Measuring life by “degrees”

Growing up, I remember that at six each morning there was a frenzy of activity in our household. My father left for work at seven thirty and the family was at the breakfast table by seven. The morning's routine was the same for me -- with a few variations like "car pooling" or "rickshaw pooling" to school. The day was mostly consumed in hectic but productive activity. Despite the rigorous schedule, I didn't experience a stressful childhood.
We didn't have a lot of money but that didn't seem to affect the richness of my experiences. The main reason being that my parents allowed me the freedom to dream and make independent choices. I took music lessons and chose to sing Rabindrasangeet, but also listened to Hindi film songs on Radio Ceylon. I indulged in debating and writing, although none of my written pieces were published. I dreamed of being a professional singer as well as a physicist, but my parents never told me that the combination was somewhat impractical! Neither did they make me feel that all this independent thinking in a male-dominated society needed to be tempered down to reality.
The upside of all the freedom and diverse learning was that I developed into a free spirit, willing to take up challenges. Perhaps the downside has been that I never became a specialist on this or that, which is regarded as a disadvantage in today's world. However, my multifaceted pursuits have enabled me to explore various career options. Most importantly they taught me to be unafraid of trying something new and admit that I am not good at everything. Interestingly, the process of failing has also been a tremendous learning experience
In case some of you are wondering where all this self-reflection is leading to, let me make my point. Our education system today is essentially geared towards specialisation, particularly at the high school and university level. We have come to accept that it is pointless to acquire a degree which does not put us on the fast track for a high-salaried job. Therefore, young people tend to make academic choices based on their specific career aspirations. They are conditioned into thinking that attainment of knowledge and skills has a single purpose -- professional success. Success, too, is defined in terms of money, material acquisitions and social status.
This narrow definition of learning has de-emphasized the broader objectives of coping skills, creativity and experimentation which are critical for ensuring an interesting and productive life. I don't mean to undermine motivation or ambition, but wish to highlight the importance of a multidisciplinary education, an education that allows individuals to develop disparate skills and transfer knowledge so that they can switch disciplines in the course of their professions. At the same time they can pursue hobbies and interests that they are passionate about.
My reflections have been triggered by the many modern youth that I know who are struggling to find their professional niche. This is nothing unusual – the young should struggle, endeavor and take it step by step. What is disturbing is that most young adults today want to leapfrog into high paying jobs and live an ostentatious life because this is how success is now perceived. When they cannot realize these unrealistic ambitions by forty, they become frustrated, depressed and dejected. The fact is that only a few will reach the peak while the rest are destined to become hardworking, regular people with regular jobs. Which is why it's important to experiment, to innovate and make the best of opportunities as they arise, even if it's only for personal satisfaction? One must, however, come to terms with the reality that our experiments may not always succeed because statistics do not support the case of "outliers" like Mark Zuckerman, Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. Not all of us can hit the jackpot in life.
However, this approach to life requires a basic change in attitude and mindset. We first need to recognize that material success and a high profile job don't necessarily result in a happy life. The happy people that I know are not fixated on the paycheck or profit balance in their bank account. They sing spontaneously (even if the song is out of tune), cook a meal (even if it's not a gourmet one), write their memoirs (even if there is little scope for publishing them) – they pursue their passions alongside their careers. It gives them a sense of fulfillment and a greater understanding of the world.
Perhaps my upbringing and my interactions with these "happy people" have inspired me to follow the same path. Here I am -- a physicist turned development professional, moonlighting as a columnist.  And let me confess … I am relishing every minute of reinventing myself!

The writer is a renowned Rabindra Sangeet exponent and a former employee of the World Bank.