Thursday, October 9, 2014

Our National Character - Problem of Finish

Recently concluded Asian Games have brought to fore the most common problem of FINISH of the Indian mindset.

It is true that some of our players did well and won medals but there were cases where fouth position could have become bronze medal or bronze could become silver. The stumbling block was our inability to finish the task.

Some of our players were on the verge of winning till the very end but were overtaken in last few meters. In swimming, one of our swimmer was a leader till 40 m mark and then came third at the end in last 10 m.

Similar things happen in most of the tasks we do. It seems our mindset presumes that once started the task will finish on its own. In reality it does not happen that way. Anyone who has played tennis, golf or basketball knows that while start is important, it is the finish of a stroke or a throw at Basket that determines the result of that action and not just the good beginning. Remember well begin is (only) half done, the balance half definitely comes from well finish, a fact that we mostly miss in our elation of starting a job well.

This tendency is also evident in many things that we Indians do including our government. We always start of with grand ideas but soon run out of steam either mid way or around finish. We cleaning our house and dumping the dirt on the road (and not in the garbage bin) is also part of the same problem.

How will we Indians overcome this shortcoming? Difficult to answer but a cultural change may be the answer.

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