Mediocrity: The Pakistani dream
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A seth sahab gets into his Mercedes and drives off to his villa-home to his wife. They Skype-chat with their two younger children in New York; both are art majors, while their elder brother helps out his father in the factory. The seth stands by his window, looking through the glass, as he smiles on what he has built and says “Alhamdulillah”.
There. That’s it. That’s the Pakistani dream.
To rise above the day-to-day worries, to achieve just enough to fulfill the offspring’s wishes and to have a backup plan in case the dreams turn to despair; in most cases, the backup plan being a couple of inherited plots or daddy’s business.
I'm not saying that that is a substandard dream to build your life around, and certainly, no less of an achievement if you start from scratch. But if you’ve climbed up and accomplished enough to stand where you stand today, why not go beyond?
No, it is not money that I ask you to run after; that should never be the drive. What I am pointing toward is our mindset regarding growth.
Why be happy with being a big fish in a small pond? Why not scale up? Why not capture the world market and flourish way beyond second-tier home products?
The fact is, we have all just settled; settled for being mediocre without the slightest bit of discomfort in the act. Our minds, fixated for so long on survival-of-the-above-average, have become blind to milestones beyond being better than the rest.
We are complacent and we are happy about it. In fact, we brag about it; we brag about being mediocre.
It’s always about the conditions, the environment we were in, the environment we are in. It is about how much we have done, how much we have gone through – never about where we want to go or need to be. The car I drive matters, so does the school my child goes to, but no, not the dream of being the best in what I pursue. That just doesn't matter.
Glory, for us, lies in polishing the external symptoms of existence, not in the whirlwind chase of an inner fantasy which will render our lives complete.
Neither does satisfaction lie in making a difference to the lives of other people, for the underprivileged or the needy; nor in working towards creating jobs, getting my company's or country's name in the top 10 list of this year, or the next 10 years for that matter.
The conversation nearly always ends up in “Allah ka dia sab hay, bohat hay”.
Anxieties and the obsession with overcoming them is something our neighbours have risen above, and they are in no mood of slowing down till they rise to the top. The Pakistani dream, on the other hand, always has a cap and once filled, we stop, settle and brag for the rest of our lives.
You will have no trouble jotting down the names of local brands which maybe a household name for us but are unknown beyond these borders. Can you name 10 entrepreneurs that expanded their business from Pakistan and stepped into other countries and made a billion dollars? Or 10 household names that we don’t need to google to see? But we are very familiar with names like Infosys, Tata, Bajaj and Amul.
I firmly believe the people who can save Pakistan are going to be clever rich people, who have the ambition to invest time and money and start building something. It will only take one Rovio, one Zynga, one Facebook to make it and transform our mindsets.
Until that happens, the pride of the herd, the enviable lot will be the ones who got out of the country and ‘this system’ only to be proudly mediocre somewhere else; getting into a company, getting the car they couldn’t afford in Pakistani mediocrity and settling down for a gora mediocrity with a substandard 3 series.
If we were a product, our tagline would boast ‘Mediocre middle managers. Come and get yours today!’ – and perhaps, for a lower price than our neighbours.
We even teach our children to be mediocre. And, it is not because we are lazy, less talented or brainless. We are simply scared. Those who aren't now, someone else will likely get to them in the future, putting them too on the traditional path of mediocrity.
I remember how, after my father passed away, every other person’s question was why I didn’t get bharti (hired) in his bank (because that would mean a permanent job, a pension and all that jazz). Safety nets and supporting wheels is all we want for ourselves and for the people we care about. Everyone else is looked down upon.
There are outliers, yes. There always are. But, ask yourself this:
Are you dreaming big or are you settling for mediocrity?
Related:
Fahim Akhter is a manager, working on a range of products from games to educational apps.
He keeps a film blog in the hope that his kids will read it and skip some of the horrible films he had to watch.
He tweets @Fahim Akhter.
He keeps a film blog in the hope that his kids will read it and skip some of the horrible films he had to watch.
