It is something the lack of which is so in the face and increasingly pervasive leading to a vicious cycle which am sure all of us are affected by.

The first about decency is that somewhere along the way a lot of us are learning subtly and not so subtly that being decent and fair has no place in the corporate world and that one cannot succeed taking this route. The change have seen over the past few years is that this perception is now imbibed at the college level itself. Can vouch for this being a visiting faculty across multiple institutes across India.

Earlier, the students would be quite affectionate and respect you merely for the fact that you are a teacher. There will be certain innocence about them in the way they interact with you and it was possible to establish a bond with them which was special (an incentive to teach and get involved). Now, often come across students who logically estimate you based on the company you work for, the kind of job opportunities possible at the company, your position in the company, whether you can get them a good project and how much you will be of use to them in their career. Actually, the fact that they are so focused is an advantage and shows their career orientation. But it is the way this is being done in a visible, competitive way that is something that makes me think about.

When the placement season approaches the competitiveness and the desire to get the best jobs ahead of peers gets more intense and the seed sown earlier that being fair and decent may not yield dividends branches out more at this time. And once they enter the corporate world this grows further into a deeply rooted tree of cynicism. It is amazing to see how many students believe corporate world does not play straight and substance alone cannot take them to the heights they desire. They somehow believe and are intuitively told that playing politics and cuddling favor is the best and most effective way.

Many trees make a forest and you have thousands who dot the corporate world mindlessly adopting this approach. Resulting in environments which all of us suffer in varying degrees. The organizations also suffer as it has many people inside who focus more on the dynamics of getting ahead and keeping the place than getting the work done or satisfying the customer.

This then spills over into the streets when we drive, we go to shopping malls and else. Suffocating us and making us behave differently. Before once knows you are part of the universe and it gets worse and worse.

Children observe all this and considering what they see in formative years is deeply embellished in their consciousness it is no wonder that when they grow this will get even worse probably starting even earlier and becoming more intense. The cycle just goes on. I keep saying if one us decide to step out and be decent like the way this started slowly and steadily it will become a forest and before you know it is the reverse of what is there now.

Try it. Probably you will be able to smile at someone in an elevator at a hypermart or pick up a fallen object and give it to the person who is not realized it or stop your vehicle at the signal when it turns yellow. Try, it might be a different corporate world that we will all inhabit where we can all be ourselves and focus on work.