Of
Truthfulness, Naivety and Coeval Ethos
Ashim Kumar Paul
One of the biggest lessons in life has recently been learned by
me although that lesson leaves me in the lurch to choose the coeval meaning of
what is right and what is wrong. That honesty is not always the best policy
turns me aside from my hoary principles. Rather, it teaches me that grabbing
the relic of being honest hardly provides you the gift you really dream of.
Trust me, I am not luring you to be bamboozled but my untoward experience may derail
you from the path of your long-nourished moral values.
I was invited to take part in an interview assessment of a
renowned institution for its online section. As I always rear a dream to work
for that particular institution, I was much enthusiastic hoping that I would be
a part of the organisation; it is simply because I had managed to surmount a
written exam for the very post. However, on the day I appeared for the
interview session, I was really in a cosy mood and had a conversation with
other applicants in the office. I could hardly believe my presence in my dream
place.
In the meantime, after some of the candidates, I was called upon
for the interview. With a sense of excitement and trepidation, I entered the
room and in the very beginning, I encountered a question: What are you doing
now? To that, I was preparing for MBA admission test was my instant answer. But
my naive answer did not suit best. I found the concerned official disappointed,
as he over and over again pointed out that their efforts and time would get
emaciated if I got admitted into MBA program and consequently, I would run
after lucrative jobs after the completion of my MBA degree. Though I tried to
shield my admitted words by saying that I was attending the MBA admission
coaching just to make use of my spare time until my academic result got
published and I was fervently yearning to work for the institution, I sensed my
plea might lose its might.
After my interview session, I came back to the cubicle where the
rest were seated. As I had already acquainted with them and grown a warm
relationship, I admitted to them of my fledgling words in the appraisal. They,
however, tried to comfort me that the assertion would not create any hindrance
in the way of selection if my words were rightly reckoned. When the last
candidate rushed back, one of the officials in the interview board informed us
that they would confirm us over phone. Despite my naivety at the interview
session, in truth, I was optimistic about their call. But my expectation had not been paid off.
Couple of days ago, while I was preparing myself to leave my house for Dhaka, I
found a call from one of the candidates in the assessment. What I assumed
seeing his number on my phone screen did truly go off. He informed that he was
asked to be present at the office on the following day and he solaced me to
wait. Another aspirant who also got the green signal contacted me on that very
day. I was convinced that it was my ineligibility that barred my dream from
being materialised. But when I came to know that all but me were appointed, I
was flabbergasted at the news. My perception got tottered: Was I wrong by
preserving honesty and naivety in my speech?
In the dim childhood memory, if I am not mistaken, we were
taught the proverbial speech: Always speak the truth. We were further educated
by our mentors that only speaking the truth can act for the welfare of us as
our mighty saviour. But today’s hectic modern city life orbited by the
intriguingly corporate world draws a strong contrast with the longstanding
axiom and leaves for us a seemingly opposite message. Those who can manage to
survive, by fair means or foul, in this crafty world are the ultimate champions
and the rest are deemed as the losers.
Dear readers, you might also be overwhelmed with my naive effort
to prop up my naivety that may cost your valuable time and the space of this
magazine. If so, I apologise for my delinquency. But a question is left up to
you to weigh up: Is honesty always not the superlative weapon to guard you best?
