In June/July 2008, I happened to hear few speeches by professors from IIT, Bombay and IIT, Madras as part of induction of freshers. Of these, one particular key note address by Prof. MS Ananth, Director, IIT, Madras stood out in my memory. I donot have the full speech but from the quick notes taken on a scrap of paper, I am reproducing summarised points below. I wish these give a glimpse of the flair of the speech and the expanse of the ideas. The text is more or less the wording of the professor and comments in italics are mine. The inspiration to post this is linked to the previous post on 3 Idiots.
- Power of Intuition over sequential logic. [As one gets deeply involved in a subject, the process generates an aspect of intuition to the learning that provides solutions to the seemingly tough questions and an understanding that is at a higher order than the one obtained through a step by step logic. Is this what is lateral thinking all about?]
- When your work has a sense of aesthetics, it will get all round approval including your detractors. [How intuitively true. Don't all great works have that look of elegance and simplistic beauty as well? And who will question a thing of beauty?]
- Learn to discriminate fact vs opinion; the objective vs the subjective [Something that is a "fact" to our mind may simply be a "conditioned opinion" afterall. Being truly objective is a herculean task. Mere recognition of this fallacy itself may make us somewhat more objective than before!]
- Learn to outgrow the late teen age “cynicism” [Again, how perceptive! I remember my own late teen age and having seen my son and some students of this age group, I could relate to this easily. Is it a mere testetrone effect or an effect of sudden independence and a realization of a generation gap? Whatever it is, the fact (!) of the matter is that this trend seems to be quite common]
- Learn from mistakes [Making mistakes is normal. Outgrowing them is the challenge]
- Education is in three layers; know what or know facts, know-how and character building i.e., a value system; the last layer is the most important [Contrary to popular perception aided by some of the super hit bollywood films, the education system in India in addition to know-what, has started looking at hands on know-how as an integral part of education; there are a number of initiatives on "learn with fun". On the value system, I feel that the primary teachers and parents play a much bigger role on the impressionable young minds]
- Learn to discriminate fact vs opinion; the objective vs the subjective [Something that is a "fact" to our mind may simply be a "conditioned opinion" afterall. Being truly objective is a herculean task. Mere recognition of this fallacy itself may make us somewhat more objective than before!]
- Learn to outgrow the late teen age “cynicism” [Again, how perceptive! I remember my own late teen age and having seen my son and some students of this age group, I could relate to this easily. Is it a mere testetrone effect or an effect of sudden independence and a realization of a generation gap? Whatever it is, the fact (!) of the matter is that this trend seems to be quite common]
- Learn from mistakes [Making mistakes is normal. Outgrowing them is the challenge]
- Education is in three layers; know what or know facts, know-how and character building i.e., a value system; the last layer is the most important [Contrary to popular perception aided by some of the super hit bollywood films, the education system in India in addition to know-what, has started looking at hands on know-how as an integral part of education; there are a number of initiatives on "learn with fun". On the value system, I feel that the primary teachers and parents play a much bigger role on the impressionable young minds]
- Always enjoy the present. Once you enjoy the journey & the process in getting there, the goal itself will happen naturally [Most of the professors who spoke on selection of subjects at IIT, Bombay had this singular agenda of "choose what you like" not what will give you a better job. One cannot pursue a subject with passion unless one likes it. And while at it, one has to enjoy the process as much as the result. Again this would mean complete involvement and focus. IMHO, in majority of cases, the enjoyment of even a great result is much lesser than the enjoyment of the process.]
- Keep your mind open. An open mind is not vacant [This is perhaps something similar to the subjective vs objective issue as above. There is considerable freedom that comes from giving up the fixations and looking at alternate possibilities]
- There is lot of vacancy at the top [I think the Professor may have been referring to the scientific and intellectual community as there is no height that one cannot reach through ones own efforts. I am not too sure about the validity in other areas say government, politics, business etc. In these fields it may make more sense to say that it is lonely at the top]
- Keep your mind open. An open mind is not vacant [This is perhaps something similar to the subjective vs objective issue as above. There is considerable freedom that comes from giving up the fixations and looking at alternate possibilities]
- There is lot of vacancy at the top [I think the Professor may have been referring to the scientific and intellectual community as there is no height that one cannot reach through ones own efforts. I am not too sure about the validity in other areas say government, politics, business etc. In these fields it may make more sense to say that it is lonely at the top]
- A lot of responsibility comes with freedom and privilege [and also with success and power?]
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