The Power Of Randomness

In one of my daydreams I've seen myself writing a book with the same title as this post. But like SRK says, kal ho na ho. Forgive me for not having a better quote.

How many times, my friends, have you associated something with luck? An average person would tend to believe atleast five of his friends who've 'made it' in life (whatever the hell that means), have had a fair share of luck.

What is luck, after all? A random event occurring in your favor? I think that's the popular opinion. And here's what I think..

As a kid I used to say I don't believe in luck, and as an adult I often claim I believe in randomness. There's a very subtle difference.

In my opinion, all wisdom starts from accepting that you're highly ignorant. Human beings have always justified ends from means. But nothing we say can be accepted as a timeless truth, where by timeless I imply something that is, always has been, and always will be valid.

Going by that assumption (since calling it truth would lead to a self-contradiction or a paradox), it comes to accepting the fact that, there are a great many things in this universe outside our control.

Mike Tyson once quoted - "Everybody makes plans, until they get punched in the face."

Ask yourself, how many instances can you recall having gone exactly as you planned? 

This, my friends, is called randomness. It is something that happens, seemingly out of place. When it looks to have advantaged someone's predicament, we call it good fortune. Otherwise we call it bad luck.

So luck is ultimately just a perception of the consequences of the occurrence of a random event.

Let me give you an example. I'm sure you've heard of the term negative publicity. Sometimes movies get famous (or infamous in this case) because they happen to hurt religious sentiments of a particular community. This inadvertently sometimes leads to greater anticipation for the crowds, and the movie ends up making more money than it estimated.

Here, before the movie was officially released, this event would've counted as bad luck. They could not foresee a certain scene affecting a certain group of people. But it did. What they cannot foresee, is whether the movie will ultimately be released or not. It is beyond their control. And depending on how this outside factor acts, the reaction to that scene will get labelled as good or bad luck.

If someone gets sent off in a football match, the team is considered disadvantaged, no matter how good the team is. But in some cases the sending off arouses the ten man team to perform even better, and they go on and win the game.

So what I'm trying to say is, there is no count of how many things are actually outside our control, but that does not change the fact that the perception is still upto us. People often use the phrase 'a blessing in disguise.'

"I make my own luck" - Harvey Dent, from The Dark Knight.

All of us tend to think of the immediate consequence of an event, but no one can foresee how something can change our lives forever. We tend to get depressed when the love of our life doesn't reciprocate the feelings. Or when we get rejected in interviews. This brings me to the idea of Hope.

Hope, is the belief that the consequences of the randomness around us, will somehow benefit us in the long run. That no matter how colossally our plans fail, there is something good at the end of it. 

And ironically, it is perfectly okay to hope, because of randomness. 

As a kid, Sidney Sheldon tried to commit suicide when he was 17. His father, having forgotten something (random event), walks back to the apartment and catches him in the act. Or more appropriately, before it. And this is what he tells him. 

'Life is like a novel. It's filled with suspense. You have no idea what is going to happen until you turn the page.'

I don't know a better line which captures the beauty of randomness. Having read his autobiography, Sidney Sheldon's life from that moment went on to live one of the most possibly enriched and envied lives.

I would like to give the readers the same advice. Many times in life, people will reject you. Events of heartbreaking capacity will happen to you, make no mistake. But imagine the opposite. Imagine things inexplicably swinging in your favor. Imagine all your dreams coming to life.

People or events don't intend to make you or break you. NOBODY can take the power of choice from you. The choice to hope or to dismay.

Embrace the power of randomness. A power that will make you laugh heartily at every unexpected event, man, woman or child who seem to think they decide your future.

A power that you can wield, to live life beyond your wildest dreams.

"Remember, Red. Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies."

- The Shawshank Redemption.

Episode III: The Aftermath and Afterthought

'Totally got molested.'


Pulkit and Harry were waiting outside the placement cell, and these were the very words that popped into my head, and out of my mouth, after the second interview.


One might say after reading the interview now, that it wasn't that bad at all. But then comparing my walk and talk during and after the first interview the day before, this really was something.

I waited outside for further instructions, since I saw some people going for a third interview. Now I had no idea what that meant; but at that moment I could only suppose that these interviews were like levels to cross in Mario.


It was almost 3 o clock, and I went to get some lunch in the cafeteria. When I got back, a girl I knew was going in for her fourth interview.


Was she using a cheat code ?


Worries had now started to crop up in my head, which was obvious as my nervous head was the perfect fertilizer, and the interviewer had so kindly planted the seed. With nothing else to do, I kept on asking the guys assisting the whole process, whether I was supposed to wait for another call.


It was half past five, and still I hadn't been called. Many got a third interview, and I didn't like being left out. Finally, they said they had completed the interviews and were ready with the results.


We were asked to gather in another room. Harry and Pulkit were standing alongside me, and so we waited. After what seemed an eternity they entered, and we all instinctively stood up, as we've always done when someone in a tie and a suit enters the room.


They were recruiting in three different categories - Business Research, Investment research, and IPR; I had applied for BR. They started announcing the list with the very same.


The silence was deadening, and I felt cold inside. If dementors were real, they were in that very room.


My heart paced more and more with each name spoken out in BR, until they stopped. I think my heart would've followed suit, but the very next second, they proceeded with IR, and my name was the first spoken out.


Sachin could've been a few feet away, a dragon might've flown by, but once my name was uttered, there was no way in hell I would've noticed.

Twelve students had finally made it. I felt sorry for the girl who got left out in spite interviewing four times. Twelve, out of the 280 odd that started.


I would not go into details of the celebration, although I assure you all I didn't run naked on the street, kiss anyone or get high that day.


Jokes and brags aside, there are a few things I notice once I reflect back on those couple of days. I believe these tips might be of some help.


Note: This is what my experience was. Interviewers are unpredictable, and what follows may not be true in some cases.

• Resume: Be wary of everything you write in your resume. Every single word. Especially the extra-curriculars. More than half my interview was about that section.

• Certificates: Neither of the two interviewers asked for my folder of certificates. So save yours and your friends' time by telling them that running around and begging for an Aranya certificate will do no good. Whatever you did or achieved should be on the resume. They're not interested in a fat colorful stack of cursive handwriting.

• Cheating: Okay this is tricky. I didn't cheat to get through, but the reason might have been that they shortlisted around 90 out of 280. Say it took just 30, then groups of students might put a loner into disadvantage. Watch out.

• Luck: This is a bit more deep, and ought to be shared.

I honestly don't believe in luck. Yes, I believe in chance, but I don't hope for it to work wonders.

I'm usually referred to by people as pessimistic and/or cynical. But when it comes to stuff that matters, believe me I'm the most optimistic guy in the world. Those hours I waited with an empty stomach, for my second interview, never did my optimism waver. Many would get frustrated in the same scenario, and trust me that is bound to reflect in their interview as well. 

There are some questions to which many answers are possible with multiple explanations, but only one perfect set pleases the interviewer. I didn't prepare any of them beforehand, but was spontaneous. Where some might say I got lucky, I'll say that my blooming spirit did it's job. When you're thinking positively, the things you say in your spontaneity will reflect that. So, try not to get frustrated during the procedure.

Also, don't beat yourself up if you realise you've given a wrong answer. Nobody who gets selected has all the right answers. Sometimes it doesn't even matter whether you're right or wrong.

All the best to everyone gearing up for this !