THE GEN Z TURMOIL
I do not think you can brand an entire generation as dissenters. Every generation has its conformists and its dissenters. Every society has people who conform and people who dissent.
Dissent, however, should not become destructive. Institutions must survive if a nation is to survive. If you think legislators are doing a poor job, it is entirely legitimate to say so. But in doing that, you cannot destroy the legislative institution itself. Similarly, if you feel courts should function more efficiently, by all means advocate change. But do not undermine the institution of the judiciary. The same applies to the media. While it is important to point out shortcomings, do not destroy the media.
DEALING WITH SETBACKS
Our education system does not teach students how to handle setbacks and disappointments. There is far too much emphasis on success. We often focus heavily on marks and rankings. But not everyone who misses out on a particular examination lacks talent or potential.
Middle-class parents, including my own, understandably want stability for their children. They want them to become doctors, engineers or other professionals. There is nothing wrong with that aspiration. But in the process, we place enormous pressure on young people.
One lesson I have learned over more than six decades is that success is not determined solely by marks. People who lead and succeed often do so because they have character, empathy and the ability to bring others together.
DON’T FEAR FAILURE
People who succeed in life are not necessarily the brightest children in the neighbourhood. Nor are they always the most confident about their future. There is no harm in failure. We all fail. I have failed in life.
I was held back in the first standard instead of being promoted to the second because I was extremely shy. My sister and I were the first in our family to attend an English-medium school. Home was very different from the environment at school, which was a highly exclusive institution in Mumbai. I withdrew into myself.
You begin with failure. You confront it. Then you work your way through it. Do not be afraid of failure. Success often emerges from failure because failure challenges you to grow.
