Of Classes and Depression

Just to reinforce what I wrote in the last post and offer a food for thought, sociologists David Reisman and Nathan Glazer (1950) contend that in most cases, "people's real work -- the field into which on the basis of their character and their gifts, they would like to throw their emotional or creative energies -- cannot conceivably coincide with what they get paid for doing". In my case it is not coincident with what I am paying to learn. I found this in a paper published by Jaan Elias & Gregory Dees from Harvard Business School on "The Normative Foundations of Business".

We had an interesting class on Business, Government and Society today wherein groups were formed and asked to discuss an issue and then make a presentation. My group had to dissect the contention that graduates of the IIMs should be compelled to join "public service" for a fixed period fresh out of the college in view of the significant subsidy at which they are recieving their education. One interesting point that I raised was that the government is trying to withdraw from most spheres of our economy by privatisation and limit itself to its core duty of administration. So, are the managers from IIMs supposed to study management and then necessarily join as administrators (bureaucrats ) in the government? And is it practical to compel people to do so? Won't many people be tempted to give the IIMs a miss in the favour of foriegn b-schools - surely they won't find it very difficult to find sponserers, as it is most students of IIMs have to take loans ? What implication would that have for the IIMs?

Is persistent ennui symptomatic of a deep psychological disorder? Is it a precursor to acute depression where one is losing the will to put in an effort to enjoy? It is very tempting to let go of all responsibilities and throw oneself at the mercy of others. There is this nagging insecurity and loneliness--- I am not very good at fending for myself. I find myself looking for the comfort of pills. God Help Me.