'Life is only two percent how it comes to me and ninety eight percent how i react to it.' Many people would accept this in theory. But Karl Marx (1818-1883) was an exception.
This German philosopher started his campaign with the communist manifesto and ended with the call "Workers of the world, unite!" He strongly advocated that everybody should be given equal remuneration for doing whatever they are good at. In his opinion, being a human being entitles one a place in a classless society where everyone deserves equal returns irrespective of their contribution.
His philosophy can be explained in three stages :
1. Thesis : The bourgeoisie have exploited the proletariat for many generations.
2. Antithesis : The workers will overthrow the capitalistic class and set up a dictatorship of their own. In such a way, they will take revenge from the bourgeoisie.
3. Synthesis : In the long run, it will all culminate into a classless society.
Marx strongly believed that managers getting a sum many times more than the working class by way of remuneration is a clear evidence of exploitation. He also propounded that this difference is illogical and against the principles of natural justice.
This morning, i read a story about a king and his prime minister in a Hindu religious book (Shastra) and found it suitable to prove that 'Life is only two percent how it comes to me and ninety eight percent how i react to it'.
In the story, many workers go to the king and complain against the difference in the remuneration structure of the prime minister and the workers. They also said that they worked for the whole day and the prime minister just sat doing nothing. The king called his prime minister in and also sent someone to bring an elephant.When the elephant was brought, the king handed the same over to the workers and asked them to weigh it. All the workers came back after 4-5 hours without success as they had been unable to find a scale large enough to weigh the elephant. Now the same job was assigned to the prime minister. He came back within an hour with the exact weight being 4850 units. When asked, he narrated the entire process. "I went to the river, took the elephant on a boat and noted the watermark. Then the boat was taken in the water again without the elephant. This time i had weights put in the boat until the same watermark was touched." The workers were able to see the sense. They accepted the rationale of the remuneration structure and went back.
What does the story tell us? One always gets paid in the exact ratio of the value he or she adds to the organisation. You need to respond quickly and effectively to the requirements of your employer. And this ability only decides your remuneration.
This ability depends on many factors. The family background, upbringing, schooling, hobbies, environment, value system, spirituality etc. play their respective roles in the same. But the most important factor is - the candidate's burning desire to add some value. The hunger inside becomes passion which gets reflected in the sincerity of efforts. Your Alma mater is just trying to provide you some opportunities to increase the same. How one utilises the same is entirely one's own discretion.
The Economic Times reports that the ratio of highest package offered and the average package in IIMs this year is nearly 14:1. What should be the ratio of the highest to the lowest package? The law of averages gives us the probable answer - 196:1. And all these management graduates were offered similar teachings and facilities!
Yes! I agree.'Life is only two percent how it comes to me and ninety eight percent how i react to it.' Marx is an aberration.
