An idea that is not dangerous is not worthy of being called an idea at all. — Oscar Wilde
Given our increased focus on PA course and our rejoicing/claim of our newly discovered uniqueness of PA course/class, we need to make sure we don’t forget this. We learnt by drilling in knowledge rather than stimulating imagination about human performance. As student I have always rebelled against rote learning whether presently during SZABIST or before in PAF/NUST, and that attitude helped make me the type of writer I am. Likewise, our success will be determined not just by how well we hold seminar or present nicely our so-called projects, write fake reports professionally and follow the deadlines set by our CR at his convenience but by how well we promote/reward imagination and creativity.
I am slow in learning how to convince the people. That combined with a cheeky rebelliousness toward authority, have always lead my teachers/instructors to grade me low or threaten me with F Grade and some amused me by declaring that I would never amount to much. These traits some time make me the patron saint of distracted person/student everywhere. Nevertheless it always helps me with my expression especially in my writing. My cocky contempt for authority leads me to question received wisdom. And as for my poor convincing style, lead me to think and observe with wonder the everyday phenomena that others takes for granted. I always tried to explain to my course fellows that performance and appraisals thoughts produced and cherished by us in class are not unique and clearly wrong because at the end it is not an iota different from those available in books/net. I always tried to explain that human performance is full of wonders, and we should try to picture the underlying reality of human/employee performance in global culture and environment of the organization. How would such thoughts manifest in real business world? I still wonder, how to show, my business dreams and world imagination, to those, who are fully overwhelmed by West and their culture/civilization’s dazzling charm for whole of their life? A genius is one who shoots at something no one else can see, and hits it. My impudence and lack of deference to authority so far alienated all of my teachers who claimed to unique and some how it also includes our beloved Wali Zahid. As a result, I will be the only one in his PA course who will not PASS. However I always avoid challenging the authority or norms set by teachers (and their CR) who think that their courses are typical and do not proclaim to be unique. But it was really impossible for me in PA Class since we were supposed to cherish and value the uniqueness of the course. But lest you feel sorry for me, this attitude allowed me to do thought-experiments and encouraged me to be skeptical about conventional wisdom, unlike the well-heeled acolytes in our class. Among my thought-experiments, one of the adventure was my Project, in which I was trying to tell about human being and their performance considering organizational culture as global issue not local. It will be a simple insight to events that appears to each one of us, every day. I have rebelliousness, a willingness not to conform and I tried to discard the notions so far about performance, which had been a sacred tenet of all our discussion during our class. “Long live impudence,” Einstein proclaimed as a young man. “It’s my guardian angel in the world.” If we’re going to succeed, we have to be careful to nurture and reward the imagination — even the impudence, violating deadline and rebelliousness against norms — that is the wellspring of any genius and his creativity. Like my all previous teachers, Sir Wali Zahid is really uncomfortable and he feels pity about me however I know at his heart he wants to help me and my projects fellow. However he is helpless due to his grading criterion which he considers highly objective while highly subjective according to some. His ratings/labels have directed attention away from the original work and creativity toward the defense of what is meant ‘good’ or ‘great’ by Wali Zahid. His ratings are the source of negativity in class ( Blog Comments about CR) and will be host of bad memories in future also. In Olympic sports, athletic are judged by a panel of experts. It is an amazing thing that the best judges in the world all look at the same person at the same time and make different rating/grading. Therefore claim of Sir Wali Zahid about his grading criterion as absolute and objective vary, based on who is observing. Our work in class is a human phenomenon and it is not as absolute and quantitative as it may appear to Sir Wali.
What is measured is not always what is rated—Many instruments designed by Sir Wali do not reflect the actual content of the efforts and quality of the individual student. Nothing pains people more than having to think. — Martin Luther King, Jr. Many great ideas have been lost because the people who had them couldn’t handle being laughed at. I alone have dared to discard the notion of his absolute objective criterion, which had been a sacred tenet of our class. Since my efforts and creativity will not help therefore he has promised me a Grade if whole class pleads my case. With these words my case is open for comments for all those who want to help me. Sir Wali has assured that all brave souls that their grades will not affected by their bravery and courage for truth.
Don’t just do something, stand there. — Daniel Berrigan,
Syed Fida Marvat
If I look wired and confused it’s because I think. — Samuel Goldwyn
