Sit back and listen. Don't worry how, but I assure you that your finances for life are taken care of. There doesn't exist a status problem for you in society (you will always be treated as someone related to the King of Travancore). Whenever you want money, I will provide it for you. In short I am funding your life and prestige. Now wallow in this utopia for some time. No seriously, shut your eyes and imagine yourself in such a world. All I ask is 2 minutes (Earth minutes). You could spruce your family with as many kids as you want and not worry about how you are going to handle their school fees or their food and clothing. Too little space? You get a new house, pronto. 7 BHK. 10 BHK. 50 BHK. You name it. Don't worry how and don't think me dumb.
And if you have reached here before the end of 2 minutes, don't be so disobedient.
Now that you have spent sufficient time in the world which (if you realised) you created for yourself, answer one question of mine:
What will we you do with the time you have? How will you fill your days? What will you do as an (in the true sense of the word) occupation? Ok fine, answer all 3 of these (actually they are the same written differently, for each appeals to a different set of people).
I really look forward to answers. I can count on at least one!
Now answer another question: What do you do now (or slated to do in the near future) to earn a living?
The title of this blog was supposed to be Alternative Careers, but didn't want to give it away.
ps: BHK => Bedroom-Hall-Kitchen
Honestly, such a situation is unacceptable to me. If the money you earn and spend is not worth your effort, then its not worth earning or spending. But to humor you and myself, what would I do if you provide me with money and means of living, the two things most people work towards or should I say the end to all means. What am I left with? My ability to think, create and achieve would become redundant and obsolete because they wouldnt be necessary. Stagnation would prevade through our quotidian activities and the drive to things would be absent and quite unecessary. I shall leave the intermediate thoughts to your imagination, but I believe such a situation in which the prospect of me not using my gray cells would ultimately push me to the brink of suicide.
ReplyDeleteLooking at the flip side of things, such a situation would be a blessing in disguise for the creative minds to pursue their passion within "the realms of society and stigma".
But, how do we differentiate to whom do we accord such a situation. That I leave it you to answer.
SS, not always do we find a relation between money and efforts (look at the deal a model or a software engineer earn themselves, or worse still read about the offer made to the IIM-A guy this year), so I find the "worth my effort" argument on shaky grounds.
ReplyDelete"My ability to think, create and achieve would become redundant and obsolete because they wouldnt be necessary"
Why? Do you think in order to earn money? So you would think more or less depending on the chances of earning more or less? Hmmm.
"... not using my gray cells would ultimately push me to the brink of suicide."
:-O Why don't some politicians follow your philosophy? ;-)
But forget about whether you are creative or not; what do you do when you have such a large amount of time on your hands? Why do you think you would stagnate? If you said "I would continue to work at my office/lab/firm", you are still not stagnating...
In case some of you are wondering about the choices available, this article might be of help:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fastcompany.com/articles/2005/01/top-jobs-main.html
So, I am a software engineer and chiropractor (at home and for friends). That makes me on track... :-))
(BTW, lawyers are a 0 innovation group ;-)
Nice post and nice question. Well, it reminds me of those ancient Greeco-Roman cultures - eat , drink, and be merry and for entertainment go and watch gladiator race. But then life is not all about that. doen not that portray decadence in a way, we called the Greeks barbaric though. Anyways, all the time in the world could be cumbersome at times. Byways, thanks for your good wishes, I am recovering, but am very weak, some progress made on IP front. I hope at the end of it Anu does not go mad with a patient like me.
ReplyDeleteDear A,
ReplyDeleteScuzzy? :-o
It reminds you of so many things but forgot to remind you that you had to give me an answer??? ;-)
Hope you get back to your hale-n-hearty state asap. Anu doesn't sound like a getting-mad kinds so cross your fingers ;-) You guys really had a bunch of bad timed events endanger your IP... Let's hope it all works out fine.
Still, what would you do if you had all the time ...
