Having recently passed out from a major management institute, I had hoped that once I start working, life would never be the same. Well, I have to say my life has indeed changed, but has it changed for the better? There seems to be a big question mark here.
First, I belong to the breed that is dubbed “freshers” in corporate lingo, meaning individuals who have not had the experience of working before. And hence people like me are in for a ruder shock once they start their attempt to climb the corporate ladder. And it one happens to be an introvert (like me) your problems are just about to get multiplied.
While working in a corporate you have to subject yourself to several norms, some of which are: acknowledging everyone in your department by displaying a fake smile every time you happen to pass by them; acknowledging your boss’ point (though inside you know as to how wrong he/she is); engaging in pointless discussions with colleagues on topics ranging from the hottest office gossip to how exciting your weekend was. All this serves as a rude shock for individuals like me who think getting a job would solve all of life’s problems.
Secondly, I have noticed that roughly 95 per cent of the people I have interacted with at the workplace feel quite terrible about their work. They eagerly await the clock to strike their office closure time (I should rather say their work closure time because these days there is a huge dichotomy between office hours and actual work hours) so that they can finally pack their bags and try to come to terms with their actual, personal life. Similarly, ecstatic Fridays and depressing Mondays seem to be quite the norm today.
However, what leaves me bewildered is that in spite of all this everyone keeps doing the work they have been entrusted with in pursuit of the paycheck that awaits them at the end of each month. The other day I heard my uncle (who has been working with one of the IT giants) exclaim out of exasperation: “Everyone thinks that I’m doing really great in my life. I have a stable job, a nice house with more amenities than I actually need. But I still do not have peace of mind; there’s something going on in my head all the time.”
All of this makes me wonder: why does everyone subject themselves to such torture? Earning money is understandable, but at what cost after all — one’s freedom, one’s intrinsic peace? Have we all become corporate slaves? Is there no way out of this prison?
singhapoorva.16@gmail.com
