SYMBIOTISM Vs PARASITISM

In my last post “NETWORKING: The GOOD and The BAD”, I left you all with questions relating to the fine-line-divide to ponder upon. For the past few days, I have been thinking the same, trying to crack that code of conduct. The thing that further forced me to probe into this matter (and what I am gonna share with you in this post) is the forthcoming placement season (listing my weaknesses). Thinking what’s the connection?? Well, they say anything beyond the set limits is bad. And yes I have my obsessions too. This obsession has something to do with the fine-line-divide between symbiotism and parasitism… and yeah I dare to be rude...

I have an obsession to own the things I use daily or let’s just say more often. Starting from the toothpaste to the lotions to the deodorants; from a small eraser to a stapler or glue or cello-tape to a permanent marker ; from water bottle to coffee mug to spoon; from an iron for clothes to a kettle for coffee, I just NEED to own them. I HATE to ask people every other day for something that I require every day and which of course I can afford to buy. I have been in a hostel (where people use other’s stuff as their own) for 7 years now and this is the 8^th and yet my obsession has not subsided.

I generally don’t drink the pepsis and the colas. But if I need a bottle to fill in water and if the actual “water bottles” are expensive I will buy one, let my friends drink up the entire fizz liquids and I’ll use the bottle….

Girls often mix and match their clothes. And I can’t stand the thought of asking my friend a chunni or a legging leave alone a kurti every other time. Yes, after joining symbi and growing in width faster than ever before, I did start to borrow clothes in some occasions (a total of 7 in past one year). But if you compare how others borrow it, well I really can’t say whose kurti or legging or chunni is it in real anyway!!

It irks me further when people borrow things and don’t return it in time and I have to go and ask “hey you got my stuff” every single time they borrow it. It’s like it is me who is borrowing and not they! I do have a money plant at home, but it sure doesn’t produce any money!! So my obsession to own things is being taken advantage by people around me. I don’t mind sharing. I can lend my stuff to people as long as they respect the fact that it is someone else’s stuff and return it in proper condition without me asking for it back and understand if they can buy it they might as well should.

I know in this era of vast networking and increasing inter-dependencies, such obsessions have no place. But there ought to be a line between symbiotism and parasitism isn’t it?? 

So the question again arises where do we draw the line??????

NETWORKING: The GOOD and the BAD

We as humans are quite gregarious. We weave ourselves into a network, a network that is a part of bigger network called the solar system, which in turn is a part of a network called the “Milky Way” which yet again is a part of a much bigger and ultimate network called the “Universe”!

Like every damn thing in this universe, be it living or non-living, physical or non-physical, factual or just hypothetical, have both pros and cons attached to it. And so is true with networking too. The reason is simple: There is certainly a fixed price for every single thing in the universe. Here is what I feel about networking per se…

The GOOD:

Imagine being the only person on a scintillating yet isolated island. Would you be happy? I guess not. The solitude will only drive you insane even if you are the most introvert person on the face of the earth! It is good networking that keeps you upbeat. It is networking that takes you places, be it getting a visa or a job. It is networking that allows you to share you work burdens by getting the job done by others or at least a little help. It is networking that prints your invitation card for parties, weekend getaways and sleep overs. It is networking that helps when you are down with something bad while your near and dear ones are away.

The BAD:

I saw this movie ‘Up in the air’ sometime back. The protagonist has this to say- “Imagine you have to fit in all your belongings starting from what you put in your shelves to the furniture you have to all the relationships that you have made. You’ll notice that it is the relationships component that weighs the most! So why not de-clutter that component in your life?” This philosophy of his is based on the fact that, the more centered you are in the network, or bigger is the network, the more you are burdened with the responsibilities and the more chances that you put others before you. Is such kind of situation appealing?? I bet not, unless you are some kind of saint born in the wrong century. The constant pressure of meeting the demands, of people around you; sacrificing your real passion for something and yet sometimes failing on the deliveries sure puts suicidal thoughts into the brain more often than not.

Having put forth both sides of the argument, I now ask you…Where do we draw the line between the good and the bad leave alone the ugly? And having done that, when it comes to the bad part, where do we draw the line between symbiotism and parasitism? What bandwidth is good enough to take the load? Since each person is different from the other and has different tolerance levels and ideologies, can there be any universal index for networking?