Efficiency

Ever thought about the ideal things that we learned in our high school days? The ideal gas, the ideal machines and such stuffs? Though we always knew such things can never exist we still went on solving problems thinking that they were ideal, didn’t we? Later, we came across the term ‘Efficiency’. A term which described how close a machine was to the ideal thing (if it existed, that is). Now those who are still pursuing career in science probably all those ideal things was bullshit and nothing even close to being ideal exists in reality. No surprises, considering we can’t really consider an elephant to be a sphere (and assume that all its weight is concentrated in some point in its tummy) for the sake of it!

Okay, so what is efficiency actually then? I mean not from the perspective of science. We all knew how it was defined in 12^th grade, but what does it actually mean? The way I look at it is the best you can get out of your life while having the maximum fun and yet putting the least effort. That’s a very difficult task mind you.

But people have different priorities in life. For some life is meant as a race; a race in which they have to come first or they lose. For some it is more of ambling across the finishing line giving a shit about the others. I belong probably to none of the above stated groups. I am aloof, probably purposely oblivious to the race which I am running. The race in which I intend to do well without missing all the things that comes during the course of the race. I intend to enjoy all the things that life has to offer. The childhood without scampering for tuitions, the sweet pang of first crush (brazenly I admit that I had it when I was a mere 9 year old :P), the butterflies in stomach before ‘approaching’ someone, the joy of spending time with good friends outside school ( I am truly blessed with the kinds of friends I have which I keep saying time and again), and spending time with parents and family; the first high after boozing late into the night: I have had it all. So coming back to the question of efficiency, am I efficient? I have had all the fun I hoped for (still having it), managed 3 years of Chemical Engineering courses (which I sometimes feel is totally worthless) and is looking forward to what the future has to offer : What more could I have asked for?

Some people who have different priorities in life (as they put it), and would have bargained the fun n frolic for a little better grades; a better job and a hectic life which they shall be spending rest of their petty lives in order to achieve that ‘a little more’. But is all that worth it? What is the point of making money if you don’t have the time to enjoy the things that money can buy? If you had everything in the world except time which you have traded to do that ‘little better’? Isn’t your efficiency Zero? Aren’t you putting in so much effort for nothing? So do you really think you are efficient? Time to think again.