The rat in the rat race

The last few months have been quite revealing. I've just realized that sometimes people make choices more out of the lack of it rather than making it consciously.

Everywhere I see people around me vying for the same thing. A good life, a good home and a good wife!It's sad to see so many people who have other hobbies just chucking them all away and taking the beaten track towards engineering or medicine.

After coming to the US ,I've realized that people have a lot more freedom in doing what they want to do and nobody really gives a dam about what you're doing frankly.

In India, there is this silly mentality that's pervasive throughout all cadres of society- a good education means becoming either a businessman or an engineer. Getting good grades means you're a good person and you'll have a bright future. It's sad to see so many people getting stressed out with competitiveness and vying for that coveted position in some IT company.

Personally I think Engineering is over rated...making techie stuff is cool and all...but sometimes people just get shoved into the field because it's mainstream ...The funny thing is that the same indian mentality of 'engineering is the one and only thing that will get you good money" trickles through to Indians living in the states too...There are quite a few undergrad students that i've met and most of them are in engineering as well....I don't get it...what the hell is so freaking great about engineering?if you like it..fine..go ahead and get into the field..
what about people who don't have the prediliction towards using more of their left side of their brains...the side that's supposed to deal with logic
?

I know there are many indians out there saying to themselves "What the .... am i doing in this field?can i get anywhere with so many people doing the same thing?How's he/she different from me?where will i be?what will i do?is this the path i am supposed to be taking in my life?"

Higher studies has become quite trite and every other indian passing out with a bachelors degree either wants to do an MS or an MBA...the question is never asked as to whether the person is really interested in doing so...." hey...i am doing it for the money" is the answer that usually comes out frequently in the minds of the uncertain.

The situation,when looked at more objectively is because of the situation that our country is currently in. India is a third world country. People struggle to get a square meal in a third world country. Engineering will be the one good thing one could do to get a decent living. So the answer is not one of choice, but one more of a need. You want a good living , become an engineer and get hired by any IT company and become a code monkey.

Your standard of living will be pretty good quantitatively,but qualitatively who gives a dam. This concept of hard work is over rated too. I mean have you heard of bosses saying" Oh, that guy is so a hard working, he's the first to come into the office and the last to leave the workplace" . I mean we're freaking humans...not some slaves...who are supposed to do donkey work for the rest of our lives. There has to be some sort of creativity and enjoyment brought into a work place.

The whole conclusion of this thought process is that it's a serious problem that's plauging most young minds. The "be an engineer or be a nobody" thinking just has to stop. It's difficult to make it stop though what with India's gdp rising by the moment thanks to the IT companies. But a deeper question that arises is the standard of living of the average individual might increase in monetary aspects, but what about the quality of life?In the long run will people really be happy doing what they do?