Dear Eroteme, you might call me a lazy bug. But considering the events I faced recently, had I got all the time in the world, I would have slept well.Since, I definitely cannot imagine myself as a sleeping beauty, who would be woken up by her dream prince after 100 years, after waking up, I would blog about all the dreams I saw.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, thanks for your good wishes, I hope the IP meets the end it deserves.
ReplyDeleteDear A,
ReplyDeleteOne thing I have always wondered: Why would anyone (prince or not) wake a 100+ year old woman?
Once she is awake, would she be in a state to get up and blog? :-)
Isn't it a waste of the DP's efforts to wake a woman so that she can go and blog?
Very inconsiderate of you... ;-)
But my point stays: you haven't answered my question.
"I hope the IP meets the end it deserves"
Do I smell venom? :-O
dear Eroteme,
ReplyDeleteThats what I was also wondering that after a 100 years does the princess stay in a state that the dP would wake her up and live a life happily ever after...? NO hope! but its good to nurture certain fantasies, which amuse us Frankly I do not want to meet such a destiny as I do not believe in dream princes.As far as answering your question goes..umm...difficult to say as I never have had been given so much of time at my expense. i guess only when I get the time I can sit and think..Ahh! Think! now thats my favorite activity.coz I am the Thinker . Though it sounds silly believe me there are lots of things about which one can think.
Anyways, We are planning to wind up the IP tomorrow provided we get all the necessary sources. pray for us.
dear Eroteme,
ReplyDeleteThats what I was also wondering that after a 100 years does the princess stay in a state that the dP would wake her up and live a life happily ever after...? NO hope! but its good to nurture certain fantasies, which amuse us Frankly I do not want to meet such a destiny as I do not believe in dream princes.As far as answering your question goes..umm...difficult to say as I never have had been given so much of time at my expense. i guess only when I get the time I can sit and think..Ahh! Think! now thats my favorite activity.coz I am the Thinker . Though it sounds silly believe me there are lots of things about which one can think.
Anyways, We are planning to wind up the IP tomorrow provided we get all the necessary sources. pray for us.
Eroteme- I always complain that earning to survive is like an insult to LIFE. You know we should have the basic necessities like food,shelter,medicine,clothes,essential luxuries by default so that we can pursue our true interests in life.I just couldn't resist your offer:PTo answer your question, if I didn't have to earn to sustain myself I would learn all the things that I fancy e.g-pottery,knitting etc, involve myself in theatre,travel all around the world without a care and LIVE LIFE truly. I know I can still do all I want but would ya sponsor me?:D
ReplyDeleteHey did you want a proper job for an answer? That's not enough ya know,folks like me want to dabble in so many things.Well if I really didn't have to worry about money and had to choose a career as you say- I will be a detective or an investigator.
ReplyDeleteI wrote this long comment and I get page can't be displayed message boo hoo.
ReplyDeleteI realise that your utopia would nullify crime/conspiracy/scam or anything done in pursuit of money as you would give us all the money. So I dont want to be a detective. We need higher pursuits LOL. Give us a refreshed list of careers for the Utopian set up :P
Dear Wookie,
ReplyDeleteHave I ever been lax in my attention to you? THEN WHY THE DOZEN COPIES OF A COMMENT??? :-)) I had to remove all of them but one. :-)
No, I am not looking for a typical 9-5 job (or 5-9).
"we should have the basic necessities like food,shelter,medicine,clothes,essential luxuries by default so that we can pursue our true interests in life"
I so agree with you!!
"I would learn all the things that I fancy e.g-pottery,knitting etc, involve myself in theatre,travel all around the world without a care and LIVE LIFE truly."
Hmmm. This is pretty much what I was asking for, but I suppose the seriousness of my question hasn't yet crept in. I suppose most of the readers do not realise that what they have ahead of them is about 30-40 years of life. What you suggest is fine for a few years. Theatre is an exception. One could be (and I think kids should be exposed to theatre and not movies!) involved in the theatre for fairly long.
