Adapt like a cockroach, says Author Chetan Bhagat

"It does not require a genius to be successful in life. It is not the strongest species or the most intelligent, but the most adaptable who ultimately survive and succeed," Chetan Bhagat said at an interactive session organised by Indian Women Network and local chapter of Confederation of Indian Industries.

The humongous dinosaurs were unable to survive the relentless tide of Time and have now become extinct. But the cockroaches have adapted and survived over time and even now live on cornflakes in plush houses in the city, the author said, stating that those who adapt faster than others can win the game.

There are three states of living - Exist, Fade and Alive. Those who exist live for the sake of living and do not have the guts to take risks to achieve success in life and when they exist for too long, they start fading. Energy is always there in every individual but it is the question of motivation. It is important to keep looking for challenges even before the excitement of one challenge dies down and that is when an individual can keep himself alive.

"Every individual should muster the courage to rock the boat. It is pointless to wait on an escalator without moving up," he observed. Success comes its way when one does not constantly keep tabs on competitors and instead stays only focused on leading the industry.

Drawing a leaf from the colourful pages of his life, he said he may not be the best author but has been a best-selling author. For, his first book 5 Point Someone sold 1,300,000 copies in 2004 even as 5,000 copies was the yardstick for a book to be called a best-seller.

Asked about his take on the education system, he said the system needs to be revamped to suit present-day needs. "Students still continue to buy India map for Rs 5 (Rs 2 during my days) as part of Geography during a time when the teachers need to teach them about spotting places on Google maps," he added.