Many a time I feel that probably I am selling myself cheap, I should have gone in search of greener pastures elsewhere. But then again, I have never actually had money at the top most of my mind. How about others?... I have very frequently wondered. Here is something to read on if you too ever wondered.
Work and love are ok; but money gives me nirvana
LOPAMUDRA GHATAK
INDIATIMES NEWS NETWORK [ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 01, 2005 01:09:15 AM]
“Money frees you from doing things you dislike. Since I dislike doing nearly everything, money is handy.”
-Groucho Marx (1890 - 1977)
Samrat Bhattacharya, unlike American actor Groucho Marx does not ‘dislike doing nearly everything’. But like Marx, this 30+something manager in a Delhi-based MNC believes that ‘money can be a liberating experience’.
“Apart from enhancing spending power and hiking my social equity, money also lets me be myself. Thanks to money, I can conveniently flaunt branded apparels, accessories and spend money on doing what I like doing,” Bhattacharya, whose weekend expenditure ranges anywhere between Rs 3,000 to Rs 8,000 says.
Although Bhattacharya’s father, who retired recently after having worked in a PSU bank for 30 years, fails to connect with his son’s slightly hedonistic lifestyle, he himself acknowledges that times have changed. More importantly, people’s perception about money has also undergone a huge transformation.
Sharmila Joshi, who is a voice trainer in a call centre, has no qualms that money is an important ingredient towards a better life. And, without any hesitation, she admits that “money figures high on my priority list.”
“It would be foolish to say that money is not important. In today’s world, money is very important, rather essential in order to survive,” Joshi, 29, who left her boyfriend in Delhi and moved to Mumbai for a job that paid her more, says, without any hesitation.
Apart from being an essential factor for survival, money also spells out mental security and assurance. And for many young professionals like Bhattacharya and Joshi, a life replete with luxuries is possible only thanks to money. And it is this quest for a better life that has young professionals looking to make a fast buck while the sun shines!
But are young pros actually chasing money?
“No, they are also chasing their dreams, of fulfilling oneself,” says Vasantha Patri, chairperson, Indian Institute of Counselling. “With a mad scramble for time and demanding jobs in tow, young professionals have no choice but to make the best of given time, resources and also derive maximum benefit from the given set of situations.”
In this instant age of consumerist culture, money is being increasingly seen as an index of success. From branded clothes, glitzy accessories, swanky cars, expensive vacations and eating out sessions, money has helped convert erstwhile items of luxury into simple needs. In other words, money has strengthened the belief that it ‘big bucks make life easy’.
“I work hard throughout the week. The only time when I get to socialise and be myself with my friends is during the weekend. And during such outings, I don’t mind spending money as it also enhances my spending power, and reflects on my success in the professional front,” T Thomas, a corporate lawyer based in Mumbai, says.
In a world being swept in by material tidings, money has emerged as a key player in forging emotional bond and human relationships. Patri feels that “the onset of early careers has led to young professionals trying to make ends meet by becoming a part of the gold rush,” and for our new age pros, money clubbed together along with professional success can act as a heady combination. But the amount of money that young pros have and are willing to spend also determines how they’ll fare among their peers.
Apart from being a measure of personal success, the kind of money one has also determines the kind of friends one will gain. While the sentimental ones spew that “there are some things that money can’t buy,” there are many who insist that money does play a crucial role in forming friendships.
Money works, and talks...
“Money does play an important role, especially in the workplace. The kind of money you have will reflect on the kind of clothes you wear and your spending power and before you can even realise, an image is built in the mind of your colleagues of the kind of person you are,” Kallol Saha, a project manager in an IT company in Bangalore, says.
Bhattacharya, who doesn’t feel guilty about spending Rs 8,000 on a weekend outing, agrees with what Saha says. “Apart from image building, money also gives a sense of assurance and confidence. And in any gathering, self-assured people do draw a lot of positive attention.”
Even as upward mobility and leading a good life occupies top priority for new age professionals, there are people like Rishi Nath who belong to the old school of thought, especially when it comes to money. The successful PR manager in a leading hotel feels that “money may be important but there is scope for old values and friendships to survive.
“I was absolutely new when I came to Mumbai and although I hated it initially, I soon found a good set of friends at the workplace who have been there for me. And money took a backseat,” Nath says.
While Patri terms the rush for money as “an inevitable consequence, thanks to the transition taking place in society, with good things having been scarce erstwhile,” there is no doubt that money does occupy priority in the scheme of things in the lives of young professionals.
