Green is Better Than Red
Content
Advanc'edge MBA / September 2003
GD Issue
Read on ...................................
Green is better than red
- Sharmistha Khobragade Bagul with inputs from Mary Thomas
and if we do not take care now, the future of the human race is doomed. Red stands for danger. The danger of destroying all that is good and beautiful around us; of condemning our future generations to a world in which they can avail of neither clean air to breathe, nor safe water to drink. It’s time to heed the danger signals now by making every effort to preserve the green, and safeguard it from our destructive selves. Green is worth fighting for, while red only signifies the need to fight. Green is the colour of the military uniform. It is symbolises the will of men to defend their territory, to defy external aggression. Red is the colour of violence and blood shed in war. Green symbolizes the heroic in man, by the way of his selflessness, his willingness to put the safety of his nation and fellowmen above him. Red represents the baser passions of man, the readiness of man to kill another man, for greed. Naturally both the elements coexist in all men. But those who future generations remember, who become an example to follow, are the ones who let the green in them overtake the red. Therefore we must take charge of our red or baser instincts and try to encourage the green, the god who resides in each one of us, essentially our conscience or the heroic part of ourselves. Traditionally green and red are considered equally auspicious. It is black that is considered inopportune. Gazing at green areas is soothing to the eyes as well as the spirit. Little wonder why walking in the concrete jungles today is not as soothing as a walk in the countryside. Green on the Indian flag stands for prosperity and abundance. In any talk of clean areas, green is an inevitable part. Road signals too use green for go and red for stop…. In nature again, we see a good many examples. No one needs any explanation of what happens when a bull sees red …Red Cross society is the famous organization, which takes care of so much bloodshed and pain. Red is thus connected with situations, which need huge efforts to salvage. Now is something good attached to red? Come to think of it, Red is a very appetising colour. Think red
T
he oft repeated statement, “You can never be too prepared for the GD” clearly introduces you to the uncertainties involved in a Group Discussion. Unlike a written exam on a given subject where your rote memory is tested, and you can be certain whether you were right or wrong even to the extent of computing your likely score, there is no sure shot sahi jawab to a GD topic. It involves thinking on your feet. A person’s reaction to business and life’s challenges can be gauged by the poise he oozes in a situation of uncertainty which reflect on his ability to solve problems. The corporate world is ridden with problems, as is the social arena that we all indulge in. Problems of varied kinds are thrown at you and demand solutions every day and at every step in your career. Unfortunately there is no fairy godmother standing by you and to sprinkle magic dust over all your pains and abracadabra make them disappear. The problems are all your own and you have to handle them. The risks and opportunities presented are your very own too. Empty your mind of old mores of thought, clear it of tunnel vision and open up to new ways of looking at seemingly benign and innocuous problems, which might then turn out into enormous opportunities. You may be given as vague a topic as the sky is not the limit, why the sky is blue or why the carrot is offered on a stick? To something like green is better than red. Well, where there’s a will there’s always a way to deal with these seemingly illogical and impractical discussions. Here is an example of the points that you might stumble on while thinking of colours, green and red. The most relevant imagery that comes to mind as soon as you feed in the colours green and red is that of the traffic signal; “Green means Go and Red means Stop.” Green is thus the colour of vibrancy, verve and vitality and all that’s optimistic and up and moving for which Red is the antonym. Unmistakably, green stands for nature and the environment that sustains and nurtures us. The very environment that we have taken for granted, used and abused for years. It has reached breaking point
Advanc'edge MBA / September 2003
GD Issue
and you think of roses, apples, red-hot chilly peppers, tomato soup and yummy candies. But is never complete without the greens as in a salad. Besides these you may find much brighter and workable ideas if you think really hard. Any personal experiences you had with the colours. The first thing to do therefore when faced with a GD is jot down as
Read on ................................... many things that come to mind when you think of the topic. You need to simply organize your thoughts and have clarity on whether you are neutral on the topic or fervently for or opposed to the statement put up for discussion. After all confidence, team play, managing the group dynamics and not aggression is the key to your success in a GD. filled in completely while those that are totally deficient should be left blank. If a segment is somewhat lacking in your life, it can be partially coloured. When I coloured my wheel of life, the graphic showed me that there was no fun left in my life. My life lacked vitality. All the sporting and recreational activities that I once enjoyed had kept my life balanced. Now that these activities were missing, I had to find a way to replace them by looking for other options and learning how to have fun again. I set about exploring sports and recreation programmes that fit in my crazy schedule. I wanted to restore life balance and I knew that happiness would return once I learned how to have fun again. For me, it meant that I had to wean myself off work after I returned; biking; jogging; long drives with kids, yoga, night walking, painting and poetry composition. I also made a decision to watch sporting events, movies, picnics, parties, special events, concerts, and the theatre. My husband and I resumed going out on dates with each other, eating out in restaurants and visiting friends. My mind opened up to possibilities and I tried new activities every chance I got. Nowadays people get so caught up whether it is academics, raising their family or building careers, they neglect the fun aspect in their lives. To obtain life balance people should schedule fun activities they enjoy like hobbies, sports, or going to the health club. As we recognise what segments of our wheel of life need attention, we must pen down goals and commence working on them. Examine your life balance. Work towards the one segment that is most deficient, as it will make the most impact. As you focus on one of the eight components, it is important to also be grateful for the other components of your life and not take these for granted.