What I am looking at is a particular activity that you would do without monetary or status concerns. It would still be what you will be known as, say, a potter, or a theatre artist. I would have to grant you rightness in your statement: "folks like me want to dabble in so many things". Why do you think I am in perpetual state of confusion? :-(
It is surprising that I bump into articles relevant to my current thought process (like a large scale conspiracy!!). I found a few articles on "social capitalism" and "status". Interesting reads. Will share them with the readers later.
Dear A,
My prayers are with you guys, but I am not sure whether they are strong enough to help you with your report ;-)
Intriguing ...
ReplyDeleteWe all do get food, shelter and clothing and FAMILY by default - we're born into one. Orphans ... they were NOT born orphans - fate / destiny ... call it what u may - but this is not what u asked.
Basically you wanna know how I 'KILL' Time? I effectively USE time doing my job and when I'm paid for my services I'm happy / contend.
So if I wanna kill time - I'd be found cooking breakfast and keeping things in the caserole early in the morning, after which I'd go for a walk, then spend time in the library, browse the internet. Cook lunch. Eat. Read. Take tutions - free of course since I dont need the money (Actually I'd work in a school - FREE during week days in the mornings)
Watch TV in the evening, cook. Wait for husband to get home have a nice time with him. If he is also given the financial freedom ... I suppose he will have to choose what he wants to do with his time and ... well that is one flaw I see in this question - since I am in my fantasy havin a family - I believe in every member making his or her own decession ... so you see though this is the way I'd like to spend my time ... my husband might want some thing else ...
Anyway, assuming I'm alone - that's the way I'd be ... working for free, but fiercely independant - I'd rather be alone than be smothered or smothering and convincing someone about the goodies in my life style !
Such a world would be utter chaos because people will not understand to leave a person alone ...
Adieu
Aaah. Trou. Been a while since you came over to my nest!! :-)
ReplyDeleteSo if I gather it correctly, you would teach. Well, that is what you do currently as well. Would you still teach in UAE (where you are...ummm... differently opinionated than those around) or would you teach in the interiors of India? Or some other country where people need education?
Forget about family for some time. :-)
How's the tooth doing? Still a gooseberry?
Hi eroteme
ReplyDeleteHow r u doing?
And abt ur post..oh boy!!you got me thinking really..I really dunno what I'll do..
hmm..lemme see..
Probably I'll continue what iam doing right now..cos I enjoy it..Ill probably do it part time..And that gives me lotsa time to read..blog..cook..probably some social service..u name it..
But seriously thinking I think I wud get really restless if its going to be this way!!
What will you do?:)
Masha Allah - Its healing well. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteRight now me thinking ... bad mood ... but that is no excuse not to say thank you :-)
Sorry for the multiple posts- it wasn't intentional.Hey, why can't one choose to learn different things at different stages in life?why the need to have one career for the rest of our lives?why is longevity an issue here? I guess you want to know how many of us are doing what we really want to do without worrying abt working just to earn.Like Trouv is a teacher and would still want to teach. Unfortuantely,there isn't just one thing I would want to do so I don't have one answer.
ReplyDeleteUnlike others I think your utopia would definitely not be choatic cos I believe money is the cause of all the choas we have in this world.
Wookie's muh girl!!! Wookie's muh girl!!!
ReplyDelete:-))
I grant it to you totally. Yeah, one of (not the only) intention behind this post was to help myself as well as others think over, understand and realise their current state of professional life (or their current plans for a profesional life). I had emailed someone who had commented on this post, about my views, and that was last night. And when I wake up today to read this:
"Unfortuantely,there isn't just one thing I would want to do so I don't have one answer."
Atta girl!!
I am not saying that is the best style of living (no, far from it), but it feels nice to see a fellow harlequin.