And for many, to borrow from Woody Allen, “Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons."
Work and love are ok; but money gives me nirvana
LOPAMUDRA GHATAK
INDIATIMES NEWS NETWORK [ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 01, 2005 01:09:15 AM]
“Money frees you from doing things you dislike. Since I dislike doing nearly everything, money is handy.”
-Groucho Marx (1890 - 1977)
Samrat Bhattacharya, unlike American actor Groucho Marx does not ‘dislike doing nearly everything’. But like Marx, this 30+something manager in a Delhi-based MNC believes that ‘money can be a liberating experience’.
“Apart from enhancing spending power and hiking my social equity, money also lets me be myself. Thanks to money, I can conveniently flaunt branded apparels, accessories and spend money on doing what I like doing,” Bhattacharya, whose weekend expenditure ranges anywhere between Rs 3,000 to Rs 8,000 says.
Although Bhattacharya’s father, who retired recently after having worked in a PSU bank for 30 years, fails to connect with his son’s slightly hedonistic lifestyle, he himself acknowledges that times have changed. More importantly, people’s perception about money has also undergone a huge transformation.
Sharmila Joshi, who is a voice trainer in a call centre, has no qualms that money is an important ingredient towards a better life. And, without any hesitation, she admits that “money figures high on my priority list.”
“It would be foolish to say that money is not important. In today’s world, money is very important, rather essential in order to survive,” Joshi, 29, who left her boyfriend in Delhi and moved to Mumbai for a job that paid her more, says, without any hesitation.
Apart from being an essential factor for survival, money also spells out mental security and assurance. And for many young professionals like Bhattacharya and Joshi, a life replete with luxuries is possible only thanks to money. And it is this quest for a better life that has young professionals looking to make a fast buck while the sun shines!
But are young pros actually chasing money?
“No, they are also chasing their dreams, of fulfilling oneself,” says Vasantha Patri, chairperson, Indian Institute of Counselling. “With a mad scramble for time and demanding jobs in tow, young professionals have no choice but to make the best of given time, resources and also derive maximum benefit from the given set of situations.”
In this instant age of consumerist culture, money is being increasingly seen as an index of success. From branded clothes, glitzy accessories, swanky cars, expensive vacations and eating out sessions, money has helped convert erstwhile items of luxury into simple needs. In other words, money has strengthened the belief that it ‘big bucks make life easy’.
“I work hard throughout the week. The only time when I get to socialise and be myself with my friends is during the weekend. And during such outings, I don’t mind spending money as it also enhances my spending power, and reflects on my success in the professional front,” T Thomas, a corporate lawyer based in Mumbai, says.
In a world being swept in by material tidings, money has emerged as a key player in forging emotional bond and human relationships. Patri feels that “the onset of early careers has led to young professionals trying to make ends meet by becoming a part of the gold rush,” and for our new age pros, money clubbed together along with professional success can act as a heady combination. But the amount of money that young pros have and are willing to spend also determines how they’ll fare among their peers.
Apart from being a measure of personal success, the kind of money one has also determines the kind of friends one will gain. While the sentimental ones spew that “there are some things that money can’t buy,” there are many who insist that money does play a crucial role in forming friendships.
Money works, and talks...
“Money does play an important role, especially in the workplace. The kind of money you have will reflect on the kind of clothes you wear and your spending power and before you can even realise, an image is built in the mind of your colleagues of the kind of person you are,” Kallol Saha, a project manager in an IT company in Bangalore, says.
Bhattacharya, who doesn’t feel guilty about spending Rs 8,000 on a weekend outing, agrees with what Saha says. “Apart from image building, money also gives a sense of assurance and confidence. And in any gathering, self-assured people do draw a lot of positive attention.”
Even as upward mobility and leading a good life occupies top priority for new age professionals, there are people like Rishi Nath who belong to the old school of thought, especially when it comes to money. The successful PR manager in a leading hotel feels that “money may be important but there is scope for old values and friendships to survive.
“I was absolutely new when I came to Mumbai and although I hated it initially, I soon found a good set of friends at the workplace who have been there for me. And money took a backseat,” Nath says.
While Patri terms the rush for money as “an inevitable consequence, thanks to the transition taking place in society, with good things having been scarce erstwhile,” there is no doubt that money does occupy priority in the scheme of things in the lives of young professionals.
And for many, to borrow from Woody Allen, “Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons."
No comments:
Post a Comment