He tweets @Fahim Akhter.
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (89) Closed
May 20, 2015 04:19pm
Why get into rat race , we have to be satisfied with what we have and live life to the fullest extent, whole life if you run behind money ,power etc etc , when will you live your life, life is not about success or money it is living happily with what we have and without worries.
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May 20, 2015 04:19pm
The root of the problem lies in the education system!!!
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May 20, 2015 04:21pm
Excellent article.
Bravo Young man!
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May 20, 2015 04:22pm
My feelings entirely.... not only have we settled for mediocrity, we actually celebrate it and glorify it, while at the same time frown upon those striving towards perfection and excellence
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May 20, 2015 04:42pm
A lot of that has to do with mindset of our parent's generation, who always had a safety first approach.
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May 20, 2015 04:44pm
Good one!! Need industry leaders to create jobs and improve house hold incomes
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May 20, 2015 04:50pm
No second opinon as to the great relevance and authenticity of the expressed views. It seems to me like the author has given words to what I have been curious about for years. Mediocrity is undoubtedly the very problem which Steve Jobs had addressed to, in these golden words : STAY HUNGRY, STAY FOOLISH!
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May 20, 2015 04:56pm
This is really the result of a feudal system which saps all initiative and vigor from all. The inherited rich have no incentive to go after anything lofty, except perhaps maintaining their power - stay fat, dumb and happy. The rest are denied any opportunity to chase dreams and so have lost their drive. Unless there is land reform this will continue.
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May 20, 2015 05:02pm
Me and my friends are working abroad in very comfortable positions. But we are planning to come back in very near future as we see conditions are improving very fast for business. Our initial aim is to earn more, but bigger aim is to create jobs for our countrymen. We have the same feelings as the author.
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May 20, 2015 05:09pm
Nice article! While reading this article I was feeling some body is discussing about the character around us. I think its very difficult to break /change the mind set. Contentment and satisfaction are derived from the moral and religious values, which one perceived from his childhood. I agree with Fahim views that we should start thinking above our selves otherwise we will be no where at international arena.
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May 20, 2015 05:12pm
well as an indian I knw abou shaan and lazzeza masale ...they are quite good.
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May 20, 2015 05:12pm
It wasn't always so. You guys had abdus salam, wasim akram, nusrat fateh Ali khan and faiz Ahmed faiz. But the way I heard it from one Pakistani - other people rise with support from their environment, while in Pakistan people rise 'in spite' of their environment. The environment has to grow supportive to do anything other wise people will lose hope and only exceptional people will rise in Pakistan, not the layman.
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May 20, 2015 05:19pm
@Zak Excellence isn't only measured my money and money alone. There are many more variables to it. You can be best at something without any money involved. If you think money is something that de tracks you from your main goal, ignore it. As long as there is a goal that isn't just passing.
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May 20, 2015 05:20pm
you are so true my friend; yes, i confess being a mediocre and preach mediocricty. Never take risks, hate people who are about to take risk and laugh and feel happy when see people failing in following their dreams.
I have been raised like this then i melted into this and now im on the path to do the same with my kids ... :(
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May 20, 2015 05:37pm
This reflects the mindset of our country as whole where people tend to settle for mediocrity. This is basic attitude problem where people tend to become lazy, not willing to perform at their best, not innovative and overall low performers blaming for all their to God's will or the Government, for which actually they are themselves responsible.
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May 20, 2015 05:43pm
@Zak
How simplified your answer is. What you are implying is for all creature comforts like traveling by car, plane, mobile phone, and other medical and technological inventions we simply depend on others and scrounge.
The bottom line is we live in expectations for others to go beyond mediocrity and excel in innovations. While I am sure you are telling others not to run "behind money", you would not be able to live a day without your computer, internet link and your mobile phone. the list is endless.
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May 20, 2015 05:44pm
Finally someone says it. The thought I've been having for a year now as a final year student.
