A while ago, I was talking to a friend who once led a top-tier Indian university.
One day, a psychologically distressed student came to him and somberly said, “I am 25. At my age, Mark Zuckerberg was already a billionaire. And what have I achieved? I am nowhere in the picture.”
What a shame! 25, and nowhere close to being a billionaire? Can you believe it?
This culture of life as a ‘race against time’ is total nonsense. And even worse is the hero-worshipping of billionaires. I challenge you — spend one day online without encountering ‘Elon Musk’ — it is impossible.
In the Indian context, you see the same hero-worshipping of wealthy startup guys, no matter how unethically that wealth or fame is acquired.
Once upon a time, it was an achievement to get a good job and live a comfortable life. Then, you had to be a billionaire. Now, you will soon have to be a teenage billionaire.
All this is taking a heavy toll on the mental health of our kids. Depression rates are touching 30-40%. Earlier, kids were comparing themselves with classmates and neighbors. Now, with social media, the whole world is your competitor.
This has to stop. We have to start changing the narrative.
As parents, we have to tell our children that there is no rush. You don’t have to be a billionaire. You don’t have to get anywhere at a certain age. And there is no race against time.
In fact, when you get into this race against time, you miss out on the only thing that is truly valuable — your life right now.
PS: I would love it if billionaires came forward and shared that having billions doesn’t solve all of life’s problems.
– Rajan