Came across this a couple of days back.
The article talks about some companies asking you to write a self-obituary as a part of evaluating you, before hiring.
The author writes,
"And there are two sets of perceptions at play in all our lives. One is what we feel about ourselves, our lives, achievements and failures. And the second is what the outside world thinks of us...
..A self-obituary makes you sit up, think of all that you have done and not done. Makes you look at yourself as someone else would, when you are no more."
Personally, I am not very sure if this method will really achieve what it is supposed to.The basic problem with this approach, being the assumption that the person is successfully capable of looking at himself from an outsider's perspective.When you say, you are writing about what the outside world thinks of you, its still more of what you think the outside world thinks about you.It may not necessarily synchronise with actual perception of an outsider.
And thats where I feel,it falters in achieving the desired results.
Notwithstanding the (in)effectiveness of the method, I proceed to write my own obituary like this -
" He was a confused soul all his life (His blog is a testimony to that).
Thoroughout, he was puzzled as to what he actually wanted from life.But for his laziness, he could have scaled greater heights.Complacency was his biggest enemy.
A perfectionist, this quality of his, caused some annoyance to others around him.
Money was the last thing on his wish-list.
As a person, he was slightly the reserved kind and took some time to get along with people.But once he did, he sure was good company to have around.
Now that he is gone, the small world around him has lost a gem from its crown.(I loved this part :-) ).
May his soul rest in peace ! "
I am curious to know, as to what others would actually write in my obituary.
ps: The difficulty I found while writing the self-obituary confirmes the ineffectiveness of the method.
Strange companies and stranger recruitment policies..
3 comments:
The man walked with sure steps to his destination. Almost all of us are unsure of our own and so was Krishna. But he made the start that all of us envied. It doesnt matter the distance one goes in life,but we need solid standing citizens for whom commitment and principles were not only important but all important. Krishna stood amongst them.
i feel the real intent behind such an assignment is to test how self critical u can get and how highly u regard your achievements . the third person angle to the affair is added to ensure an alement of objectivity in the self-appraisal.
"He was a confused soul all his life (His blog is a testimony to that).Thoroughout, he was puzzled as to what he actually wanted from life.But for his laziness, he could have scaled greater heights.Complacency was his biggest enemy".. this is something that would figure rarely in an obituary. Nobody can understand u as effeciently as urself.
Always stuck between rights and wrongs,
Seeking all life where he belongs,
Confused, bemused all life he led,
Hope he finds peace, atleast in death ;)
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