A closer look at Discontentment, the gloriously abused antonym of Contentment

Being a contrarian, more by default than design, brings a wealth of enduring rewards no doubt. On the flip side, it tends to disrupt the symphony of your social equations. One can sense the person or platoon at the receiving end fuming with (largely mute) sentiments like “Oh!, there he or she is finding fault again” or “Does he or she ever see anything right, why does he or she want to set everything right?”

Well, like popularity breeds contempt, contrarianism breeds unpopularity and so be it! I have absolutely no qualms about the inevitable consequences of being ‘a contrarian for a reason,’ a compulsive wont that has fetched me enduring rewards in life and at work: whether in setting up a single speciality hospital chain amid the multitude and deep-rooted culture of multi-speciality hospitals in India, challenging the prevalent notion of cancer being a killer disease and not letting cancer care be reduced to palliative care, redefining affordability in healthcare by keeping value above cost, or in not mincing words about the acute need for the government to become a top-notch healthcare monitoring agency rather than a second-rate healthcare service provider.

It follows that with the psyche I was born with, I have this deeply entrenched habit of observing different people across diverse teams of our global enterprise in an attempt to gauge their minds and methods.

Based on my experience, I have encountered people of markedly defined traits who can be classified into three distinct categories {notwithstanding the thin possibility of errors – both of omission and commission - in reading their minds and slotting them}

Category 1: Compulsive Cynics

?Please who are always discontent and who relish their discontentment to no avail. All they do is crib and complain, sparing no opportunity to proclaim how unfair life has been to them, how everything and everyone around them need to change for the better, and how they deserve better and bigger things than what is meted out to them.

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Category 2: Programmed Doers

?People who never seem discontent, do only what they are supposed to do, don’t look beyond and between the obvious, and sign off each day with a robotic regularity marked by a swift and seamless ‘switch on-switch off’ mechanism that never fails or breakdown, come what may! At some point in their career, they begin to see a glass ceiling above them which they can’t break, which is when they begin to shout from the rooftops about the value they think they bring to the table, but to little avail of course. Having gone quite far on the beaten track, they sense a point of no return, a realisation that cruelly comes at a juncture when it is almost time to call it quits. ?????

Category 3: Relentless Activists ???

?People who are always discontent in the pursuit of perfection which they believe is a moving target, which is why they don’t need help in finding purpose and passion in their work. The mavericks of this category design and deliver such pathbreaking and disruptive innovation that helps their organizations dive deep and soar higher. The fruits of their selfless devotion to work are reaped by one and all, including the Category 1 and 2 troops who leave no stone unturned to stake claims and snatch credit for the laurels. Needless to say, the Category 3 folks are oblivious to the mayhem around them; they are busy working on the next big leap! ?????

Discontentment in perspective

Discontentment is invariably accorded a negative connotation for the simple reason that not many wish to tread a difficult path of umpteen ups and downs en route the winding route towards success and fulfilment. Purposeful discontentment is not about being unhappy, it is about stepping out of the comfort zone to reflect, contemplate, and envision the grand transformation before accomplishing it. It is not about greed and avarice to reap maximum rewards for the heck of it; it is about going from good to great even when the world is ready to proclaim you as the very best, about giving it your best shot even when no one’s looking!