The art of losing

Life is a BIG battle and in the due course we have to fight little battles almost everyday, some may be very significant and some not. Everyone wins some of them, but invariably loses a lot of them. And though every individual has a certain way of fighting and winning, (s)he can be understood inside out by the way (s)he loses.
I believe losing is a more of a virtue than an art. It is really difficult to distinguish on the basis of winning but every one has a unique way of losing. And that is a characteristic trait. Yesterday I watched season 6 of 'The Apprentice" again (for the sole reason that it is based in LA and I get to see some of the places that I have been to or passed by). Those who have watched the show will know that the board-room can get really really ugly. Those who haven't watched it yet, go and watch it. There's a LOT to learn from it. And of the 10 people who got fired in the board-room, most got buried in there by someone who fought as if for their lives.
Lesson: Fight On !!!!
But this is the story before the loss. Once lost, very few lost gracefully. And I have tremendous respect for those who did so. Once the battle is on, fight with all you have. But once you have lost, accept it and bow out gracefully. It is a game, and someone has to lose for other to win. It is the spirit with which you fight, matters. Results are secondary.
Whatever little battles in life that I have fought, I always did it in the right spirit. And I fought the way I am , not the way it HAD to be fought to win. And that is the reason I do not regret whenever I lost. Of course, I wish I had done a little more and won. But nevermind.

I have known people who think that only they deserve to win, and if they didn't , they would go around blaming everything under the sun for a conspiracy. It was just sickening. And the truth is, the world is full of such people. There is a difference between being aggressive and abusive, which sadly many people do not understand.

*When we lost 'Inter-Hall Choreography' at IIT Kgp, I was very sad. But there was this satisfaction that I tried my best, which just was not good enough.
*When we won the Bronze and the Best direction in 'Inter-Hall Hindi Dramatics', I was satisfied because finally our efforts paid off, though not in Gold.
*When we lost all the other times, I never tried to please the judges, or go about the formula. We did what we believed in. We did what we wanted to do.
*I could never jump upon a question in a viva-voce if it is asked to another person, inspite of knowing that though I can answer that particular question, I can't answer the question that followed from it. But I have been on the receiving end of it. Result: The professor thinks that the other one knows more than me.
*Before the results of IIT-JEE came, I knew whatever they would be, I would be satisfied because I had given it my best shot.

Fight hard, Fight honest and lose gracefully.

Jai ho