. The definition of a vacation has shifted, with less than a week in Europe considered inadequate.
There’s a widespread feeling of "entitlement" nowadays. In public spaces two or three decades ago, individuals would tolerate service shortcomings, but today, any minor issue can trigger a significant uproar.
In a notable incident from a few years ago, a young professional was vehemently expressing dissatisfaction with an airline employee over her perceived "tone." At the same time, the airport TVs were announcing that the airline had halted all operations due to financial collapse. Passengers, including myself, were stranded as the airline lacked the funds to fuel the planes. The airline staff had been let go just hours before, marking the end of their active duty. In the midst of this crisis, the young individual was loudly complaining about the "tone" of an employee, adding to the stress for both the beleaguered staff and fellow passengers.
While there's a perception of increased competition among today's youth, I argue that the current generation is overly softened, influenced by Western ideas transplanted here.
I advocate for a balanced approach, suggesting that a healthy dose of deprivation, akin to fasting, is beneficial for both parents and children, fostering overall well-being.
As a society, it’ll keep all of us “tethered to sanity. And will teach the young ones how to take a few hard knocks — early in their lives.
🌸 Hope you enjoyed reading this
