Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Deep quotes

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine forwarded me a short essay/answer he had written in response to a question posed in the business school application for Lahore University of Management and Sciences (LUMS).

Suffice to say, I could suggest no improvements to his masterpiece below:

Why do you want a MBA/Executive MBA degree from LUMS? How will you benefit from it? (maximum 4000 characters)



My motivation for joining LUMS stems from an inherent belief that there are no simple answers in real life. There is never a black or white answer, atleast for all the crucial questions. For those lucky enough to have it figured out, life must seem rather pale. But it is not for me to judge them. I live amongst non-linear roads, ones which wind back on themselves and where the forks in the road do not come with right way or wrong way signs. The only markers are your own judgments.


It is thus imperative to allow your instincts to be honed to meet such challenges. Our value systems and social constructs provide only a blurry view of which choices are better and which not. It is however a characteristic of every society to condition us in a manner that we become compatible with the society’s norms.



Isn't it absolute genius?!

You have to read it thrice to really be able to capture its full beauty. The first time you read it you sort of get sucked into believing its normal since the language isn't particularly jarring in the first sentence. Neither is the central theme particularly ludicrous - basically the guy just wants to be a flexible thinker but is expressing that in the stupidest way possible. Half way into the first paragraph, however, you feel your "what the FUCK is going on" sensation starting to kick in - probably around the time where the writer announces that his residence is third house down the non-linear road. So then you collect your thoughts and read it again, now prepared to appreciate the bullshit for what it really is. I would then urge you to read it a third time because there are some brilliant contradictions in there. Like, the "non-linear roads which wind back on themselves". He's basically telling the admissions panel that he likes going around in circles.

Just great stuff.

6 comments:

  1. I had the opposite reaction is you. I thought it was completely retarded the first time I read it but the next couple of times, I could at least see his premise (though he/she is a terrible writer).

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  2. how typical!
    soon will come how to strategise and to align individual goals with the vision and mission of some co!
    ie: if whoever gets in wtih that masterpiece!

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  3. Raza:

    He never got in but I dont know how much the essay was to blame for that since his test scores werent that great.

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  4. What's so genius about it? You need to get out more, visit corner store, locals there have more interesting things to say than this crap.

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  5. "It is thus imperative to allow your instincts to be honed"

    Instincts and honed... Well I can see a reason why he was rejected. He didn't even answer the question.

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