Professional Obsession

Syed Mustafa Ahmad –

The basic need of life is food, shelter and sleep, while other needs are of secondary importance. For occupation as well as profession is a way to fulfil the basic needs. In the world, there is a majority of occupations rather than professions. In other sense, experts, who earn, are less than those who have a basic know how of an occupation. As said in the beginning, to do anything lofty, a person must not be hungry and without shelter.  But the point of discussion is why some professions are worthier than others? What is the basis which makes a profession better than other? Who decides it? Are one age’s professions compatible with every age? What are the criteria to change a profession? What will happen if a person is not professional?

Keeping these things in mind, I look around my society and I find that we are highly obsessed with some professions that we can do anything to be like these. At that time, every law and moral principle are thrown to winds. NEET, JEE, KAS, IAS, MBA, teacher, etc., have become trademarks of professional life. Absence of these in our lives means that we are not deemed fit to live. It really is an irony that the life in our society, is narrowly perceived. Moreover, education has become an entity of earning and a source of influence. Cramming up facts and speak in an accented tone are educational parameters. However, this is not the result of a one day’s rot. It is the malaise of so many years, that have raised its ugly head now, in nook and corner of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Moreover, there are many causes responsible for this. In the coming lines, I will discuss them.

The first is materialism. Our main motive of life is to pile up material, in the form of money, houses, land, vehicles, children, etc. For this, there are some professions that can give guarantee of these things. Different professions guarantee handsome salaries, which quench their thirst of materialism. Moreover, these professions open a window of opportunity for their children and relatives, to get employment in these sectors. In this way, whether doing or not doing any hard work, it is the surest way of being happy. On the other hand, starting your business is subjected to market fluctuations. There is no guarantee that a business enterprise will fetch good money. So, it is better to invest in something, that is not subjected to fluctuations.

The second is syllabi. Our syllabi mar the importance of professions and occupations. Wearing a formal dress doesn’t mean that the person is above all. He or she is as important as a sweeper. From the very beginning, we are taught to become doctors, without giving secondary thought to other pre requisites. If a child wants to become a businessman, he or she will be rebuked for this daring. In this way, an atmosphere of professional obsession is created, that doesn’t leave the minds of children throughout their lives. Some days before, on the social media, a female teacher was evaluating the answer sheets of her students. There was only question asked in the examination. It was about students’ aims. Every child wrote what it wanted to become. However, one of the children wrote that he wanted to be happy. The teacher was amazed. She told him that you had misunderstood the question. However, the student replied that I think your goodness had misunderstood life. In it, lies the crux of my article. Syllabi teach us to be white collar workers; rather than life knowing human beings.

The third is imitation. Imitation in good matters, is never bad. But imitating blindly can be dangerous. For example, European countries have a different mindset towards work. If they want to be professionals, they can be because it is their choice. However, this kind of choice may or may not be fruitful. I think it is not fruitful. Their social set up, economic condition, political set up, moral set up, religious set up, cultural set up, etc., are different from us, though there are similarities. So, knowing all these things, we still follow them blindly and at the end of the day, reach the place, which was not our destination, even though looking charming.

The fourth and last is irreligious behaviour. Religious scriptures are evident of this fact that no profession or occupation is superior or inferior, until it is under certain limits. Cheating, hoarding, adulteration, etc., are abhorred, but doing any work, where there is mixture of blood and sweat, is never a matter of shame. However, our irreligious behaviour takes the help of religions whenever it suits us. But when it hurts our cause, we don’t hesitate to go against the same very religion, that we approach at the time of our vested interests.

The need of the hour is not to look down upon any profession. Reasonable persons can teach their children about the importance of all types of professions and occupations. Moreover, they in their friend circles can discuss about this. Furthermore, we can approach the government and suggest it to them that frame syllabi in such a manner in which occupations and professions are not discriminated, but promoted. Social media platforms can highlight those people, who are good doctors, engineers, administrators, sweepers carpenters, masons, drivers, labourers, priests, etc. It will result in professional balance. Hope good sense prevails.