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?