Indian School of Business Valedictory Speech

This is the full text and Video of my Valedictory speech at ISB. A Valedictory speech is like a farewell speech or a graduation speech given on last days of school or college.

I was very confused on what to speak about,I could not figure out

So let me first tell you what I will not speak about

I will not speak about how lovely the campus is or lovely friends we made, how this was the best year of our life and how we are missing things already . I will also not speak about any scandals and there will be no mention of any specific incidences

But

This is not a rant of an idiot, but a reflection of realizations, that some of us have had. Some of the experiences are mine and some I observed while interacting with other people.I do talk to others you see…contrary to popular opinion

I learnt that the best people could be the ones who seem worst initially

and the worst,..or let me be politically correct..Second best could be the ones who seemed to be awesome

I learnt that you should not judge people quickly

and that everyone has some unique skill or knowledge that can leave you awed ..awed not awwwww

I learnt that you cannot judge a book by its cover

though a good cover could help you charge a premium

I learnt that halo effect exists, and to break it

all it takes is taking that first step

I learnt that it is OK to question everything

But not EVERYTHING man… come on..CP Kings and queens

I learnt that there may not be right answers

just right decisions

I learnt the importance of groups

and that a team is always better than an individual

even if there are free riders and constant naggers

I learnt that it is good to free ride sometimes, it is actually uplifting , it helps you puncture your bloated ego

and that you need to let some people free ride to return the favor

I realized that free riding can be fun too

especially if you have a deans list hopeful as your group member

My official apologies to some of my group members

I learnt that arguments do help

and when you want to kill someone because they are not getting your point of view, that is the moment you are learning

I learnt to look at things from a different glass

think with a different cap.

And agree to points for which ,I felt as if I was betraying myself

I learnt that it is easy to criticize anything, a company a school or an individual–Faffing works

And so it is to find the positive side of things

I learnt that most cases are written only in hindsight

but on the field it may be just a battle of wits , courage and resolve

I learned that it is so easy to strike a chord with some and too difficult with many

and that beautiful girls are not arrogant–some of them are..Half of the men in the audience are saying ” Haan beta , angoor khatte hain”

I realized that stupidity knows no boundary

but you can be stupid enough to not identify the sheer brilliance behind it

I realized that sometimes you need to force yourself into pictures

but it never works

I realized that core groups are important but not mandatory

and that groups change

in the blink of an eye , before you could ask, “Lets catch up for coffee”

I realized that it is sometimes important to shout to be heard

but people who shout always are usually never respected

I felt what rage feels like when someone who got our dream job

says..heck I didn’t really want this..will not join–You scumbags

I realized that corruption in the given scenario can be good

I learned how to look at things objectively without putting a moral code on them

I realized that meeting your best friends is not dependent on time

you can find your best friends and even soul mates at the very last day of school–there is still hope

I realized how much fun it can be to dance on stage even with two left feet

and that there is something called a supportive audience

and that practice is also fun

Even when you are not sure if you would perform

I realized you can overcome your fears one at a time…

just don’t take them all at once

I realized that there are people who do help others

because they actually enjoy it..salute to you guys

I realized that it is OK to ask for applause

it massages you ego, wakes up the audience and is better than cold calling

There are volunteers who work for respect and not awards and positions

there are people who can look beyond the obvious

I realized that not getting anything from a lecture is almost always your fault

And in class how awesome it feels to be in presence of sheer brilliance

I realized the futility of asking an intelligent question to someone who invented the concept

and debating a paragraph with the book’s author

I realized that the learning is not in the numbers and the case outputs

but the change in the way you think

And that this is difficult to measure

and hence I decree that “ grades do not reflect your true potential….”

I realized that I can pass on any decree and there will be some people who might fall for it

and that 80% of the facts and figures are just made up

I realized that one of the best person to know is always sitting next to you

and that it would be unwise to not say hello..

I realized that some people always start projects with the enthu equivalent to someone who is about to change the course of history by going back in time and killing Hitler or starting a family on mars or is about to reveal that He is Batman

But

Most never finish or just fizzle out.

I realized that an approach to start slow and build the momentum can be much more stable and successful.

As they say..they key is in the foreplay

I realized what conditioning and Anchoring is when the food outside campus suddenly feels cheap

When you are ready to spent for a room’s rent an amount equivalent to a full 2bhk house you lived in before

I realized that you can survive without sleep for at least 32 hours

and there is no assignment or a project that a night out cannot finish

Add a few group members and you could be done by dinner…

but again you will spend the night fighting over how it can be improved….children

I realized that things change but somethings do not

Like tea ..Always helps you stay awake in class