Got a job in one of the largest and most challenging firms in the world (which is only the start of my ambitions) but my parents want me to come back to Pakistan to get involved with my extended family. The extended family that is racist, sexist, homophobic, unlike myself and I absolutely despair but my parents think that is success. Just to sit and make fun of people behind their back.
Don't know how to make them understand that I do not want such a life.
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May 20, 2015 05:53pm
Excellent Article. We need to get our mind set out of mediocrity. There are many things that can be done by people who already achieved there safety net, specially in social space.
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May 20, 2015 06:03pm
One could simply ask ' how much is enough'? And be satisfied, become docile and complacent after pondering the answer.
On the other hand, those who have the means, talent and zeal to do something to raise the stature of the country, are largely looking for a way out.
Those who have built successful professional careers abroad - from academia to engineering, medicine to information technology - particularly the diaspora of highly educated and best Pakistani-brain power in the U.S., have a genuine urge to one day bring their wealth of expertise and knowledge to Pakistan. Except - and it is truly sad for me to say this - once we are on the ground in the country, the corruption, red-tape, law and disorder and all and sundry's aim of ripping you off, scares us away, and safely back where we came from.
If that is not enough, the tales of misery imparted by those who want to leave, but can't, gives you cold feet and question the wisdom of returning home.
Been there, done that.
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May 20, 2015 06:04pm
Here are some local Pakistani brands which are a success story in a big way. Dawlance, into house appliances like refrigerators, freezers, MW ovens. PEL(it is now worth now more than 57 billion Rs). Waves(another big local name in home appliances). Engro, Chemical and food worth more than 3 billion dollars. OGDCL and PSO are a billion dollar plus companies. HUBCO, NISHAT group, Habibs(Arif Habib included), Dawoods, Meezan, Mansha's, Dhedi, are all big business conglomerates...just to mention a few.
Just google search billion dollar plus Pakistani companies and will get the desired results.
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May 20, 2015 06:05pm
@Religious Atheist
Well said. I wish you a successful career. Just get out of this customary enigma we have where "Alhamdolillah", "Inshallah" are expected to bring you everything without stretching yourself, i.e. as someone has already mentioned why get into a rat race.
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May 20, 2015 06:06pm
Fahim Akhter, you have written a great article. As a nation we are not risk takers, we aim for middle of the road in order to avoid taking risks. However the causes of this are very complex, it is easy to fall to mediocrity as that is the only safety net that we have. We don't live in the west with a welfare system to help us out.
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May 20, 2015 06:18pm
@Engineer : Good luck my friend. I also share your feelings and hope to do the same some day. TOGETHER WE NEED TO BUILD OUR HOME, PAKISTAN.
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May 20, 2015 06:25pm
@Zak Dude, The pursuit of money (through legitimate means) is the best pursuit in life. The driven people in the world are the ones who create jobs for others, bring out new technology, come up with solutions to existing problems, improve world's productivity, come up with cures to illnesses. Just imagine where you would be if there was no computer!
The only people who things like: "Why run after money" are non-motivated scavengers who feed off others.
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May 20, 2015 06:27pm
Thanks for making me laugh. The author states "No, it is not money that I ask you to run after" and then argues throughout the article about materialistic possessions such as cars, houses and businesses. Branding a whole country mediocre in their ambitions without much research reflects on the mediocre approach taken.
Being grateful about ones blessings do not reflect lack of drive rather humility in what one has acheived.
"Can you name 10 entrepreneurs that expanded their business from Pakistan and stepped into other countries and made a billion dollars? "
If only making a business generating billions of dollars in revenue was the yardstick to success.
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May 20, 2015 06:29pm
@Zak He was talking about dreaming big not running after money or power u can build a school and educate thousands and if out of those thousands you can pull out 100 who can serve the country in any xyz way imagine what you have done but we dont want this what we want is "Safety nets and supporting wheels is all we want for ourselves and for the people we care about. Everyone else is looked down upon."
