I dont know why people dont realise it. It IS a disease. No, seriously. If you broaden the definition of disease a little bit. Check out this research by MIT scientists.
This dreaded disease might have its origin in your genes but there is always an environmental trigger. (The two hit hypothesis = Knudson Hypothesis)
Before we get into the details, lets first establish the symptoms. You could have any or all of these in different proportions.
1. Restlessness in your current job or frequent changes in jobs.
2. Irrational desire to change the world. Or ability to watch TEDTalks for ever.
3. Uncanny ability to find problems that you think only you can fix. Including the ones which are definitely million dollar opportunities, when you first thought of them.
4. Ability to start a lot of things/projects, rarely a finish them.
5. Dislike of authority or hate being told what to do. Also, You know your boss knows you are smarter than him.
6. Voracious appetite for reading books about Steve Jobs, or by Seth Godin or Guy Kawasaki. And if you happen to be in College when you are reading them, these guys are really your anti-placement officers. Make a regular average job in a big company look like such a terrible idea. These guys.
While the genetic reasons are generally unclear, but its quite common if your parents/grand parents moved around a lot. Or were on the Silk Route. Or if your last name is Bansal.
Lately, it also affects kids whose parents were in the army. And Railways. And Nationalised Banks. And Civil Services. And Teachers. Ok. Why dont you just tell me what your parents did.
Ok, lets come back to how to avoid it.
a. If you want your kids to be protected, ensure they stay in one school their entire life. Its quite common to see that this bug is frequently seen in kids who have been in more than 3 schools in the first five years of their schooling.
b. You are most likely to catch it at a conference. Particularly where they talk about this stuff. If you have to avoid it, choose conferences which are about scientific research. Or Insurance. Or Data Standards. Very little chance of getting this sort of thing passed on to you here.
c. My extensive research also shows that you can avoid this bug by avoiding being single. As in “getting married”. Dating-waiting doesnt help. Get into a wedlock. Actually, this might be one and only very effective way.
d. If you are still a student, stay away from incubators, extra-curricular activities, student bodies, sports and libraries. Stick to your classes, get straight A’s in your subjects, and you should be fine.
e. If this is your first job, get EMIfied quickly. or start studying for an MBA. Nothing better than good old loans to act as vaccines.
If you somehow manage to do all this effectively, and are still infected. There is only one thing to do really.
GOYA.
Get Off Your Ass.
Start something.
Spread The Virus.