Things you can do in a business competition but not in an arranged marriage
The resemblance between the two is uncanny no matter how you think about it. Yet, when you rally all your brain cells together and think deeply enough, you will realise how the two are not so different from one another yet, why one of them might be better than the other.
Participate only if you like: Participation is not mandatory in a business competition. You only take part if you want to. No one is going to drag you into the mix of things without your approval. On the other hand, marriage is like despair. It will eventually come knocking at your door even if you don't want it to.It doesn't matter if you don't have someone in mind to get married to or if you don't want to get married at all. The bottom line is, your parents want some grandchildren and the duty falls on you.
Choosing a partner: Pretty self-explanatory this one. The whole purpose of an arranged marriage is to set you up with someone you hardly know. On the other hand,when it comes to building a team for a business competition, you will have the opportunity to explore your options and identify the best ones from the lot to pick as your potential teammates. If you are lucky, all they are going to do in an arranged marriage is show you a bunch of pictures and their biography, which only points out their features but not their flaws. In a worst case scenario, your parents are going to decide your life partner without your approval.
Easier to cut ties: In a business competition, not only do you get to select a partner of your choosing, but you also have the luxury of kicking them out of the band whenever you feel like. Try doing that in an arranged marriage without having your finances get intertwined or without societal intervention.
Expect constructive criticism: The judges at a business competition are there to judge your performance, presentation skills, analytic abilities and all the other technical aspects your team shows at the event. All the criticism they throw at you are constructive, factual, and beneficial to your future endeavours. The only judgement you will get in an arranged marriage is based on your educational degree or your financial status.
You can participate in more than one: The competitions are organised year round, by different institutions with different themes. You can take part in as many business competitions as you like. When it comes to marriage, it is difficult to manage and afford just one. Even if you could manage multiple ones, there's no guarantee that your existing partner(s) will allow anyone else to be introduced into your life.
If you are still lost in your thoughts as to why this comparison needs to exist, just remember that there are people out there who will probably end up getting involved in both these worlds and you too might be one of them.
Faisal wants to be the very best, like no one ever was. To survive university is his real test, to graduate is his cause. Send him memes and motivation at abir.afc@gmail.com