Published : Monday, 18 January, 2015 09:45 AM
If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall in the ditch
IIMs and top B schools do conduct WAT also along with GD & PI.
Written Ability Test or Academic Writing Test or Written Analysis Test (WAT) has become a tool to test MBA aspirant on assessing overall communication skills and personality hence, it is also equally important and crucial component of MBA admission selection process.
Develop points for discussion and read WAT topic: If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall in the ditch
Every individual undertakes his/her own journey since birth. Some attain unimaginable successes, some settle for less extraordinary lives, while some others settle for mediocrity in their lives.
The final destination that we attain depends a lot on the path we undertake and also on the kind of people we draw inspiration from. Following the path of a knowledgeable, experienced and trustworthy person will benefit you but following someone blindly will only harm you.
There are several people around, who claim to have insights which can help others and are self-professed experts in when it comes to doling out advices to others but lack such insights and expertise when it comes to their own lives, which more often than not remains in a mess. Such people pretend to have all the knowledge and experience in the world which can change the lives of others, when in reality this is not the case and their own lives are not yet sorted. It is anybody’s guess where advice from such people will take those who follow it.
Sometimes, it so happens that many people follow the same path looking at each other. This is termed as ‘herd mentality.’ This is evident in everyday life as well, for instance, we buy an expensive product just because the rich neighbour brags about it, even though we may not need it. An intelligent person must guard against joining the herd for the sake of it.
A herd is often irrational and lacks all sense and logic. Each member of the herd dispenses with the ability to think, judge and decide independently of the herd. The reason why he/she blindly follows the crowd is because he/she tends to feel safe in the crowd, knowing that there are others like him/her in the same situation. It takes courage to stand out from the crowd. It takes courage and hard work to carve out your own path. That’s what successful people do.
One of the main reasons for following someone blindly or trusting someone blindly is that we are not confident of our own selves, our own abilities and don’t trust ourselves enough. We are even ready to place our trust on complete strangers rather than trust our own abilities.
The biblical metaphor of a blind man leading a blind man and both falling in a ditch, is quite apt. It not only warns us to guard against drawing inspiration from the wrong source or following someone blindly, but also indicates the perils of herd mentality and not trusting ourselves enough. Being inspired by someone or having a role model is fine but that shouldn’t reduce our trust in ourselves. Instead, it should motivate us to strive harder to achieve our goals.
For those who are experts in giving free advices to people in similar situations, it is better to be silent than offer advice, which may end up hurting rather than helping the other person. For those who follow others, select the person you choose to follow after some research on his/her credentials. Following someone blindly will only lead you to the ditch.
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