Trappings of Indian Middle Class

I am one of the several middle class Indians who was big beneficiary of India's Economic Liberalization in 1991. I entered job market in 1998 when Indian economy took off. Indian economy has been on a bull run ever since and lifted several citizens out of poverty. My family was a typical Indian Middle class family in 90s. Family was one disaster away from penury and one opportunity away on the road to prosperity. Good education was thought to be the ticket to prosperity and no wonder it is ingrained in every middle class Indian including me to study well. I realized after 25 years in employment that attitude one develops towards life in formative years stays with you for life time. Attitude towards life may not change at the same velocity as life changes around you. Article articulates the attitude I developed towards life which is mostly tragic and sometimes inspiring.

1. Life is a fight against circumstances. Learn to postpone gratification: Middle class upbringing means one has sufficient money to survive but not enough to indulge. Middle class upbringing teaches you to thrive in scarcity but leaves you confused when you have plenty to chose from. Different people deal with life in different ways as they prosper. Some work like a man possessed to earn money to never look back. Some get too proud of their success once they break out of middle class. Some out of habit keep living in perpetual insecurity and suck joy out of their family members. Very few really grow with prosperity, enjoy the moment and cherish the journey. I for one went through all these phases with checkered outcomes. Wealth you have gives you freedom and the wealth you pursue enslaves you is the important insight. When you start as middle class Indian, you have very little choice except to get enslaved since you don't have wealth and have to pursue wealth. Once you prosper, can you muster courage to have freedom or continue to be enslaved in pursuit of wealth? Do you want to continue to postpone gratification or take a moment to enjoy? Tragically though most middle class Indians continue to revel in enslavement. Does prospect of minor indulgence generate a visceral impulsive guilt feeling? Answer to the question will tell you if you are still trapped or liberated.
2. Build Resilience and Restraint: It is difficult to imagine the burden of expectations on middle class children in India. Enormous unstated expectations can only be met with single minded focus on delivering prosperity for the family. Single minded focus requires him/her to cut out all the distractions. There is no place for individual feelings, emotions, pride, desires. Conditions demand restraint and sacrifice. Snide remark from a relative is left alone. All passions are bottled up. All risks are to be avoided. Future is too important to place it at the altar of non-deterministic pursuits and hence career around sports/arts are thrown out of the window. You slowly and unknowingly transform yourself to become a sharp instrument to deliver prosperity for family. Quality of self-restraint and Spirit of sacrifice one develops will slowly seep in too deep into you and is part of personality and difficult to change even after achieving prosperity. Restraint slowly would be seen as lack of will to fight at the sight of a challenge. Low-risk approach makes you a good manager but doesn't prepare you to become a leader since leadership is all about taking calculated risks amidst ambiguity. Middle class upbringing traps you into a narrow spectrum of personality preparing you only for low risk low return incremental growth career path. India has now become land of opportunities at the cusp of breaking from lower middle income country to a developed country in few decades. Is middle class Indian too trapped in his/her own battles to seize the opportunities at this moment of enormous change in country's economic trajectory? Most times an individual cannot reach his/her full potential via a narrow linear path. Resilience and Restraint are important to deal with failures but passion and risk-taking are important to succeed.

Qualities of self-restraint, resilience and postponing gratification are liberating forces to help a middle class Indian to prosper but paradoxically these are the same qualities which might chain the middle class Indian to not reach his full potential. These are the qualities I battled against since last decade to evolve and transform. I am fortunate on three counts. One working with current generation middle class Indians who fortunately do not suffer from any of these trappings. They are helping me transform. Second is fortunate to be married to Shobha who is patiently nudging me to come out of these Middle class trappings. Third is group of friends who give you feedback and challenge you in diverse ways opening your mind to new possibilities. In most cases self-reflecting deeply and thinking about your shortcomings without any varnish will place you in a path to be ready for future.