Look at the people of Companies, Communities or Countries; one common thing that one would notice is lot of hype and awe for those, who come from well-known families, companies or campuses! Is that justified? Is there any rationale behind? Answer is big “No”, if we talk of 100% of cases; probably valid only in few deserving cases. This kind of hype is a result from mass hysteria, past legacies, fantasies and “follow the folks” blindly!
Perception that character and color of blood of those change, simply because they come from popular background, is not only lopsided but has lot of loopholes, though most people and press worldwide project that otherwise! This is synonym to “being star struck” and is an indication of our subdued complex and confidence!! Let us try to understand whether fame and name of background helps or hurts.
Well known background names – a Blessing or Bane?
If a person comes from a family, company or college, generally acknowledged for certain qualities and accomplishments, there is a higher probability that he/she gets exposure to such environments, which gives him (with no gender bias) opportunities to learn and imbibe those qualities faster. What it enables are easy opportunities; however, it is eventually the person himself, who has to work with those opportunities to develop and become better.
A rich or royal name can easily afford to send its child to study at Harvard or London school of economics. But, it is the child, who has to be diligent and perform. So, a famous background can provide opportunities and environments on a platter; but not performance and competence! One has to work to earn those!! Unfortunately, euphoria and hysteria make most to believe that such popular names automatically bring virtues and values as a perk in concerned person/s! This is nothing but bunk!!
Coming from well-known background could be both blessing and bane:
Blessing (+) –> Environments and opportunities on platter give easy access to growth and development.
Bane (-) –> One does not learn how to drive and create congenial environments and opportunities.
B+ –> Thrives on legacies of others and get popularity and publicity by default.
B- –> Past legacies are also a burden, the weight of which prevents one to create one’s own and establish his/her identity.
B+ –> Background name and fame give one increasing exposure and elite status.
B- –> It does not mean excellence; but definitely means vulnerability and drags one down much faster for a minor default.
B+ –> Ready facilities and conveniences make life trouble free to get most of things done faster.
B- –> It creates comfort zones, which make inertia and inefficiency to creep-in.
B- –> One is often aloof from real world and hence, he/she is often a failure, when faced with hard realities of life.
B- –> One of the biggest blights for persons coming from famous families, companies or colleges is that their “virtues and pluses” are too much highlighted in hypes and hence, “vices and minuses” get hidden beneath! Therefore, these people never realize the necessity to remove the latter. This has often led to their failures, when faced with contradictions and crisis.
No one has clue how much fall of financial institutions and economic woes in USA and globe in general has been contributed by work of lads and grads of so called elite MBA and Management Institutions since year 2008!
So, such persons are a kind of ready-made food in cans, which is easy to get cooked; but one does not know how much its nutrient and nourishing values have been lost!!
History shows stark truth that majority of leaders and legends were not bright students or had elite background e.g. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, Einstein etc. Many, who turned out to be legends and famous thinkers in the later part of their life, came from elite background; but unshackled and detached themselves from their old legacies and background to reach unparalleled heights!!
How Hype has been Hurting!
- Preferential treatment to persons from prominent backgrounds by employers has created too many classes and creeds, strangulating harmonious development of societies and availability of larger pool of talents and leaders.
- Salary packages and opportunities for grads commensurate with names of their colleges; but non-commensurate with their qualities have created big discrepancies in several organizations, alienating large number of employees.
- Considerations as in point 2 have generally made grads’ head heavy and harness arrogance.
- Well known institutions do attract greater attention of Industries and State and therefore, these are able to attract funding and faculty. Like it or not, this can only happen at the cost of other institutions. This is one reason that quality of students graduating from other institutions has been taking a beating for years.
- Hype is blind and has emotions at the back but no rationale and logic. It prompts company management to put blind faith and delegation of power to these select persons. This has been a major cause of degrading standards of leadership and down slide of performance of many companies globally.
So, where do we need emphasis – being Elite (by background) or Evolved?
- Scientific fact is that every class, character, background or base has its +ives and -ives. The key secret is how our mind has been conditioned by the system and/or our thinking; we have been living through and whether it enables us to see +ives first or –ives first.
It is like looking at a glass having water – do you think effortlessly glass is half full (+ive) at first instance or half empty (-ive) first.
This split second action of our mind over and over again makes a difference of heaven and hell, day and night, regardless of our class, creed, qualification, power or position. - We must not ignore the fact that families, companies or colleges acquire name and fame, because they had done certain things positive, as opposed to who had not! Hence, the system or environment of these has one great feature – if the current incumbents are conscious, they would tend to see +ives first! If they really do that, they would become superbly capable and successful.
The paradox is that what comes handy and on platter, one tends to ignore its real value. So, most incumbents pick some +ives and most –ives. Rest of damage is inflicted on these incumbents due to hype and hypocrisies of public and press, management and managers! - Reverse is true for families, companies and colleges, which are not successful, since many things that they had done bear more –ives.
There is yet another major secret of nature – when –ives would come on a platter, you would simply grab it, because these satisfy your hidden emotions! - Shun euphoria and hysteria, obsession and infatuation with fame and name, stars and royals, popularity and position. Color of their blood can never change to blue, to make them so distinct from you. If you don’t, damage is definite.
- Go by only merit of people; not by their materialistic position and possession, regardless of who they are!
- Whether we come from a famous background or fractured one, nature has given us identical opportunities – being elite by background is not essential; evolving self is of foremost essence. While evolving, we need to look at +ives first every time and pick same. Push as many –ives away as possible.
You would then become a benchmark, everyone else would like to emulate!
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