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May 20, 2015 06:35pm
Great piece man Its like someone finally spoke my heart out I was talking to my mom few days back that why did u dream so little for us why did u want us to settle for a middle class life with a good reasonable job with materialistic luxuries and tons of securities and thats it done and dusted end of life end of story and she replied "BETA hum ne tou whi soocha jo tumharey bhaley ka tha"and I said amma what u did in bringing us up was magnificent but when you love us soo much why did u settle for such a small and mediocre dream and this is the same question fahim has asked that why we have settled for such a little dream
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May 20, 2015 06:46pm
Great Article. Tells a lot about Pakistani mindset. I don't know when we will break the limits to pursue perfection & excellence.
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May 20, 2015 06:48pm
Achievements and dreams vary from person to person. A poor kid who saw a Mercedes Benz, worked hard and finally got a Mercedes Benz - that's an achievement. But then why stop at a Benz? Why not a whole fleet of BMWs? And a private jet? Why not a home on Mars? To achieve big, you must dream bigger, and dedicate yourself to making your dream a reality.
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May 20, 2015 07:02pm
@Chris - USA only partially true. where is the effort?
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May 20, 2015 07:09pm
God bless you boy. You gave voice to what I say in my circle all the times.
We even teach our children to be mediocre.
Safety nets and supporting wheels is all we want for ourselves and for the people we care about. Everyone else is looked down upon.
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May 20, 2015 07:41pm
True.But how come the cricket players of the past,and the singers pursued excellence?
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May 20, 2015 07:57pm
Interesting article, but I ask the author, why is it only desiring big the end goal? Why isn't it desiring big in this world and big in the next world part of the plan? When you have to decide big for the next world, it requires sacrificing some worldly success for eternal success and hence the satisfaction with what we have (Alhamdullilah). We also need more success stories of heroes that describe what real success is. Not just criticism. Kudos to you. Great article!
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May 20, 2015 07:58pm
Wow! i am blown away i thought i was the only who thought this way, well people are waking up now that's great
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May 20, 2015 08:46pm
@Zak if that is the case then stop migrating to western countries
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May 20, 2015 09:05pm
180 million Pakistanis cannot be generalized and stereotyped as mediocre, on the contrary, on different international business surveys, the Pakistanis are regarded as having the most entrepreneur ship skills, no wonder with all the bad times regarding terrorism related issues...the Nation is not only surviving but growing, albeit slowly.
If other Nation has to face the problems which Pakistan is facing for the last 14 years..it would have been a clear basket case...the country could have been bankrupt long ago...but it has survived the worst form of terrorist activities any Nation has faced.
This is the best of time...this is the worst of time. Keep your fingers crossed Pakistan will not only survive...but will thrive. Now its a 940 billion USD economy, 26th largest in the world in purchasing power parity. Spread hope and good vibes and not gloom and doom...there are enough people doing this elsewhere.
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May 20, 2015 09:20pm
@Imran A. you are almost correct, the author has not restricted to 'money', and money is needed to be made before you can give in charity, and he has mentioned about making difference in other peoples lives. And as a Muslims this dynia and the akhirat are not different!
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May 20, 2015 09:23pm
@Zak A person who creates a business empire,creates opportunities for many more, generates wealth which gets distributed, in planned way or inadvertantly, and helps community by generating increased taxes for govt. Pl never be satisfied and crave for more. Ford,Edison, Rockfeller,Carnegie be the role model.
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May 20, 2015 09:26pm
@N.Sid very valid arguments. But still I agree with the author - from my reasonably waste experience - and disagree with your first few lines. Generally a number big enough is mediocre among us to generalize the rest.
About rest of your comment; now imagine if we have more 'outliers'! if a small number of people who are good (intent and at their work and .....) and not mediocre can keep our country from sinking, then where it will be if we have less mediocre?
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May 20, 2015 09:35pm
@Zak it's not about running behind money or power but about applying your mind to push the boundaries. The sense of achievement and satisfaction which comes from that is beyond comparison. Money can be a side benefit but also if you think of Google or Apple or Microsoft .... How much difference they made in lives of almost every person on the globe
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May 20, 2015 09:43pm
The only thing missing in this marvelous piece is the "institutional mediocrity" that has the trickle down effect. Mediocre leaders that lack vision and leadership have a herd of blind sheep following them with a narrow. When one insane soul tries to rise above, the test pull me back down afraid of seeing their pathetic self! - Khudi ko kar passt itna k har taqdeer say pehlay ...
