A Greek Tragedy in Silicon Valley

Preface
Are Silicon Valley professionals are manufactured as Narcissists. The author seems not only to find that out but also inexplicably he too is a part of that club. He places this in the toastmaster's meeting an Palo Alto and at the end asks the audience a question. The question was essentially how we could redeem ourselves.

A Greek Tragedy in Silicon Valley

[This speech was given to LEB toastmasters in Palo Alto on October 7, 2009. A question was asked at the end. Selected replies are given at the end!]

Thank you Mr Toastmaster to narrate a Greek Tragedy and then say how it is replayed amongst the Silicon Valley IT professionals - in a different way. Finally I shall ask the audience a question.

So, Mr. Toastmaster, my fellow toastmaster, members of the audience and welcome guests, I begin the evening to take you to Mythical Greece ....

A long time ago lived a very handsome smart with all the good looks he could possess. His name is Narcissus. Narcissus was sought after by all the maidens and the nymphs. But he rejected them all!

Among those ladies was a nymph, Echo. Echo had been cursed by Hera, the goddess of marriage, that she cannot speak on her own but can only repeat back what was told to her.

One day, Narcissus was in the forest lost from his friends. Echo was amongst the trees unable to call for him so she was following him. Narcissus heard the rustling leaves and asks, "Is anyone here?". Echo could only reply, "here here". Narcissus said , "come come". Echo ran towards Narcissus with outstretched hands. But Narcissus declined her love. Echo was so humiliated that she went and hid in a cave. She disintegrated and died there. Only her voice remained.

They say that even today, if you go inside a cave and calls out for her, she would reply only repeated what you said.

This made Nemesis the goddess of retribution angry and Narcissus was cursed to fall only in love with himself. So one day when he went to the river to drink he fell in love with his reflection on the water. He hopelessly fell in love with his beautiful face. But when he moved back the image disappeared. So he lay next to the water looking at his reflection till he dies. A beautiful flower grew where he died. It was called Narcissus.

Fast forward to twenty-first century Silicon Valley.

Narcissus has graduated from one of the worlds top engineering schools. His admission in the school was maybe 100 to 1 competition. When he got admission his extended family gave him the accolades. He was told that he was the bright star of the family. The school chairman welcomed him and his other freshmen as the creme de la creme of the Nation. These accolades he never forgot. He gets the best grades from this world class engineering school.

With this stamp he enters the workplace of Silicon Valley and commands a six-figure or near six-figure salary with an obscene amount stock option. He tastes success and but recognizes that this is a mere stepping stone for more money, more power, more attention. This ambition seems to be deemed good. But he goes to the extreme...

How do I go to the top? He asks. Friends are disposable objects. To be used and if failed rejected. There is mad drive to succeed, over succeed. To quote a technical term from Animal Planet channel - "The alpha male or female".

What is the beauty he posses? It is something more rare than the Greek Narcissus had. It is called intellect! That gives Narcissus the feel of being on the top of the world. He has friends amongst his tribe and they speak amongst themselves in a strange language. He does not like criticism but is free to criticize others for being slow and not upto his standards and even critizes himself.

One day, Society at large or Echo meets Narcissus. Echo needs his help for Societies many problems. But Narcissus cannot listen. He has lost his empathy. He leaves Echo by the wayside. He only can speak to his equals (if any). Echo is good as someone to speak to. Someone to dictate to. But not someone with a free will and free self.

The problems of Echo is not his problem. Narcissus sends Echo back. He can only use society but cannot give. Cannot listen. Echo realizes it and moves on.

Today's Echo may live on. But Narcissus will one day be old, be friendless, be lonely. He has not learned to listen but to control. He stands alone - loveless and asking the very question - I came to the world to be admired but why am I not admired?

So I ask the audience at large, what can Narcissus do to get Echo back, or removing the metaphor what can we the single-minded, victory-oriented, over-intellectual Silicon Valley IT demi-god can do to be considered acceptable to the the larger society. What can we (the speaker is a member of the crowd) do so not to sound very aloof, detached and unempathetic.

When you write your feedback, answer this question on the reverse side.

Thanking you and over to Mr, Toastmaster.

Selected replies

"They have to get in touch with their feelings. They, or most of them, live all their lives in the head"

"How can CEOs become equal to society? By showing social responsibility and become involved in the society?"

"IT professional should take time to 'smell roses'."

"They should think of others and not just of themselves. They should join a philanthropic foundation to give some of their money away."

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Please feel free to add your answers in the Comments Section