"Unlike others I think your utopia would definitely not be choatic cos I believe money is the cause of all the choas we have in this world."
Gotta give to you, lady.
I think money and ambition are two issues one needs to deal with quite strongly.
People think me weird when I say that I really do not have an ambition.
That is why I assured people both money and status. Given these, you would really have to think hard about what you want to do and the chaos/confusion/unacceptability of all this seems to be more due to what people are currently conditioned/tuned to. Ask a man to do something for which he won't be paid although all his needs will be taken care, and one doesn't arrive at the action immediately.
Is it that our lives are driven by others and the world outside us?
BTW, no apologies. Sometimes a pun doesn't come across well in writing. I was simply kidding. Yeah, I had to delete those 11+ posts, but that's ok. I had learnt your comment by-heart!!! :-))
Hi Eroteme, thanks for praying for us, I am sure they would help.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm....Money and Ambition - the two issues to be dealt with ...
ReplyDeletePeople having problems when you say you dont have an ambition ......
Right now, it was on an impulse I checked the blog - but I'll get back to you - that's a promise - I have quiet a bit to tell ya.
harlequin! <):)
ReplyDelete"People think me weird when I say that I really do not have an ambition."
I know,why just today a good friend of mine says "stop being complacent(read bovine like) about your career and start doing something for real"
"Ask a man to do something for which he won't be paid although all his needs will be taken care, and one doesn't arrive at the action immediately.
Is it that our lives are driven by others and the world outside us?"
I dont know about that but like Trouv says that she doesnt want just exist but wants to LIVE, I believe that there is definitely passion to LIVE in us humans even if it only lasts for a moment in our lifetime.The question I would want ask to is "what drives us to live & not just exist?". it need not be just an occupation(skill/talent implemented=occupation in Utopia), it could be a feeling(like love) or a dream or a wish- something that makes us want to live.I believe if the basic needs were taken care of & if we didn't have to earn to live then all of us would be living life truly without being driven by the outside world as you say.
harlequin! <):)
ReplyDelete"People think me weird when I say that I really do not have an ambition."
I know,why just today a good friend of mine says "stop being complacent(read bovine like) about your career and start doing something for real"
"Ask a man to do something for which he won't be paid although all his needs will be taken care, and one doesn't arrive at the action immediately.
Is it that our lives are driven by others and the world outside us?"
I dont know about that but like Trouv says that she doesnt want just exist but wants to LIVE, I believe that there is definitely passion to LIVE in us humans even if it only lasts for a moment in our lifetime.The question I would want ask to is "what drives us to live & not just exist?". it need not be just an occupation(skill/talent implemented=occupation in Utopia), it could be a feeling(like love) or a dream or a wish- something that makes us want to live.I believe if the basic needs were taken care of & if we didn't have to earn to live then all of us would be living life truly without being driven by the outside world as you say.
sowwie I think I am spamming again with mutiple posts.bad blogger.
ReplyDeleteAin't I glad I dropped in here :-))
ReplyDeleteI'll take it from Wookie; To live and not just exist - its actually a phrase my best friend wrote for me when I asked him to sign a cherry for my Christmass tree - Every year it hangs onmy tree ...
What's interesting is the circumstance under which it was written. I am not going to explain it. WHY? The first part of LIVING is to realize I dont need to go around EXPLAINING MY Private matters to anybody. Well, I chose to be a teacher after having done an MBA - I know WHY; and as long as I know why I dont have to try to convince every one around me as to the logic / rationale behind my choice. RESPECT - I respect you enough to let you LIVE your life ... I dont ask you stupid questions you dont ask me stupid questions - In other words - I dont poke my nose into your business you dont poke your nose into mine! Simple dimple :-))
I'm not advocating the life of a loner or irresponsible arrogant lifestyle - What I feel is as long as I;m held responsible for myself and my deeds; as long as I know my actions are not hurting anybody else ... good.
