Youngsters' guide to Personality Development: A book for young men & women especially students with indian precepts & culture
By S. P. Sharma
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About this ebook
In a world marked by competition personality is the key to success--whether it is social or business or personal or political arena. Interview for IAS or an MNC, meeting with the parents of your prospective bride, addressing a public rally, or delivering a speech in an international conference...if you have a confident and pleasing personality, you will surely make your mark! This book seeks to motivate young men and women, particularly students, to make conscious and continuous effort to build character and develop personality. With deep insight, the author has provided valuable guidelines and practical tips on matters of special interest to students. Further, he has given them the benefit of experience, his own as well as those of eminent persons. Considering the significant role of teachers and parents and their responsibility in molding young minds, the book intends to serve the purpose of building firm foundation for a better personality. Some Glimpses: * Manners make the a man. We should be uniformly courteous to all...humility marks an educated man. *It is more fitting for a man to laugh over life, than lament over it. *The art of writing letters is worth culivating, for one`s own sake, and for the sake of others. *Start building a library, of your own (if you do not already have one)...learn by heart significant speeches or passages...be a student all through your life. *`I have developed a such a detached attitude to food where taste is concerned that life is so much easier, and the hazard of becoming a victim to contaminated food are almost nil.`
S. P. Sharma
S.P. Sharma a retired MNC Executive has also been active as a journalist, contributing thought- provoking articles on a variety of topics in leading Indian periodicals. The present volume is the outcome of his humanitarian concern for the welfare of the younger generation particularly students. In his scholarly work, Success Through Positive Thinking, we saw S.P. Sharma as an intellectual and original thinker.
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Youngsters' guide to Personality Development - S. P. Sharma
Conclusion
1
Before Choosing a Career
It was the last day of the academic year. Students in the final year school class had assembled in the classroom. Examinations were at hand. The syllabus had been fully covered. The gathered students were agog with excitement. They had lived together in the school for years. Parting from friends was naturally sad. Yet they were expectantly poised over their unknown future.
As the class teacher entered, students stood up and wished him good morning. Then the teacher addressed them thus: Well, boys and girls. Not only the academic year but a phase of your education has, also come to a close. Naturally, each one of you must be nurturing dreams about your future. Since there is no teaching today, shall we go through a different exercise? I want some of you to tell us what you propose to do after leaving school and what profession or career you hope you would like to take up later. Now one by one.
The students’ responses were on expected lines. Some wanted to become doctors,, engineers, lawyers; others businessmen, industrialists, writers and so on. Only one student (we shall call him Rohit) was different in his response. He said: Sir, frankly my family finances are none too sound at the moment. So I would rather decide about my higher education and career only at the appropriate time. But, sir, one thing I am definite about. I want to become as good a human being as possible. This aim does not depend upon anything or anybody except myself for its fulfilments
.
While Rohit spoke, there was mild laughter among some of his co-students. But the teacher had a surprise for them. He said: This is no laughing matter. I cannot but applaud and commend Rohit who has displayed not only an original but also a thoughtful reaction. He seems to have already given the matter the attention it deserves. He has realised that, irrespective of one’s education and career choice, there is one thing essential for all. For success in any calling and in life in general, good character is the foundation on which all else is built.
And for you students, this is the right time to begin paying serious attention to the subject. All of you should straightaway launch yourselves on a voyage of self-discovery and self-development. Become not just good, but the best human beings. It is an end in itself. It has been rightly said that ‘virtue is its own reward’. Nothing succeeds like success. So here is wishing you all a bright future and all success in your endeavours. Goodbye!
2
Learning is a Lifelong Process
Averse in Sanskrit states:
Only a fourth part, of knowledge does one gather from. teachers. A quarter the student acquires by self-effort. Another quarter he learns from his co-students. And the final quarter accrues in course of time making him fully knowledgeable.
This verse underlines the fact that learning is a lifelong process.
In present-day set up, we cannot expect schools and colleges to equip youngsters fully to meet life’s challenges, big or small.
The armour and weapons in life’s battle are knowledge of various aspects of living. That is not to say that students learn little from educational institutions. There is no doubt that the knowledge acquired in the classroom is of considerable value.
In olden days, in what was known as gurukula style of education, rishis (sages) who were gurus (teachers) used to take charge of small bands of students. The guru could watch them closely as they were staying in his household as members of a family. He used to teach them many things directly and indirectly and also correct them whenever necessary. In short, he moulded their character and equipped them to face life as they grew up.
Things are different today. The number of students in an average class is quite large and teachers generally teach different subjects. The teacher-pupil interaction has become marginal. Except through the medium of periodical tests, no assessment of the students’ progress is possible. The tests or exams are mostly academic.
Parental supervision of children has slackened too because parents, both in many cases, are busy with their careers and other preoccupations, leaving them no time to adequately care for their children’s growth and development.
The outcome is an enormous increase in the student’s need for self-effort. Due to the complexity of present-day living, not only academic, but also many other matters call for attention, acquaintance and even expertise in some field. Thus the need to equip oneself with all-round knowledge has increased considerably.
Fortunately, today’s student community is fully aware of the situation.
3
Sources of Knowledge
In earlier times, classroom and books used to be the main source of knowledge, but today there are numerous avenues to acquire useful and often specialised knowledge. Besides books, television and computer have come to occupy a place in our lives. Magazines general and specialist, even newspapers, provide deeper insight into subjects of one’s choice.
Though students absorb knowledge to which they are exposed, there is risk of distraction. Student participation in extra curricular activities has also hit an all time high. This situation calls for discretion-, discrimination and balancing of serious and lighter aspects of life.
An ancient Sanskrit poet has aptly emphasised the need to discriminate what is important and relevant and what is not:
"Sciences are vast, there is so much to be: learnt.
Since time at our disposal is limited and there are too many obstacles.
That which is of essence should be imbibed.
Like the swan that separates and consumes milk’only.
From a mixture of milk and, water."
(The legendary swan was supposed to be capable of sucking the essence of milk from a mixture in which water is larger in quantity and the essence of milk, less).
In modern times, seminars, workshops, study circles and other similar activities are arranged by different organisations. Public lectures at cultural centres, as also religious discourses are conducted to communicate new and practical knowledge. Participating in these adds and enhances our perception and broadens our horizons.
Then there are correspondence courses of open
universities. These courses enable one to acquire a recognised diploma or degree which alone provides the stamp of validity to any study course systematically undergone. Though one should concentrate on the subject of one’s choice, any additional qualification would not only enhance one’s field of knowledge but can often bring in unexpected dividend.
An example from real life would show the truth in the foregoing statement. A friend of mine who was a junior employee in an insurance company of pre-nationalisation era, took up a course in insurance with a well-known correspondence institute and obtained a diploma. He often used to feel that the diploma had not served