Mt. Everest is Alone

Life takes us to two extremes. One of knowing something too well or the other of knowing nothing at all...and not to forget the grey area which lies between them both. In both these extreme domains there is a bit of lonliness and a bit of company. When you are the best of the best, you are on top of the ladder with no company because there can only be one first place. On the other hand, when you know nothing at all, you are again alone because the whole world accoding to you knows everything or at least something.

This came to my mind in a recent conversation I had with a couple of friends. One was an engineer and highly qualified and ambitious chap and the other being a simple and happy go lucky graduate girl who just wanted to marry and get settled. Despite being friends, I felt a little lost and totally disconnected in that one conversation and it just hit me like a gentle breeze caressing across my face what seemed to me a hard fact.

The conversation was in no way about a common topic but a diverse subject which included each persons respective areas of interests...the guy's topic was about engineering, technology, the girls was about life in general - work and personal and mine was about rock music. Well, as it can be noticed, three of us belonged to the scale which I explained in the beginning. The guy was so engrossed in his dialogue that he dint allow anyone to understand or clarify what on earth he was trying to explain. Then came my turn where I spoke about the roots, bands, styles and various genres of rock music. The same was the case this time with the other two who just had no clue of what I had tried to explain. Amidst these two conversations out of the three so far, the girl got a little hold of what we both we were talking about. And then, she got her turn to speak...the third conversation was a very open and a general discussion where we both could participate and share our thoughts. Both of us found it very easy to open up and share our limited insights or even listen when we had not a clue.

After all three conversations were over, we got our chances to sip our steaming coffee that had just arrived after the three way conversation. That evening, I had derived a learning out of this tete-a tete and from here on I will indeed explain on from where exactly the title comes from and what I intend to convey.

We all know that in this world there are specialists, nothingists (I beg to use a little poetic license here) and generalists. Either we know something too well (specialists), or we know nothing at all (nothingists) or we know just enough about something (generalists). Please note, that specialists are niche area folks and hence the scarcity of specialists around; the nothingists are blissfully ignorant people, who are also less because our social structure does not permit us to do so; and the generalists, the remaining lot who know a little of everything and are able to dwell between the 2 extreme categories because they are just about aware but arent flustered if they do not know the details.

Specialists, Id rather say are those who are in top ranks and have been in the most sought after profiles and seldom have a team because we know them as those who love to work alone. The Nothingists, on the other hand, know nothing blissfully ignorant and people in turn do not like to work with them at any given time. The Generalists, as I can assume, are willing to step into unknown territories, knowing it is dangerous but knowing not how to get out of it. The fact that they dont know how to get out in a dangerous situation, prompts them to know more and hence the ability to converse, learn and find a way out. I cannot discount certain damages that can happen here in this process. The greats have once said - little knowledge is too dangerous...and it is. In which case, the extremes of being a specialist and a nothingist does help...sometimes being a generalist, gets you in a situation which you just did not want to get into...rather was happy to see it go by than get into it.

Now if you had to take real life instances and put people into these categories (also yourself) and then judge on how to take life forward...Im sure it would bring a lot of things to perspective and bring oneself to reality. Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain on planet Earth and has an envious record than any other peak in the world. Does it, in this case, have company? Do you think, being the best and the specialist, brings you more friends? Arent you actually alone being on the top? Hasnt it struck you that you are far and way above ground reality? Arent you on top of the human construct of what they call is the best and first rank? Arent you alone...I mean by people and not by ideas of work or by your intellectual demons. Dont you want to be in the company of the world than be counted amongst the elite? Have you ever ventured back to what you were before becoming a specialist? To those, these are some of my questions you might want to rethink your answers about...i know you might have already formulated an answer by now...think again.

The Mariana Trench...the lowest point on this planet and the deepest abyss ever found...blissfully ignorant of the world above, peacefully slumbering in the depths of the waters, waiting for light to even be touched upon. Dear Nothingists, I am talking to you all. Ever wondered how it is to be even seen? Have you ever witnessed the evolution of this world? Dont you want to be a part of history and an element of the future? Does time come to any essence for you? Does it help to have friends? Do you know that knowing not is not an excuse, rather a grave mistake you know you are making? Isnt there a purpose for your existence or your actions? Wouldnt you want to see the light of day? Do you realize that by resting your brain, you are not resting but killing an intellectual gift unique only to mankind? Have you ever listened, besides hearing? Have you ever watched besides seeing? To those, these are some of my questions you might want to rethink your answers about...I know you might have already ignored all my attempts by now...listen and watch.

The land we live on...level between the highest point on the planet and the deepest abyss, knowing not the extremes of the scale but grounded to reality. Balanced but not willing to go the extremes knowing the outcomes beforehand inaccurately with an uncertain future, a running present and a buried past. Do you know how does it feel to blissfully ignorant? Dont you want to live beyond the edge rather than living on the edge? Does knowing too much hurt? Isnt greatness a part of everyday life? Do you need a permanent vacation? Does learning and progress ever cease? Does human existence fight for money in the name of the country and the economy? Is it worth knowing something so deep and living with it your entire life? Does immortality and legendary mean something to you? Do you know the difference between freedom and being free? To those, these are some of my questions you might want to rethink your philosophy in life...I know you might have already started thinking about the questions by now...nevermind, its a decent beginning if not the end.

Here is a conclusion that is worth a debate and discussion. Neither can one stay at both extremes of Specialist and a Nothingist nor can be stuck inbetween and call oneself a Generalist. The reason we call life a journey and not a destination is that we have to tread from one extreme of the scale to another if the situation demands so from time to time. It is a neverending process and in this crossover journey we will come across so many people who are interchanging their roads with you and who are on their way to the opposite ends of my scale. You will never feel alone if you treat this knowledge as your own...share it. Give as much as you can and take as much as is offered.

Life comes as much as it goes...never think twice to make a nothingist feel like a generalist, always give a chance for a generalist to know a little more and get known and give that specialist a chance to show how much can be given to a nothingist and let the nothingist give a touch of freedom of blissfully ignorant feel whenever they are stuck up in daily chores. It is when this happens that my scale will diminish and the merger of minds and bodies and souls will take place with no boundaries where existence will be all about oneness and mutual respect. The moment we draw the line, we part ourseleves into the hands of madness and chaos. Let us be one and share this feeling of to know, not to know and knowing a little more to as many as we can. Its a big world but the journey can only begin with a small step!

Always remember, Mt. Everest is always lonely, but if it welcomes to be scaled upon, will it have company. The Mariana Trench is always lonely, but if the abyss welcomes the light with open arms, it will see the light of day. The plain earth on which we dwell on will have company but will lose the pleasure of going the extreme and knowing what it is to live beyond the edge rather than on the edge. The extreme scale (of segregating people into Specialists, Nothingists and Generalists) which I created in this article is just a mental construct which we are so used to doing knowingly or unknowingly...lets break this myth as soon as can. If we do so, we will become one and one day the vast world we live in will become so small that it will roll in our palms. It depends if you want to have it to yourself or pass it over to the person next to you...