As for love ... Never expect to be loved in return; Love with all you've got; even if that love is not reciprocated and you are hurt; if you can look at your love and feel happiness and sadness when you see him / her happy with somebody else ... when you know that you are not going to get in between his / her happiness; YET can live your life without him / her ... you know you dont Exist. Having loved and lost - actually you dont lose.
No body understands that when a person after having loved some body; just doesn't want to be with somebody else ... is living life ... actually gets to do stuff you otherwise would not have done - and in reality are not ... having an emotional hang over or weakness.
I suppose people want others too to have that weakness with which the other could be black mailed emotionally ... So they say that ones who LIVE life alone are hiding or are afraid of love afraid of being spurned in love ... In reality - Its a sweet pleasure in itself just to 'occassionally' rewind and think of good old days ... LIVE life in the moment, Aim for something, keep oneself occupied ....
The worst thing to happen to a person is to go in LIFE NOT KNOWING what you want. There's a difference between AMBITION and KNOWING what you want. I want water, I get into a shop - there's Masafi, Oasis, Gulf, Pepsi, Coke ... I could settle for the cola drinks instead of water - BUT when I know what I want - I buy water and nothing else. Ambition is - I know I want water. and I want only MASAFI ... No Masafi in shop 1, try shop 2 ... get it ?
Ambition might drive one crazy. The first step is to know what you want and try to get just that.
Going by that we all know what we want ... we want love - fine ... We want job ... yup - what job? Are you happy with the one you have? NO ? Use your head ... bite your teeth stick to the job; look for another leave when you get another ... The cycle continues ... Should you be bothered about what people say ... I give two hoots to that. Till this day I get a daily dose of - MBA Teaching High School??? 28 Not Married ???
When I say, I'm gonna adopt a KId .... ALL HELL Breaks Lose ... Me is waitin to get into a good school - I'm NOT happy with the one I am in - YES Money is priority - You got to use your head - Well, when I do become financially stable ... I am gonna do what I wanna do. I think I'll do good adopting a kid who in any other circumstance may not have had parents ... But if I do it now - I'll be spoiling everything - Its not selfishness when I say let me first become financially stable - its common sense - how am I going to feed another when I cant feed myself?
You see, LIVE one day at a time, plan ahead, but dont STICK to plans ... and never miss to appreciate the color show of the setting sun ... if not every evening at least once a week en route to Sharjah LOL :-)
Bottom line : I dont have an ambition on my agenda - BUt I know what I want and I know how to get it, and WHY I want it but primarily - I dont need to tell anyone WHY I want what I want ... Read again - I haven't told you WHY I wanna adopt a kid ... I've given u enough background to keep you guessing ... I never will explain to any body and a good friend I know doesn't look for explanations and God has blessed me with at least 3 three such good friends ... So, I LIVE I have no excuse to just EXIST :-))
See ya
Why is the comment section still showing 25 comments ??? when i click 'post a comment' it shows 26 ???
ReplyDeleteSo am Gonna copy paste the comment I gave you in my blog - so in case it isn't posted here - check back on my blog ... Capice? :-)
Dear Trouv,
ReplyDeleteYou sure can be detailed and I am fairly clueless!! :-(
Your response seems to be a mix of responses to my "shouldn't we have a reason" post + "what is love" post + this post.
That must have been a big cherry if your friend could write that and sign on it!!! :-)) Don't we call them apples?? ;-) Kidding.
"What I feel is as long as I;m held responsible for myself and my deeds;"
Held responsible by whom? Isn't responsibility in relation with someone else (real or unreal)? If you were (yes, Wookie, I see that I am getting repetitive here) all alone on an island, since birth, would you blame anyone for what happened around you (forget about blaming the sun and moon)? Since you wouldn't have anyone to blame, would you then say "I am responsible for my deeds"? Well, you really need to get into the shoes of that person who was all alone since birth. Responsibility doesn't make sense to him.
