Pages

Tuesday 28 August 2012

The pooh-poohed "Seconder"




Coming second is the only sugarcoated self-inflicting crime in this world. You earn accolades but you loathe your very own existence. A bronze medalist is more content than the silver ribbon holder. He doesn't expect the world to remember him and is just ecstatic to reach the podium. What about the one standing on the block labeled "2", our dear seconder? The answer lies probably  in another question - "Who will be more crestfallen, the one bowing out in a semi-final or the one who lost out in the finals?" Just when the trophy was so near....

Everyday life exhibits many instances of the dismissed seconders. If you are planning to board an air-conditioned bus in India, that bus has to be a "Volvo", regardless of the manufacturer. Yes, it feels strange sitting in a Mercedes built bus holding a Volvo ticket. And Likewise it is eerie to land into a photocopy shop with big bold "Xerox" printed all over but running a "Canon" machine. Yes, you have got it absolutely right. No matter what imprints Canon machine or the Mercedes bus leave upon the Indian market, seconders will always be laggards because they were not the first to arrive.

There is a saying - "Either come first or always remain a shadow of the former". Only if Edwin Aldrin had known this, I am sure that he would have run out of the capsule ahead of Neil Armstrong to become the first ever moon-walker. Sometime I wonder if it is invention of the superlative terms - fastest, richest, earliest etc  that has made this discussion all the more complex. Until we get over this consummate mindset of ours, one will always prefer to fail rather than to come second.

4 comments:

  1. hmmm...this is quite an interesting piece ,I agree with ur point that seconders do live in the shadow of the former just like getting out on 99 hurts more than scoring a duck...but its not always the case, and I do believe that its momentary ..in the long run when they look back its the seconder who is more content than the person who comes third.As for Neil Armstrong and Aldrin, its hard to believe that Aldrin wouldnt have thought abt being the first man...but there must have been something abt Armstrong that made him go first...if the top most slot is taken by Sachins,Federers or Bolts coming second is not much of a shadow I guess.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yup, your comment makes me ponder a bit...but when you say "If the top most slot is taken by Sachins,Federers or Bolts coming second is not much of a shadow", I see a cult fan follower... My heart goes out to Djokovics, Dravids and Blakes

      Delete
  2. Its not just the fan following , but there is something abt these men that make them number 1 and there is a huge void between them and the seconder just like there is between Gods and men ...and c'mon Dravid is no second to Sachin he is way behind ...I see things from a global perspective :P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha...All I wanted to say is - If someone beats a billion people but is beaten by a few godly men, he/she deserves better than a life of ignominy. I am fortunate to have stubborn reader/critic like u :p

      Delete