***This is a revision of a blog post I originally shared elsewhere on 12/14/2009. Thank you to those who granted me permission to re-share the content of this post.***
In the weeks leading up to graduation, I reflected on the various lessons I had learned while in graduate school. In my preparation for job interviews, I anticipated facing a very open-ended yet deep and meaningful question: What is the most important lesson I have learned from my graduate school experience?
As an MBA student, it could be expected that I mention something about management, leadership, economics, politics, professionalism, or etiquette. In class, we spent much time looking into the value of business ethics towards business success, as the rise and fall of Enron revealed a number of ethically questionable decisions. We also experienced the mortgage & housing financial crisis of 2008, with insightful presentations by former Lehman Brothers executive Lawrence McDonald and BGSU Professor Dr. Timothy Fuerst. Furthermore, we took part in the presidential election of 2008--including campus visits by vice presidential candidates Sarah Palin and Joe Biden. Little did we know that Northwestern Ohio contractor Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher would become anointed "Joe the Plumber".
While my answer could apply to any of the aforementioned areas, the most important lesson I learned during my time as an MBA student was a life lesson--perhaps a facet of life philosophy.
"The most important lesson that I have learned from my graduate school experience is the difference between 'caring' and 'worrying'. As people, we tend to group caring and worrying together. Both are considered to be a sign of interest and emotion. However, I argue that these two concepts are indeed different from each other.
To me, 'caring' is a positive concept. When we care, we show interest in someone or something that is meaningful to us. Caring involves having passion and offering all that we have. Overall, caring has an optimistic, yet realistic sense to itself.
However, I see 'worrying' as a negative concept. To me, worrying is showing a lack of faith. When we worry, we may show a lack of confidence in ourselves and/or in other people. Worrying implies thinking bad thoughts, fearing unfavorable conditions, and expecting negative outcomes. While worrying may accompany caring, worrying is a pessimistic approach to situations.
True, it is important to be aware of both the positive and negative outcomes of our actions. However, while caring opens us up to all possibilities--including the good ones--worrying causes us to focus on all of the negative possibilities. In the end, I believe that there is no such thing as caring too much, but there is such thing as worrying too much."
In life, it is important to believe that good things can happen and will happen. In failing to be optimistic and ignoring the positive possibilities, we risk becoming oblivious to all of the good that is happening around us and in us.
In the weeks leading up to graduation, I reflected on the various lessons I had learned while in graduate school. In my preparation for job interviews, I anticipated facing a very open-ended yet deep and meaningful question: What is the most important lesson I have learned from my graduate school experience?
As an MBA student, it could be expected that I mention something about management, leadership, economics, politics, professionalism, or etiquette. In class, we spent much time looking into the value of business ethics towards business success, as the rise and fall of Enron revealed a number of ethically questionable decisions. We also experienced the mortgage & housing financial crisis of 2008, with insightful presentations by former Lehman Brothers executive Lawrence McDonald and BGSU Professor Dr. Timothy Fuerst. Furthermore, we took part in the presidential election of 2008--including campus visits by vice presidential candidates Sarah Palin and Joe Biden. Little did we know that Northwestern Ohio contractor Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher would become anointed "Joe the Plumber".
While my answer could apply to any of the aforementioned areas, the most important lesson I learned during my time as an MBA student was a life lesson--perhaps a facet of life philosophy.
"The most important lesson that I have learned from my graduate school experience is the difference between 'caring' and 'worrying'. As people, we tend to group caring and worrying together. Both are considered to be a sign of interest and emotion. However, I argue that these two concepts are indeed different from each other.
To me, 'caring' is a positive concept. When we care, we show interest in someone or something that is meaningful to us. Caring involves having passion and offering all that we have. Overall, caring has an optimistic, yet realistic sense to itself.
However, I see 'worrying' as a negative concept. To me, worrying is showing a lack of faith. When we worry, we may show a lack of confidence in ourselves and/or in other people. Worrying implies thinking bad thoughts, fearing unfavorable conditions, and expecting negative outcomes. While worrying may accompany caring, worrying is a pessimistic approach to situations.
True, it is important to be aware of both the positive and negative outcomes of our actions. However, while caring opens us up to all possibilities--including the good ones--worrying causes us to focus on all of the negative possibilities. In the end, I believe that there is no such thing as caring too much, but there is such thing as worrying too much."
In life, it is important to believe that good things can happen and will happen. In failing to be optimistic and ignoring the positive possibilities, we risk becoming oblivious to all of the good that is happening around us and in us.