L
- Mary Thomas
ook around you and you will find that in nature, where there is balance, there is harmony. Nature continually seeks balance, as does human nature. For most people, when life slips out of balance, they become morose. Life is too short to waste it unhappy, undergoes dramatic change within minutes. It should be enjoyed, savoured, and cherished with each day. Life is richly rewarding for some. For others, it just moves along with missing pieces and deep voids. Sometimes these voids go undetected for years, robbing us of life’s pleasures. How do we diagnose the voids in our lives? Here’s a technique: The wheel of life is composed of eight segments:Physical Environment, Career, Money, Health, Friends and Family, Significant other person and Romance, Personal Growth, and Fun and Recreation. Life is like this wheel and can be analysed using this analogy. A wheel rolls when it is balanced. A lopsided wheel is unstable and does not move further. When life gets out of balance, adjustments are necessary in order to stabilise it. To get back your life’s rhythm after a major change or to assess your life, examine which segments in your wheel of life are deficient, herein lies the explanation of your blues. You may feel like something is missing in your life. That something which keeps you from happiness may be one or more of the eight segments. Colour each segment of the wheel of life in accordance with the fullness of that aspect of your life. Those segments that are abundant need to be
GD Issue
Read on ...................................
Green is better than red
- Sharmistha Khobragade Bagul with inputs from Mary Thomas
and if we do not take care now, the future of the human race is doomed. Red stands for danger. The danger of destroying all that is good and beautiful around us; of condemning our future generations to a world in which they can avail of neither clean air to breathe, nor safe water to drink. It’s time to heed the danger signals now by making every effort to preserve the green, and safeguard it from our destructive selves. Green is worth fighting for, while red only signifies the need to fight. Green is the colour of the military uniform. It is symbolises the will of men to defend their territory, to defy external aggression. Red is the colour of violence and blood shed in war. Green symbolizes the heroic in man, by the way of his selflessness, his willingness to put the safety of his nation and fellowmen above him. Red represents the baser passions of man, the readiness of man to kill another man, for greed. Naturally both the elements coexist in all men. But those who future generations remember, who become an example to follow, are the ones who let the green in them overtake the red. Therefore we must take charge of our red or baser instincts and try to encourage the green, the god who resides in each one of us, essentially our conscience or the heroic part of ourselves. Traditionally green and red are considered equally auspicious. It is black that is considered inopportune. Gazing at green areas is soothing to the eyes as well as the spirit. Little wonder why walking in the concrete jungles today is not as soothing as a walk in the countryside. Green on the Indian flag stands for prosperity and abundance. In any talk of clean areas, green is an inevitable part. Road signals too use green for go and red for stop…. In nature again, we see a good many examples. No one needs any explanation of what happens when a bull sees red …Red Cross society is the famous organization, which takes care of so much bloodshed and pain. Red is thus connected with situations, which need huge efforts to salvage. Now is something good attached to red? Come to think of it, Red is a very appetising colour. Think red
T
he oft repeated statement, “You can never be too prepared for the GD” clearly introduces you to the uncertainties involved in a Group Discussion. Unlike a written exam on a given subject where your rote memory is tested, and you can be certain whether you were right or wrong even to the extent of computing your likely score, there is no sure shot sahi jawab to a GD topic. It involves thinking on your feet. A person’s reaction to business and life’s challenges can be gauged by the poise he oozes in a situation of uncertainty which reflect on his ability to solve problems. The corporate world is ridden with problems, as is the social arena that we all indulge in. Problems of varied kinds are thrown at you and demand solutions every day and at every step in your career. Unfortunately there is no fairy godmother standing by you and to sprinkle magic dust over all your pains and abracadabra make them disappear. The problems are all your own and you have to handle them. The risks and opportunities presented are your very own too. Empty your mind of old mores of thought, clear it of tunnel vision and open up to new ways of looking at seemingly benign and innocuous problems, which might then turn out into enormous