Khuda banday say Khud pochay Bata Teri Gehrai Kia hay!!!
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May 20, 2015 09:48pm
@N.Sid simple google search will tell you, its around $ 250 billion a year (2015) economy.
Your figure of 940 billion is a figment.
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May 20, 2015 09:51pm
@Zak if TATAs or Ambanis or Bill Gates or Steve Jobs or Larry Page or Watson have thought on this 'Be happy with what you have' attitude there will be no progress
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May 20, 2015 09:56pm
@Leo.
Never heard of any of those Pakistani companies in Europe, US or Africa.
But TATA was just now the ranked the 57th most valuable brand in North America, I regularly see Reddys lab, Mahindra and Bajaj products in Europe and Africa.
Indian companies have gone ahead and expanded globally owning Jaguar and many such brands. The author has a important point to consider.
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May 20, 2015 10:43pm
Striving for excellence is a worthwhile goal; however to be consumed by the need to succeed is not. The evil side effects of greed and naked ambition are all too apparent all around the world. They lead to the exploitation of the impoverished to wit the battle for decent wages being fought in the United States now against corporate mega giants like Walmart and the fast food chains. There needs to a happy balance between trying to do your best and other dimensions of one's life. the Scandinavian countries have gotten it absolutely right.
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May 20, 2015 11:04pm
@ Fahim, very well written and commendable article which does capture our masses' current state of mind. However, please note that it wasn't always so. Look up people like Agha Hasan Abedi, about whom Indra Gandhi once lamented that why couldnt India produce someone like him. Believe it or not, there was once a time when Pakistan was the top cotton exporter in the world. Our PIA, now the symbol of inefficiency was voted world's second best airline and was helping set up the likes of Emirates Airlines. Times change, to get back on top, not only will we need to put aside the mediocrity mindset, but also look inwards and fastidiously instil in ourselves an honest hardworking ethical work ethic which seems to be altogether absent currently
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May 20, 2015 11:19pm
@N.Sid
Yes, 180 million people can be described as mediocre. If you view any international achievements, Pakistan is nowhere to be found - that is mediocrity. If you look at our PhD programs and publications - we again are nowhere. Only reason we are not a basket case and totally collapsed country - it is due to billions of dollars of aid we get EVERY year.
Money is not the ultimate objective to be on top, but it is a necessary tool. If we have no money to invest or are too scared to invest, how will the job market expand? New technologies will demand better educated and technically competent young people. It will force our educational system to improve.
Author, in my opinion, is suggesting that do not settle for just a comfortable existence but keep dreaming to be bigger and better. If one does not move forward, he is destined to fall back. You can not stand still!
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May 20, 2015 11:53pm
Excellent portrayal of our minds and society. We set our ceilings from childhood and once we reach there, we just want to enjoy the view instead of aiming for next one or helping someone pull from the bottom. In my view, our education system contributes a lot to this mindset as well
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May 21, 2015 12:00am
Our nation has been conditioned by the religious in-doctrine mind set of 'born to die' belief by those who preach it. BUT they have 'conveniently' 'skipped' the middle part between the time of birth and death - life in this this world!
How/who will instill the belief back in the nation's psyche that one will be judged by ones actions/deeds in this world in the hereafter??
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May 21, 2015 12:31am
A very good article. I have always wondered why so many of the Pakistanis not made headlines for being innovators, leading businessmen, corporate leaders, top professionals, experts at international level. No I do not mean experts on Pakistani politics which all of us are, or experts at finding faults with government, system etc. Nobel prize winners or big shot wall street gurus. The numbers are there with a significant number of people with above average IQ. But what happened - why all this complacency ? why there is no hunger for success in our sportsmen (unlike having great examples like Jehangir/Jansher Khan, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad or Wasim Akram ?
