Should young kids be pushed to pursue IIT-like education: Watch Chetan Bhagat’s insightful chat with AiR

Institutions like IITs and IIMs are considered the doors to success, as their alumni have often become renowned names at top-notch organizations, driving them to greater success. To chase similar success stories, lakhs of students aspire to get a coveted seat in eminent institutions. There is a rat race among students to study 24 hours in a day and turn this dream into reality. Parents are often seen supporting them in this phase of their life, so much so that sometimes the same parents can become pushy and add unwarranted pressure on their child to fare well. But is an IIT dream the end of the world? And will getting into such institutions really ensure success in life?

This conversation took center stage when Spiritual Guru AiR- Atman in Ravi and popular author Chetan Bhagat, who is co-incidentally an IIT alumnus discussed what happiness and success really mean. When Chetan asked AiR about his book Happiness is Success and what it talked about, the Spiritual Mentor elaborated, “We think we have to become happy, but we have to BE happy. To become happy you need to buy a jacket or a jet or buy a first-class ticket on British Airways. But to be happy you just have to BE. We are supposed to be human beings, we have become human doings.”

However, Chetan Bhagat put things in a different perspective, especially as he himself has young children and understands their psyche, “But, a young teenager might hear our conversation and say Mom why are you asking me to study to become a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer? I don’t want to study or achieve or get anything in life or become successful. It’s a trap, it’s a drug, it’s all nonsense. I want to be happy, watch Netflix all day, and play video games. Just stop bothering me, I am evolved now.”

AiR Atman in Ravi, being the evolved being he is, gladly answered the question and said, “Good that you raised this question. Because I didn’t say what you are saying. A young kid must be taught the purpose of life. A young kid must be made to understand in his teens as to what is happiness. A young kid must not be brainwashed to just come first in IIT or IIM. I am not saying don’t go to IIT or IIM. One can and one should. Striving is a good thing for the first phase of life or the first quarter of life. I have a book called Four quarters of Life. In the first quarter you learn. In the second quarter you earn and in the third quarter, you just don’t want to return or die. So young children must be given the basic foundation of truth of life. I am urging you to do good service to your children and tell them about it. Because in the end we don’t want just the richest kids but the happiest ones. Everybody has got one purpose in life, and we must find it and accomplish it to be happy.”

Their conversation was full of insightful moments, which revealed a lot about Chetan Bhagat and AiR-Atman in Ravi, and the viewers find that they share more in common than just being life-translational writers. Watch the full episode here:

AiR-Atman in Ravi, the revered Spiritual Mentor, a billionaire turned philanthropist, a prolific writer and a bhajan singer was earlier seen in deep conversations with Malaika Arora, Jaya Kishori, Sonu Sood and Karan Johar in recent times. Even as those conversations were about Karma, life being a film, how to be happy, they also revolved around his book, ‘Realizations of a Yogi.’ While the celebrities were mighty impressed by AiR-Atman in Ravi’s philosophy of living a happy and contented life with a purpose, the viewers were in for a treat as they saw a different aspect of their favorite celebs. Chetan Bhagat has fitted beautifully in this series of conversations about life and philosophy.