One of the benefits of education is the ability to dig out, analyse and assimilate information that can transform your life. But when the educated and learned laze in their thinking, it becomes quite irksome.
For example, an air-hostess (a relative) with a serious drinking problem wants to have a baby and plans to quit her job. Her preparation includes drinking milk all day (on the advice of another air-hostess friend). However, giving up alcohol first or making her body healthy through exercise and a balanced diet do not figure in her mustdo list.
Another young aspiring model (a friend) wants to attain overnight the fame and celebrity status that comes after years of hard work and struggle.
She refuses to attend the countless auditions and screen-tests where a talent is noticed. Someone advised her that 'once you leave the gym, you put on weight'.
Rather than going to the gym and consistently attending screen-tests and auditions where talent is noticed, she zealously parties, drinks and burdens her supportive parents and boyfriend.
A bright 40+ woman entrepreneur battles a life of depression and alcoholism, jealous of her female counterparts who are happily married with kids and balanced work-lives. She sacrificed the best part of her 30s to a career that rendered her alone. That she is getting married next year and can work on other options to conceive a baby seem to elude her intellectual mind.
Men can be equally appalling. A champion boxer endorses smoking and alcohol over strength and endurance training and a balanced diet. He finds it difficult to change despite the inherent danger of his old habits.
Why do learned people prefer to be slaves to their impulses and faulty opinions of others? It is a lot easier to change old habits and strive to be better daily. All it needs is will power, determination and intense love and respect for oneself.
The purpose of education is to help us make our lives better through wellanalysed choices. Use your common sense and your education to chisel yourself into a valuable diamond rather than following lop-sided judgments of others like a useless stone cast around mercilessly.
The writer is a popular actor