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May 21, 2015 12:33am
@M.Malik check again. There are internationally two indices which are measured, the nominal GDP and the PPP(purchasing power parity). What you mentioned is the nominal GDP, I've used the other purchasing power parity, mostly countries whose currency is other than dollar uses this parity, including India.
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May 21, 2015 12:45am
@sam Check out this. The amount Pakistan gets in aid is not even 1% of its GDP. It is government which needs aid...Pakistan is all run by private enterprise, that includes education, health, housing and literally everything. An incompetent government doesn't mean an incompetent nation. Huge difference here. Also check Banking Industry, Telecom, Media, Financial institutions, IT, Medical, Engineering and a host of other sections in which Pakistan is doing pretty good. The automobile vendor industry is worth 200 billion alone. The bikes produced here is now touching 2 million per year.
Its just that media does't give space to these business related news.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1133140
http://www.dawn.com/news/1168858
http://www.dawn.com/news/1146188
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May 21, 2015 12:47am
To add to the point about being satisfied with mediocrity, I also notice that any Pakistani who has achieved great heights & fame internationally (like Dr. Abdus Salam & Malala) are disowned, pulled down by fellow Pakistanis & forced to live in exile. If people who can be be an inspiration to millions of youth are forced out of the country, mediocrity is inevitable.
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May 21, 2015 12:52am
@N.Sid. With PKR in a free fall against all major currencies, the purchasing power is not a measure to useEspecially if the county has little foreign currency reserves
GDP is what I mentioned. If Pakistan was close to a trillion dollar economy, it would be ahead of some European countries, including Turkey, which I believe is 18th largest in the world.
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May 21, 2015 01:38am
Very well-written. I think this is why there will never be a Pakistani Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg or Jack Dorsey - our educational system and culture absolutely abhors innovation or out-of-the-box thinking and encourages inertia and mediocrity. The top of the food chain in our society are industrialists or business tycoons, who are capitalists but not innovators. Even artists are looked down upon and middle-class, conservative families discourage their kids from joining an arts-related profession.
I'm a fourth year medical student and I find myself questioning my own aspirations - I grew up comfortably middle-class throughout my life, so money has never been a particularly strong motivator, an exciting lifestyle is. My biggest fear is turning out to be the ideal of mediocrity my family aspires me to be.
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May 21, 2015 02:47am
Very well said. My sentiments also meeting the community here in US and Pakistan. Most of the people you meet are always thinking small. And I agree it is not about making money. Most very successful entrepreneurs are never driven by money.
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May 21, 2015 03:34am
It is about putting yourself in uncomfortable positions and coming out ahead. Otherwise there is always the easy way out. Stunning piece. Another problem with this culture is that we are risk averse. Every time you dream big, there are risks, risk of failure. However you can't achieve anything if you don't take chances. Great piece.
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May 21, 2015 05:46am
Amazing, simply amazing! By far the best blog I have read in ages.
Pakistan is in a mess not because of politicians, conspiracies or 'establishment'. Its our scarcity of thought that is to be blamed. We as a nation base all our hopes on PTI or PML-N or some new flavour of the month. We 'want' someone to come and save us rather than taking control of our own destiny.
We only have one life to live, why not make the most of it and die knowing that we lived to our fullest potential!
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May 21, 2015 05:53am
@Ahmed Abdali I slightly disagree with your comment. Sportsmen are not worth emulating. These are men who spent their adult life playing 'games'. They arent world changers. They were simply better than others at throwing or hitting a ball around the ground.
Since the inception of Pakistan, only one man has crossed the chasm from mediocrity to greatness. Dr. Abdus Salam. No one before him, and sadly no one after him. Sadly none of this students (he mostly took Pakistanis as his PhD students) could follow in his footsteps!
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May 21, 2015 06:19am
@Religious Atheist:
Well said.
Every child who has been beaten in a madressah with a stick for not memorizing lines, and who has been punished for questioning and wondering, has been directed toward mediocrity.
