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In my first year in college, M was my neighbour in the hostel.
Very friendly & super smart. In the first semester, he scored 98.8 percent.
It wasn’t a small feat considering that the institute was IIT Bombay.
Very friendly & super smart. In the first semester, he scored 98.8 percent.
It wasn’t a small feat considering that the institute was IIT Bombay.
I knew his work ethics — Getting up at 4 am for studying & attending all the classes.
So his academic performance wasn’t a surprise.
But there was one thing very unusual about him.
On the day of the exam, he would always wear his favourite pink shirt.
So his academic performance wasn’t a surprise.
But there was one thing very unusual about him.
On the day of the exam, he would always wear his favourite pink shirt.
His intelligence, hard work, and focus didn't square with his superstition about pink shirt.
Not to mention, there were few other, less irritating, peculiarities about him.
Not to mention, there were few other, less irritating, peculiarities about him.
For example, both his timepieces (table-clock & his watch) were set 15-minutes ahead of the actual time.
He couldn’t tolerate seeing a footwear upside down.
And he never missed his 30-minute afternoon nap, come what may.
He couldn’t tolerate seeing a footwear upside down.
And he never missed his 30-minute afternoon nap, come what may.
I often tried to reason with him —
"When you know your clock is 15 minutes ahead, you'd work according to that. In fact, every time you must mentally adjust the time & then work accordingly. Isn't it an unnecessarily cognitive load?”
“Works for me” he would reply with a smile
"When you know your clock is 15 minutes ahead, you'd work according to that. In fact, every time you must mentally adjust the time & then work accordingly. Isn't it an unnecessarily cognitive load?”
“Works for me” he would reply with a smile
I just couldn’t wrap my head around his strange habits.
He probably knew what he was doing.
After all, he was the institute-topper whereas I was among those who made the top 90% of the class possible.
He probably knew what he was doing.
After all, he was the institute-topper whereas I was among those who made the top 90% of the class possible.
It was our 2nd semester & our mid-term exams had just started.
Some of us decided to play a prank on M.
His routine on exam days was like a clockwork.
Our exams would start at 2 pm so he would finish his lunch by 12.30 pm and head back to his room for a 30-minute nap.
Some of us decided to play a prank on M.
His routine on exam days was like a clockwork.
Our exams would start at 2 pm so he would finish his lunch by 12.30 pm and head back to his room for a 30-minute nap.
Not failing his biological clock, he got up exactly after 30 minutes of nap and found everything wrong.
Upside down footwear, locked doors, missing pink shirt and of course the clock said he had overslept.
He became agitated and started shouting frantically.
Upside down footwear, locked doors, missing pink shirt and of course the clock said he had overslept.
He became agitated and started shouting frantically.
That’s when we decided to end the prank and opened his doors.
He wasn’t very pleased with our idea of having fun & quietly left for the exams, wearing a different shirt.
He scored 98% (highest in the class) in that paper.
He wasn’t very pleased with our idea of having fun & quietly left for the exams, wearing a different shirt.
He scored 98% (highest in the class) in that paper.
The day exam results were declared, we told him, “See! Your pink shirt doesn’t have any special powers. It’s your superstition.”
“Not a superstition but you guys won’t get it. So forget it.” He replied.
M continued with his superstitions for the rest of his time in college.
“Not a superstition but you guys won’t get it. So forget it.” He replied.
M continued with his superstitions for the rest of his time in college.
I forgot about this incident until recently when I came across an interesting passage in Rafael Nadal’s autobiography where he describes his routine just before a match –
https://amzn.to/38XPlyY
https://amzn.to/38XPlyY
M was right. His pink shirt wasn’t a superstition.
It was part of his routine to prepare his mind for the peak performance.
He understood what top performing athletes know.
It was part of his routine to prepare his mind for the peak performance.
He understood what top performing athletes know.
No wonder M passed engineering at the top of his class, secured a full scholarship from Stanford University for higher studies & bagged the most coveted job in the campus placement.
He knew the secret.
He knew the secret.
