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KATHMANDU, MARCH 28
Who do you consider to be talented? Who is the true talent? What is the best way to justify talent? These are some of the questions that have been running through my head this year.
In our society, there is a fallacy that the person who is actually academically gifted is the true genius, and I used to believe the same thing. I wasn't a particularly good student till I was in class 10. But in class 11, I began to study properly and began to achieve decent grades.
Does this indicate I wasn't talented then or now? Let's take a closer look at this in conjunction with my post.
As my grades improved in class 11, I began to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities. I began editing films in huge batches, composing school performances and speaking in front of big crowds. I began to like it, and even the little compliments from these made me feel better than achieving a higher grade in class.
I'm not anti-study. However, most people find it tedious, and it is not a sign of depression or inadequacy. To be honest, no one in my family knows how to play even a single musical instrument or ever participated in an external event.
All of these brilliant young brains have been stifled by the rigorous algorithms of the school's study schedule. And the only person who can outwit this algorithm is the one who gets to live his dream life. These young writers, Avishek Yadav and Shivankit Singh Parihar, have come a long way against all the societal, scholastic and familial pressures to pursue their aspirations in the writing profession.
I am a unique individual who stands out from the rest of the family. Everyone on my mother's side of the family holds a high position.
My maternal uncle works as an assistant secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and my grandfather is a retired dean and the head of the Mathematics Department at TU. My two sisters were top students in both math and science in pre-primary school.
I failed in both, but I enjoyed other things such as photography, writing and public speaking.
My GK was formidable.
History was one of my favourite subjects. But, despite knowing so much, I failed my tests, so was I useless? However, now that I have access to the internet and can peek into everything present in the world, I can determine that you are not ineffective.
In truth, you may be the most gifted member of your family.
All you have to do now is figure out what you're excellent at, choose a course that you want to go, and overcome any obstacles that come your way.
And, if you're a perfectionist in that field, let your abilities determine your future. "Skill is a personal asset that will lead you to the brink of depression if you don't have it in the 21st century,"
I say.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 29, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