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May 21, 2015 07:44am
Oh you made me laugh. I totally understand and share your frustration dear blogger. As part of my job I counsel young professionals and they all want a house a car n a good school for the kid. Thats all. No dreams or passions of self actualization. I have a theory that needs testing ofcourse.... its that the odd ones out come from a childhood of exposures to libraries and american-dream art- tv/ film etc. And when they see they don't fit, they leave the country.
They say art imitates life. I think its the other way around. There is no stimulation in our homeland from the current art forms to "follow your heart".
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May 21, 2015 08:04am
@Masood Haider "consumed by the need to succeed" where does the article suggest that?
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May 21, 2015 08:07am
Excellent piece! The root cause of this mediocrity is 1) our educational system, 2) our parents mindset to get govt permanent job and having life partner, 3) our social environment which discourages us to be brave and innovative....
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May 21, 2015 08:14am
@aurangzeb What have you invented sir?
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May 21, 2015 08:14am
@PK Go ahead! Do it!
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May 21, 2015 08:15am
Pursuing material goals is the path to unhappiness. Greed is never good. No need to copy Americans or Indians. Nothing wrong with having a grocery store and being happy.
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May 21, 2015 08:39am
AGRRED .......pakistan need more article like that
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May 21, 2015 08:53am
Nice article and rightly pointing out our nature. We get satisfied once we know that we are above avg. this is what we been trained for all our lives.
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May 21, 2015 08:55am
Quote,'Until that happens, the pride of the herd, the enviable lot will be the ones who got out of the country and ‘this system’ only to be proudly mediocre somewhere else; getting into a company, getting the car they couldn’t afford in Pakistani mediocrity and settling down for a gora mediocrity with a substandard 3 series'.
Author has some good points but also seems to be lost and confused a bit. Not everybody is ambitious. After finishing Med school , I could see myself going nowhere in Pakistan. Come to the US, go through the grind and end up in top 5-10 %. FYI mediocre goras do not drive 3 series. May be a chevy.
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May 21, 2015 08:56am
@PK , no man you still did not get it. you can create jobs, all you need is your will. whatever you do, all you need to think is how you can sell it. Look around find something that could be sold and there you go.
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May 21, 2015 09:14am
@Shakeel Rajput
aah... but they didn't have the welfare system when their risk takers were taking the big risks: inventing telephones and cameras and elevators. And the US has no welfare system n still produces the biggest risk takers.
To quote Mukhtar Masood: man traversed the evolutionary milestones the fastest when all escape routes were closed.
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May 21, 2015 09:23am
bhai sahab!! very well written indeed.
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May 21, 2015 09:23am
For the tiny percentage who have achieved financial security in an unstable country , contentment is natural. But for the millions of our youth , they need to find a way to challenge the boundaries of the limitations in which our country has put them in . i.e. the increasing international isolation thanks to the wrong priorities of the successive leadership. Opportunities breed ambitions & success breeds success. Fighting for survival or life after death is another state of mind.
Good article to kick off the discussion..
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May 21, 2015 09:52am
Entrepreneurship is not the complete picture. Why have almost all the major scientific and technological breakthroughs come from a handful of countries? There have to other factors. No?
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May 21, 2015 10:20am
No fires in our bellies..
We equate rent-seeking with business acumen and strategy.
We worry about the tax bill before we potentially create and leave behind a truly spectacular legacy.
We congratulate each other for simply showing up ("hey, at least he/she Wrote a book/made a movie", nevermind that it was terribly done)
We tell ourselves we have "talent" even at the most *cringeworthy* displays that lack in skill, practice and training
The list goes on. The list goes on.