"As for love ... "
:-) You sure love to talk about this, don't ya? ;-)
"and in reality are not ... having an emotional hang over or weakness. "
I agree. I don't see what is difficult about seeing it! But..
"after having loved some body; just doesn't want to be with somebody else"
I find this difficult to understand. Why would I not want to love someone else or be with somebody else? If I didn't expect love and I didn't get it, too, then it is something normal, right? So wouldn't I live my life loving other people as well (animals included) and still not expect love from them? That I haven't found someone interesting enough as yet is a different thing. To say that I would never be able to live/love another person... Hmmm.
Why do we always get into this discussion?? :-O
Ambition vs Knowing :: Masafi Water vs Any liquid ?
Not sure. For some, wanting Masafi water, might be knowing that they want, and settling for any liquid might be not really knowing what one wants and just taking something. If one is in a desert, one usually doesn't choose after a 100 mile walk, but isn't that out of desparation? Ambition for me is the want for recognition (explicitly or implicitly) for what one does/is/has/etc. Wanting to be numero uno, wanting to have $5B turnover, get the Nobel Prize, etc. are ambition to me (and they are not always as pointed as wanting Masafi Water).
"Going by that we all know what we want"
Do we? That is exactly what I was planning to investigate and offer in this post. I only got pertinent replies from you and Wookie. Oh! Prabha too (in parts). But do you notice (or is it just me)? Not many people (I have asked so many people offline as well) have actually understood their wants. A monthly income, good status (and there was a wonderful article I read recently about status), some trips abroad, nice family, food, house, car, etc. Do we see something here? I will be re-visiting this in a future blog post...
"LIVE one day at a time, plan ahead, but dont STICK to plans "
aha!! :-) Well said.
"if not every evening at least once a week en route to Sharjah"
For someone sitting in India, that is one helluva costly sunset show!! ;-)
What is Capice? :-(
Do you realise that were I giving you all the money in the world to live your life... you still haven't told me much about that, yet.
I gather the following:
1. Teaching (Where? Nature of the job?)
2. Adopt a child (girl? Please, girls are better)
Am I right in my conclusion?
Responsibility & Blame Shifting ...
ReplyDeleteWhen I said I'm responsible for myself - I meant it. Why is it that we have to find someone to blame ... for every thing even for existence? None of us a re born perfect ... so when we do something wrong - Lets take a very small example - Assuming you left the bike keys inside the house while rushing out - when u are out and search for those keys, that is when you realise and then ... Most of the time or always in the case of certain people its the incessant talking of the wife or the buging telephone call or something ... that caused one to forget the keys !!! One's got to blame some one ! Why cant it be 'I forgot!' Well, its so difficult to be responsible for oneself ... and this is not in relation with others ...
Hey - the sunset could be anywhere ...
I got to eat .. I'll comment on the rest later.
Capice is Italian for 'Undertood'? Capice?
Reply - Si - which means 'Yes'
:-)
am running through your archive and bumped into this one.
ReplyDeletehmm... dont kill me, but my comment is on the comments! :d
innnteresting conversation going on here. this is a miniblog in itself :-))
tangential as it may be... i believe only the very rich or very poor actually DO things. both have nothing to lose.
and since "rich" is a state only defined individually (how much money is enough money), id say if you decide how poorly youre willing to live, youve got it figured out - youre free to live as you want.
What do people want to do when they dont HAVE to do anything inorder to make money?
ReplyDeleteWell, people who have concrete other interests like you would go ahead with their plans for the art centre, for the school for children, etc etc. Others would anyway do some work or the other, earn more money from that job, even if they might not need it, this time the job would be for spending time and not to make money.
I think life will continue as it did before the money and basic needs were catered for. Because now the compelling issue will not be how to make a living, but how to constructively employ my abundant free time. Work work work seems to be the answer once again, maybe with a lot of hobbies thrown in too for good measure...