LakTEK – Get mocked!

Posted
25 February 2009 @ 1pm

Get mocked!

My first few days doing Maths in Advanced Levels was a nightmare. I usually sucked in Maths in high school and only because of my strong passion for IT made me do Maths (thats the only way in Sri Lanka to gain higher education in IT). I couldn’t grasp a single shit, other than knowing some greek characters on the board. The tutor was ruthless, and sarcastic at his best. To make the matters worse, the class was full of opposite sex, who were awaiting to LOL at any insult thrown. I just sounded total dumbass!

Tutor said I will not go beyond a simple pass even if I work my ass off. However, after two years of hard work, I proved him wrong by entering to University of Moratuwa, and pursue my childhood dream of a career in IT (Bonus: I also did found my better half at the same class). It was the mockery at the class, made me strong and motivated me to bring out the best in me.

It’s natural to feel humiliated and give up when you get mocked by others, but try to turn them into your own advantage. Don’t try to avert them or defend them. Let them mock you! Just keep believing in yourself and stick to what you do!

Dulan

I've found that the best reply to someone telling you that you can't do something is simply: "watch me".

Of course, this only applies to things you can do... :)

Gaveen

I don't know if it's necessarily good, but I also used to get the subconscious urge to achieve something if I was mocked or thought of as a non-achiever. I've done many a time that, until I realised that sometimes I'm not living my life any more, that I'm occasionally living to prove others wrong.

Now that I think of it,.. the expectations of the others towards me also had a partial (not full) influence in this case. I was considered one of the brightest and was pictured like a future doctor or an engineer. I had no interest in being one when I reached the A/Ls.

So after finishing O/Ls in flying colours, I got tired of the education path I was running into. I did the A/Ls, but at any rate it can't be called a success. However I got to learn by first hand experience how people change (including teachers and so called friends) based on your success. By this time, I was utterly fascinated by computers and software. So all I wanted to do was learn as much as I could. I succeeded, in a sense.

Today, I might be one of the most enthusiastic and self-studied IT professionals from my demography. However people necessarily don't think good about me. But over the years, I've learned to care less about what others think and do what I do.

Well this comment was starting to get too long and starting kill the spirit of the post, which I totally agree with. So I'll just stop here and make the whole story a blog post. :)

e4c5

My experience is the complete opposite: I sailed through math class in school but ended up with a simple pass after expecting nothing less than an A.

Ours had a few good mathematians and there was stiff competition to see who would finish first when ever a new problem was presented to class. I was among that lot never had any bother with the subjhect so imagine my shock when the results were out (of course this was a good 16 years ago!)

Fahim Farook

Yeah, people like laughing at others a lot wherever you go. But when the laughter is turned on them, most of these selfsame people get angry. If people just stopped for one moment to consider this, and the fact that their laughter might be killing the dreams of somebody else, perhaps they might stop. Or then again, maybe not ...

Chanux

Are they called "mocking birds"? :D

LakTEK A Sri Lankan, A Rubyist and A Web Dude

Get mocked!