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May 21, 2015 10:41am
Spot on about mediocrity, but why Pakistan bashing? Its a universal phenomenon, look around, its every where. It's a balancing act of nature. Its like wishing everyone was rich, wouldn't that be great? Yes, but then who would till the lands? Everyone in an organization cannot be its CEO, despite being very capable (there is only one slot to fill). So, indeed, one should dream and aspire for heights beyond one's reach. But its a human, more than a national, issue. Cheers
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May 21, 2015 11:54am
Most of the Seths have amassed wealth by hook or by crook; under-invoicing, electricity theft, tax evasion, no quality control Etc. and they are illiterates or with graduation level education. They take risk on borrowed money. If successful they become secure by investing in properties. If they fail they become. Bank defaulters. This country's corrupt environment is more conducive for them to do business. Can they compete in progressive countries with stringent tax laws and quality control rules ?
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May 21, 2015 12:39pm
@KN
Also, world mining leaders Vedanta, International telecom giant Airtel, British Steel Corus, Indian owned world number one steel maker Arcelor, and so many more.
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May 21, 2015 01:09pm
@Just Someone completely agreed, and they were correct in there approach as well.
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May 21, 2015 01:18pm
It is the duty of the State to provide safety and security to its citizens, ensure that there is Rule of Law, so that crimes and misdemeanors are curbed and stopped, and provide an atmosphere where corruption cannot thrive. In Pakistan, this is not the case...
Our rulers and leaders are role models of mediocrity, providing a perfect example of each one for himself. In a society where values are eroded and success means ensuring one's own comfort, how can you create citizens who can imagine the bigger picture, who can serve the nation and leave an enduring legacy for generations to come. It is now a pipe dream. The state, whether democratic or otherwise, has not kept its side of the bargain. The most mediocrity is in the leaders of the past several decades, who are the ultimate role models of mediocrity. Successful, world-class citizens are not born or nourished in a vacuum.
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May 21, 2015 01:18pm
Talk about hitting the nail on the head. Brilliant article! Unfortunately, the current climate in the country does not allow for thinking far beyond basic safety. Some past examples of greatness have also ended in ruin. Google ''Bank of Credit and Commerce International''.
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May 21, 2015 01:22pm
Nice article.
It does bring into question the role of our current elite business entities with vested interests and a lot of influence - yes I am looking at you Mr. Zardari/Sharif brothers.
Not only do they monopolize the current market but also actively thwart anyone that challenges their writ.
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May 21, 2015 02:22pm
Good work. These are the things which we don't even think about. People settle. Because when something bad happens we say 'kuch behtari hogi'. We don't look at the flaws and work on it. We consider it fate and settle.
Society has so much role to play. Our goals are related to society, just to rise above others. And don't set goals for our selves or don't aim at things which we can achieve. Just want to be recognized, if we are succeeding. Or consider it fate if we fail.
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May 21, 2015 02:39pm
It is Misbah's fault that we are defensive.
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May 21, 2015 02:41pm
You forgot we have AXACT - the world's leading IT company!!!!
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May 21, 2015 02:52pm
Why am I not surprised with the author equating pakistan with mediocrity?
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May 21, 2015 03:01pm
We have to take into account the socio economic conditions and lack of a welfare state. My first concern will be to take care of my parents and family as there is no State to fall back to. Only Bhutan takes care of its citizens in S Asia. Maybe Lanka. Also as a society we look down upon people who tray and fail unlike west. Its only now that people even aspire for pvt jobs , else our poverty made us stand in a que for a clerks job. As incomes increase risk taking will too. 2015 offers more opportunities than 1995 and it will keep growing
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May 21, 2015 03:34pm
On a serious note, it's ironic you said at the start of the article that "it is not money that I ask you to run after but later on ask us to name 10 entrepreneurs who have made billion dollars. Your article makes some very valid points, as a nation we are nowhere. But if you look at things closely, the main target for every individual in this planet is to be happy. Some gets happy from becoming ultra powerful, ultra famous and the biggest international brand while some gets happy and content over what they have. If you keep looking for more you may not be happy over what you have, and that's the definition of a loser in life.
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May 21, 2015 07:08pm
Poverty of mind...plus...a curse of closed society.
nevertheless, I fully agree with you; and confess being a mediocre. I'll try changing that.
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