Did you hear about the coach who learned that prosthetic limbs are better than human flesh and bone? Space-tech material made for lighter and more tensile structure and with lesser effort, his athletes could go faster and longer. Their present performance was only middling and he was convinced he’d figured the solution.
So one night, he chopped off his star trainee’s legs and fitted him a pair. Of course, his athlete protested – it was painful and it was HIS body. But the coach dismissed the complaints: think positive, he said. It’s all for your good and you really don’t have an option, your timings are only getting worse.
His athlete didn’t have a choice. Anyway, his legs were gone. He accepted his fate and continued in misery. In time he was able to walk a bit.
The coach, however, had a different trajectory. He ran social media campaigns, paid for op-eds, splashed his pic on hoardings, newspapers and milk cartons. Soon, he was feted as “strong”, “visionary”, “bold” for his exemplary use of technology. His digital campaigns won awards too, thanks to the tech chops of his sponsors.
The pundits called him the star of the #newnormal. The masses genuflected; hailed him as the new messiah who will lead them into a brave new world with an everlasting feeling of victory.
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