Success Spectrum: The Complexity of Convenience - Why Instant Gratification Is Making Us Emotionally Weaker

I recently had a conversation with a renowned cardiologist on the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the medical field. His insights were fascinating as the current developments and possibilities are mind boggling. “So all this means human longevity will increase?,” I asked him. His reply stunned me. “How come? People are not using their mind. How will they live longer then?”

This in a way sums up the human predicament as we get swamped by convenience – gadgets, Apps, AI and what not. The wait for a taxi has been replaced by a quick service Ola or Uber. It is interesting that in a way the Olas and Ubers of the world have fulfilled a middle-class dream – to be moved around in a chauffeur-drive air-conditioned car. Just that we don’t own the vehicles, but they arrive at the click of a button.

As the world becomes more caught up in the Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA) phenomenon, the habit of convenience is at variance with the complexity that the world is grappling with. The complexity is not just about subtle yet difficult human behaviours, it is far more explicit; we are at war with each other in various parts of the world. The war between nations is a reflection of the battle within society – for relevance, harmony, security, money, power and simply survival.

We can see the symptoms in our daily life. Lack of patience and need for instant gratification have gripped us. The age-old success fundamental of playing the waiting game by building a strong foundation is taking a severe beating. This reflects in the way the T 20 cricket format has overpowered the traditional and powerful test cricket, which is a reflection of the drama of life itself.

The lack of fundamentals also reflects in the way startups mushroom and disappear in India. According to an estimate, 90 per cent of startups fail within the first five years. It is still good to remember that sustainable careers and businesses are built over time. While the age-old tenets may not be entirely relevant in the modern context, striking a balance between the age old fundamentals and adaptation is critical for our mental and emotional well-being.

Abundance pervades the world – or seemingly so. We get carried away by social media posts, marketing, reels which largely tell us that things are easy for those who simply seek. Yet, the truth is people in many parts of the world even today grapple with extreme scarcity and poverty, and many of them are not non-seekers themselves. Destiny has a way of panning out for every individual in this world.

Short term success is celebrated and long-term planning looked down upon. Yet, the fundamentals never change even as societies evolve and gather newer dimensions. Writes celebrated author Morgan Housel in his book ‘Same As Ever’: “Warren Buffet once joked that you can’t make a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant. You’d be surprised, though, how common it is for people to attempt to speed up a process beyond what it can handle.”

Earlier, many people grappled with the complexity of scarcity and inconvenience in terms of money, infrastructure, jobs, business roadblocks. Today, as the rot converts itself into a lot for many, temperamentally we are getting weaker and more vulnerable to the very forces we sought and dreamt of. This is reflected in rising mental health issues and fractured relationships around the world.

While we seek to innovate, aspire and drive ourselves for greater glory, let us not forget to pause, acquire some poise, and work towards making convenience a leverage rather than a tool to add to our complexity.

(Hariharan Iyer is a seasoned Motivational Speaker, Corporate Trainer and Author of multiple management books. His latest release is Off Stump – Life And Management Lessons From Cricket. He is the Founder-Creator of Hariharan’s School Of Success Education (HSSE) - www.thehsse.com. He is popularly referred to as The Enter-Trainer®. He can be reached on hariharan@thehsse.com).