opportunities. You may be given as vague a topic as the sky is not the limit, why the sky is blue or why the carrot is offered on a stick? To something like green is better than red. Well, where there’s a will there’s always a way to deal with these seemingly illogical and impractical discussions. Here is an example of the points that you might stumble on while thinking of colours, green and red. The most relevant imagery that comes to mind as soon as you feed in the colours green and red is that of the traffic signal; “Green means Go and Red means Stop.” Green is thus the colour of vibrancy, verve and vitality and all that’s optimistic and up and moving for which Red is the antonym. Unmistakably, green stands for nature and the environment that sustains and nurtures us. The very environment that we have taken for granted, used and abused for years. It has reached breaking point
Advanc'edge MBA / September 2003
GD Issue
and you think of roses, apples, red-hot chilly peppers, tomato soup and yummy candies. But is never complete without the greens as in a salad. Besides these you may find much brighter and workable ideas if you think really hard. Any personal experiences you had with the colours. The first thing to do therefore when faced with a GD is jot down as
Read on ................................... many things that come to mind when you think of the topic. You need to simply organize your thoughts and have clarity on whether you are neutral on the topic or fervently for or opposed to the statement put up for discussion. After all confidence, team play, managing the group dynamics and not aggression is the key to your success in a GD. filled in completely while those that are totally deficient should be left blank. If a segment is somewhat lacking in your life, it can be partially coloured. When I coloured my wheel of life, the graphic showed me that there was no fun left in my life. My life lacked vitality. All the sporting and recreational activities that I once enjoyed had kept my life balanced. Now that these activities were missing, I had to find a way to replace them by looking for other options and learning how to have fun again. I set about exploring sports and recreation programmes that fit in my crazy schedule. I wanted to restore life balance and I knew that happiness would return once I learned how to have fun again. For me, it meant that I had to wean myself off work after I returned; biking; jogging; long drives with kids, yoga, night walking, painting and poetry composition. I also made a decision to watch sporting events, movies, picnics, parties, special events, concerts, and the theatre. My husband and I resumed going out on dates with each other, eating out in restaurants and visiting friends. My mind opened up to possibilities and I tried new activities every chance I got. Nowadays people get so caught up whether it is academics, raising their family or building careers, they neglect the fun aspect in their lives. To obtain life balance people should schedule fun activities they enjoy like hobbies, sports, or going to the health club. As we recognise what segments of our wheel of life need attention, we must pen down goals and commence working on them. Examine your life balance. Work towards the one segment that is most deficient, as it will make the most impact. As you focus on one of the eight components, it is important to also be grateful for the other components of your life and not take these for granted.
L
- Mary Thomas
ook around you and you will find that in nature, where there is balance, there is harmony. Nature continually seeks balance, as does human nature. For most people, when life slips out of balance, they become morose. Life is too short to waste it unhappy, undergoes dramatic change within minutes. It should be enjoyed, savoured, and cherished with each day. Life is richly rewarding for some. For others, it just moves along with missing pieces and deep voids. Sometimes these voids go undetected for years, robbing us of life’s pleasures. How do we diagnose the voids in our lives? Here’s a technique: The wheel of life is composed of eight segments:Physical Environment, Career, Money, Health, Friends and Family, Significant other person and Romance, Personal Growth, and Fun and Recreation. Life is like this wheel and can be analysed using this analogy. A wheel rolls when it is balanced. A lopsided wheel is unstable and does not move further. When life gets out of balance, adjustments are necessary in order to stabilise it. To get back your life’s rhythm after a major change or to assess your life, examine which segments in your wheel of life are deficient, herein lies the explanation of your blues. You may feel like something is missing in your life. That something which keeps you from happiness may be one or more of the eight segments. Colour each segment of the wheel of life in accordance with the fullness of that aspect of your life. Those segments that are abundant need to be
