Long answer would need an article but here is short one instead: There is this obsession with how we appear to others and with narratives. Very performative and less performance focussed - PR vastly exceeds the reality. Start looking around and you may see a lot of examples.
Ah, we're defined by "log kya sochenge" is what you're saying? Yes, hajjar agreed. Keeping up appearances really and truly matters to us, and at many different levels.
No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying that we are more obsessed about things like "India is great" or "India has arrived" instead of making India great. There is a burning need for recognition or insecurity that makes us create narratives that are way ahead of reality.
Take for eg the recent AI summit. A lot of theatrics, massive surge in attention and a lot of stories around how India is doing so well in AI. In reality, there is one Indian co which managed to get somewhere on one benchmark. India invited the world AI leaders who came for India's vast population and not because India is leading in AI. Flip it around and ask how many of Indian tech leaders get invited to global shindigs around AI? ZERO!
There is nothing wrong in beating our drum and marketing ourselves. But, this chest beating leads to passivity/stupor and we do very little to actually do things about our problems or to create things that are world-class.
This permeates everything - the focus is on narrative and far less on action.
Here is a provocative extension of the US/China - Lawyer/Engineer framework to India. India is about PR agents/journalists. Hope it makes you think!
Say more, as they say. But my initial reaction is “Ouch!”
Long answer would need an article but here is short one instead: There is this obsession with how we appear to others and with narratives. Very performative and less performance focussed - PR vastly exceeds the reality. Start looking around and you may see a lot of examples.
Ah, we're defined by "log kya sochenge" is what you're saying? Yes, hajjar agreed. Keeping up appearances really and truly matters to us, and at many different levels.
No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying that we are more obsessed about things like "India is great" or "India has arrived" instead of making India great. There is a burning need for recognition or insecurity that makes us create narratives that are way ahead of reality.
Take for eg the recent AI summit. A lot of theatrics, massive surge in attention and a lot of stories around how India is doing so well in AI. In reality, there is one Indian co which managed to get somewhere on one benchmark. India invited the world AI leaders who came for India's vast population and not because India is leading in AI. Flip it around and ask how many of Indian tech leaders get invited to global shindigs around AI? ZERO!
There is nothing wrong in beating our drum and marketing ourselves. But, this chest beating leads to passivity/stupor and we do very little to actually do things about our problems or to create things that are world-class.
This permeates everything - the focus is on narrative and far less on action.
Wonderfully written, and I had the same realisation when i read Breakneck, that ironically China plays the capitalism game better than the US!
I fail to understand what you mean. Maybe you could elaborate a little bit or point me to some resources?