December is a month of reflections. 2022 was an unusual year, which forced us to reflect many times during the year, and will force us to reflect for many years to come; about the futility of wars, the irrelevance of some of the things we chase, the utility of the structures created for the modern world to function - political, economic, social and organizational, the essentials that make life beautiful and happy, the chaos - both internal and external, the life itself - transient, infinite, squared, fluid........
What happened in 2022 will shape the way we live in future. I see both the possibilities; of a life that could be the most beautiful that a human can create OR of a prolonged misery arising out of destruction that a human does.
2022 also made the world realize, for one more time, the simplistic, cliched maxim - there is enough for everyone's need, but not enough for anyone's greed. All the economic and political philosophies driven by greed, lead to destruction. One of my students, who works for a big multinational medical equipment supplier, met me recently, who came to Jaipur to establish a neuro-surgical facility, told me - 'I am paid to be greedy.' The discussion was about rising healthcare technology costs, reducing shelf lives of the equipment, and a large amount of taxpayers money or social cost booked in it. What he could easily do for fifteen lacs, he is trained to ask thirty lacs for it, so he explained.
'Ma'am, you are on the other side. You look at health as a means to make life beautiful, businesses don't.' Unfortunately, the discussion can't end here, as it did in our case. For this leads to a complete destruction - 2020 to 2022, we have had an illustration.
2022, also brought home the fact that I have lived for about half a century. I want to be hopelessly-hopeful for the next quarter. For I believe that the generations after me, the young people, look at the world with a new perspective, be it a candor about the organizational learnings they have, or a clarity about life and the world around them.
When they are forced to reflect, they will think the right things! Looking forward 2023 !
