Psycho Fancy and the Indian Penchant for Hero Worship

“We suffer from a collective psycho-fancy,” said the man. I looked away for a second to try and figure out just what he meant. My observation of NGO culture here (that’s just observing 3 separate organizations) has come up unanimous; if I wanted to become a godhead, I should start an NGO right here in India.

Back in the States I keep running into young and fresh Indian college students falling over themselves to cash in on the money to be made in the non-governmental arena. Here I am, ten years out of my undergraduate, having only worked in restaurants and non-profits, derided by the US-based Indian population for not being an engineer, doctor or otherwise, wondering where’s the dilly-Yo?

At my first non-profit gig I was offered $8.50 per hour (Dallas). My second job $8.85 plus commission (yes this was a non-profit in Seattle). My third job $11.33 (also Seattle). At six years after graduating from college, in 2002 I landed the mother of all loads; a miraculous $15.00 per hour. Ahem… for 20 hours a week. So what’s hub—bub?

So psycho-fancy I quickly surmised was sycophancy. Psycho indeed. “An uninterrupted anal assault of butt kissing and drool,” which was how my first editor described the act of ‘sycophanting’. But here in India it is not quite so vulgar. In fact, it is down right respectful. We stand when the director enters the room. We address our leaders as madame, or ma’am, or sir, or bhai (brother), eyes to the ground, head slightly bowed in some cases.

As a godhead, I can remain aloof; unavailable when people are needing to speak with me. In some cases I can leave someone waiting for an hour and a half before letting them know, via psycho-fancier that I am no longer available. I can even send my kids to ivy league schools in the United States.

The guy who came to sell us an internet connection this morning here in Ahmedabad asked what we did for work. I replied that five of us worked for NGO’s. He laughed and looked me dead in the eye and remarked, “ so you all have an inflated sense of purpose.” Touche bhai! Touche! He quickly followed with what he believed would be the snub of all snubs, “I only do this for extra money, I am a software engineer!” I took my cue in stride and said to him, “seems we have the same problem.”

But damn- if what he said wasn’t true. All these kids, all these brown skinned kids in undergrad and grad school dreaming of the godhead. And why not? Who the hell stands to attention for you in the US? That same pittance wage, paid at a US social service agency, even when cut in half is remarkable wages for a loyal Indian employee. I didn’t get it before- this nouveau desire for the non-profit sector- but I get it now. My first question is, are they doing the work for the money, the status or both? Which leads me tol my second question: might that just leave the ideals, the justice and the desire to do good in this world outside the door?