Beat the test. Fight the problems - Parallels between GMAT and Life #3

A popular public forum for GMAT aspirants is BeatTheGMAT.com. People don’t want to master the GMAT or ace the GMAT. They want to BEAT the GMAT. It’s as if GMAT were their opponent, their enemy.

Is GMAT their enemy?

In their minds, yes.

Why?

Because GMAT is coming between them and their goal of doing an MBA.

If GMAT were not there, they would be able to get admitted to their desired MBA programs. GMAT is what is stopping them from achieving their dreams.

Anything that stops you from achieving your goals is your enemy. Right?

This is the MINDSET that makes the GMAT into an enemy that has to be BEATEN.

Similarly, when people face problems in their lives, they don’t solve the problems. They FIGHT the problems.

Do you remember what the Delhi government said when it launched its program to tackle the Covid-19 situation?

“War against Virus”

What did the government name its department that was supposed to monitor covid situation in the state?

“Covid-19 War Room”

I wondered, “We just need to devise ways to limit the spread of virus. Why do we need a WAR against virus?”

We need to solve the problem of the virus. We don’t need a WAR.

A reason we’re attracted toward war mentality is that it energizes us. As soon as we say, “we have a war going on,” we are alert and energized. If we say, “we are trying to limit the spread of virus,” we are like “meh! Okay!”

However, this war mentality is not restricted to viruses or diseases; it permeates our lives. Whenever anybody does or says something we don’t want or like, we immediately go into “war” mode. Why? Because we are habituated to it. Most of the time, it’s not needed. But we’re so addicted to it that we subconsciously adopt it. As a result, we end up saying or doing things that, in retrospect, we repent.

What’s an alternative way of looking at the GMAT or problems in life?

Rabindranath Tagore said, “There are two ways of looking at the journey - as a friend that takes you to your destination or as an enemy that comes between you and your destination.”

What do you think?

Many people automatically look at the GMAT as an enemy that comes between them and their goal of doing an MBA. They can look at the GMAT as a friend that will help them get admitted to their target MBA program. Can’t we look at the GMAT this way?

If we look at the GMAT this way, we’ll not want to BEAT the test. We’ll want to understand the test or master the test. We may not be as energized as we would be if we were trying to BEAT the test, but we’ll be saner. We’ll be more likely to prepare in an effective way. We’ll be more likely to avoid shortcuts and tricks that are attractive ways to BEAT the test but don’t work on a well-designed test such as the GMAT.?

Similarly, if we look at problems in our lives as enemies to be fought, we are energized but behave in ineffective and often harmful ways. On the other hand, if we look at problems in our lives as just problems to be solved, we’ll deal with them calmly and effectively. If we look at people who behave in ways we don’t like as enemies to be fought, we’ll shout at them and undermine them. If we look at people who behave in ways we don’t like as just human beings with different perspectives and objectives, we’ll try to understand them and try to arrive at mutually beneficial solutions.

We’re living a life, not fighting a war.

We have problems to be solved, not to be fought.

We have people who are different from us, not people who are our enemies. The more we look at others as enemies, the more we will make enemies out of them.