The Importance of Networking

In today's professional world, or otherwise, you just need to look little bit deeply and you see the significance of networking. Once a term with slightly negative connotation, now is taken as necessary evil. It is not something that is gaining currency in the world of globalisation as rightists would say, or westernization as leftists would say. This is something that has been around probably since the time man came out of the cave to live in a society where one person interacted with other and the way one person lived and behaved was largely impacted by the people or the society at large, that he lived in. Unlike non-thinking animals, thinking man derives his power from the power he has over men who he calls his circle. The caveman who ruled the group, was the one voted to rule, half on his capability, half on the number of people on whom he held the sway. Call it any name, there was always democracy, the power of people, who made kings, wise and mad. It does not come from the real power that one held, many a sages with age not on their side, held more power than kings, simply because they would have big kings (again big by number of people in their army... people) on whom they held the sway. The long and short of it is that networking has historic origin. It has grown into the art through years of refinement. It is not a tool for the lowly people, it is a necessary need for the able ones. Able people, simply by virtue of their ability, make themselves indispensable. Through their hard work and dedication, they become more able, and are less and less tolerant to mediocrity, which in turn, teams up together, having beer together, amoral laughter together, in relationships with no depth, but with great calculation. A lone man with capable, is like out in front of a pride of lions with no protection, or support, or backup. Some time he tries to fit in to the same group of mediocrity, feels the shallowness of the relationships there. He is like a man on the top of the cliff, taking a plunge into the large expanse of water, only to find there is no depth in their. Instead of feeling the sheer fun of tearing through the depths of water, you end up in the mud at the base of shallow waters. Then humiliated and soiled, he sits alone in corner, alienated, feeling more vulnerable than ever before. You know, where the fault lies, not in the fact that he tried to network. But the fact that he tried to network out of his own class. To make fit in a totally different class, he makes compromises with himself, loses touch with his own class and keeps on going down the spiral feeding on self-deprecation and finally the mask goes off. He comes out as a lion in the club of wolves, who detest him for his majestic walk, come together and attack him. Kings became bigger kings by aligning with kings, never did they attempt to actually fit in with the masses. Alexander coming together with Porus is a glorious sight, and did give enormous range and strength to the Empire, but can not imagine what Alexander would have achieved by trying to cultivate relation with the group of vegetable sellers in the empire of Porus by sharing cheap drinks and lewd comments. It is very important to key in right, like-minded people in your network, who share your mental space. It is very improbable that you do not know those people, like-minded people know each other. I have seen in industry, if you list out ten most influential people, they would be known to each other and would be established as able people. If those ten people are in touch with each other socially they all will be successful from all worldly parameters. The issue is people skill, you work hard, do good work, know all others in the area you work who are like you. But you do not reach out to them, because you have been able to be all that you are because you never perceived any weakness in yourself, reaching out will mean recognizing your weakness, your Achilles heel. You all admire each other, and don't reach other and keep on humiliating yourselves by attempting to be a part of a human mass which is not equal to you in intellect or effort. You keep fighting with what you have and keep on bleeding, hoping for death or victory. Usually, it is death which comes first. Reach out, I tell you, reach out so that this flame of human excellence is not subjugated...