One day I went to a biggie-wiggie finance types and asked him to suggest me a good investment scheme that was both risk-free and profitable. After discussing (and disagreeing) for a couple of hours, he quipped with a haughty dismissive air, "The safest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it in your pocket."
I decided not to take it lying down (I may clarify I was seated on a chair at that time and "lying down" is only an English expression I learnt in Middle School :P) and answered before leaving, "Sorry bhaisahab, whatever I've earned and saved from mandir ke aage, ped ke neeche is unfortunately all made-of-steel-with-Bharat-sarkaar-ka-thappa-on-it. Doesn't fold! Thank you"
He looked at me in disbelief, then managed to say "Pessimists never make profits because they're too busy estimating the losses actually incurred w.r.t. the optimists' earlier estimates. And your pessimism extends to the point of even suspecting the sincerity of the pessimists perhaps."
This was too much. I got angry.
"You are wrong. I'm so optimistic that my optimism extends beyond the point of even suspecting that there maybe a limit to it. And that is why I'm still optimistic that I'd get the deal I want somehow, and that one day even you'd realise how incompetent you are and quit before being fired. I'm that optimistic!"
Ha! This time I managed to silence him!
I was nearly out of the room when I heard him plaigiarise Calvin:“Well, remember what you said, because in a day or two, I'll have a witty and blistering retort! You'll be devastated THEN!”
Loser!
On my way home, an old friend saw me and seeing me disappointed at the unproductive day, gave the conventional wisdom piece, "Don't worry. People have to really suffer before they can risk doing what they love." I reflected and realised, that it means people really suffer and struggle so that later they can happily really really suffer doing what they love, or who they love.
I got home cribbing to Hemant about the waste of the day and the impolite chap.
After half-listening for an hour, he sermonised before dozing off, "Idealism is what precedes experience; cynicism is what follows."
In between comes a blog post, I thought to myself.
