GMAT with CJ

What does "love" mean? Does loving your spouse mean doing everything that pleases them? What if doing that thing displeases you? Wouldn't you still do it, given that it pleases your loved one? If you don't do it, doesn't that mean you don't love them? Following this chain of thought leads to a striking conclusion: love seems to involve subordinating your desires to those of your beloved. However, what do you get by doing that, by subordinating your desires and fulfilling someone else's? Oh! Don't ask that question. When we love someone, we're told we shouldn't ask what we're getting in return. Such questioning supposedly transforms love into a mere transaction. By this logic, love becomes a situation where you not only subordinate your desires but also don't dare ask what you receive in return. Thus, love, in its truest form, seems to be a state where you set aside your own desires and never even think to ask what you’re receiving in return. If you are in such love, I sympathize with you! However, no one can subordinate their wishes for someone else indefinitely. Loving someone else doesn’t mean not loving yourself. In fact, without self-love as a foundation, all attempts at loving others become mere pretense - a facade that cannot sustain itself. Putting yourself first doesn't indicate a lack of love for the other person. Instead, it shows the wisdom to recognize that genuine love must begin with self-love. It's about being sensible enough to prioritize your own well-being while maintaining care for others. The path forward lies in breaking free from distorted notions of love perpetuated by media and society. These romantic ideals often present an unsustainable model of complete self-sacrifice. Instead, we can embrace a more harmonious and sensible approach to love - one that honors both self and other, creating relationships built on mutual respect rather than mutual subordination. The reality is that love doesn't require the extinction of self. It calls for a balance where both individuals can thrive, supporting each other while maintaining their individual identities. This isn't a lesser form of love - it's a more mature and sustainable one.

Can justice exist without vengeance? Can accountability be rooted in compassion rather than hatred? We often blame fundamentalists for their rigid beliefs, but are they solely responsible? Education discourages questioning. Society rewards confidence over clarity. Algorithms create echo chambers. Those in power manipulate minds. And yet, we respond with disdain, believing punishment will fix the problem. But does punishment driven by anger ever create real change? Compassion doesn’t mean a lack of accountability—it means seeking justice without perpetuating cycles of hate. True change starts with a shift in consciousness, not just better systems. I’ve shared my thoughts in this article: https://chiranjeevsingh.me/2025/02/justice-compassion-and-the-shift-in-human-consciousness/ Would love to hear yours. Can justice and compassion coexist? https://chiranjeevsingh.me/2025/02/justice-compassion-and-the-shift-in-human-consciousness/

Recently, I caught up with a friend after a year. He had chosen a government job for its promise of work-life balance. But as he described his routine—working, commuting, getting his kids ready for school, playing with them, and helping one sleep—it became clear that this balance often left him stretched thin. With a hint of sadness, he reflected, “I have time for everything but not for myself.” The rare hour he carves out is spent reading, but I could sense that if he hadn’t married or had kids, he might have had far more time for himself, perhaps even the possibility of early retirement. Whose decision was it to marry or have kids? His, of course. So, isn’t it fair that he’s simply living the consequences of his choices? Yes—and no. The bigger question is: was he fully aware of what these decisions entailed? Likely not. Like so many of us, he probably followed the societal script—marriage, kids, stable job—thinking this was the route to happiness. But what happens when these milestones don’t deliver the joy or peace we were led to expect? Instead, many find themselves asking, “Is this it?” This, I believe, is the problem with blindly following societal norms. We pursue them expecting happiness, but often end up with something else—disillusionment, even emptiness. It’s striking how common this is. Nearly everyone sets out to maximize their happiness in life, yet how many of us truly grow happier as we age? The answer: hardly anyone. The issue isn’t the pursuit of happiness but how we pursue it. Societal norms, though well-meaning, are often misaligned with individual needs and outdated in their vision of fulfillment. It’s time to question these norms. Are the paths society prescribes—marriage, parenthood, conventional careers—truly right for us? And if they are, under what circumstances? The solution isn’t to reject these norms outright but to approach them consciously, deciding if they align with our personal values and aspirations. Happiness isn’t found in blindly following convention. It lies in questioning, reflecting, and intentionally crafting a life that resonates with who we are. Maybe the way forward is to replace adherence with awareness—to create a life we truly want, not one dictated by others.

I recently took the GMAT (11th edition—the current edition) for the third time and scored 735, which is in the 100th percentile, for the third time! Here are my tips for GMAT aspirants:

We often chase success, thinking it will give us what we truly want. But is it success we seek, or what we believe comes with it—acceptance, respect, and connection? It’s not the trophy that matters, but the applause. Not the achievement, but the validation. Rejection stings, not just because someone turns us away, but because of what we believe that rejection means. If someone mocks me for slurping my food, I won’t care—I don’t tie my worth to how I eat. But if someone says I’m a bad teacher, it hurts. Why? Because deep down, I believe that being a bad teacher makes me less worthy of respect. Rejection only wounds us when it aligns with the judgments we secretly hold against ourselves. But why do we believe these things in the first place? Why do so many of us feel that failure makes us less valuable? The answer lies in what we've been taught from childhood. Society drills into us that our worth depends on our achievements. This belief isn’t natural—it’s learned. It’s passed down, reinforced, and rarely questioned. As a result, we start measuring ourselves by success and treating failure as proof of inadequacy. And when we don’t meet those expectations, it’s not just the world rejecting us—we reject ourselves. That’s where the real pain comes from. Think about it: Why does criticism about our leadership or intelligence feel so personal, while comments about our handwriting or dressing style don’t? Because at some point, we were convinced that failing in important areas makes us lesser. Society has made our worth negotiable. But is that true? Do we really want success, or are we after something deeper? And if it’s the latter, does success even deliver it? Looking at the people around me, I’d say no.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗚𝗠𝗔𝗧 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 When students sit down to prepare for the GMAT, I often notice that they fall into one of two traps. Some decide, “I’ll practice Quant questions for two hours today.” Others fixate on the big picture, thinking, “I need to improve my score from 650 to 700.” While both practice and score improvement are important, neither makes for an effective study session objective. Why do I say this? Because practice, by itself, is merely a means to an end. Saying, “I’ll practice” is like saying, “I’ll go for a drive” without specifying a destination. You might cover a lot of ground, but are you moving in the right direction? On the other hand, focusing only on score improvement is too abstract and distant. It’s like saying, “I want to get healthier” without identifying the steps you’ll take to achieve that goal. The most productive study sessions are built around objectives that lie between these two extremes. These objectives are specific, actionable, and achievable within a single session, while still contributing to your ultimate score goal. Consider these examples: “Today, I’ll identify and master three different approaches to solving inequality questions.” “I’ll review my last 15 Critical Reasoning mistakes and jot down the types of logical errors I’m making.” “I’ll learn and practice algebraic shortcuts for speed-distance-time problems until I can solve them in under two minutes.” These objectives work because they bridge the gap between practice and score improvement. They give your study sessions a clear purpose and a measurable outcome, allowing you to make tangible progress. Think of it this way: your final GMAT score is like a completed house, and practice questions are the building materials. But you wouldn’t just stack bricks randomly. You’d need specific objectives for each work session: laying the foundation, building a wall, installing windows. Each task is concrete and moves you closer to the finished house. So, how do you set effective study objectives? Ask yourself: Is this objective specific enough that I’ll know when I’ve achieved it? Can I reasonably accomplish this in one study session? Does this objective help me build a skill or understanding that contributes to GMAT success? Will completing this objective give me a clear sense of progress? When you set clear, intermediate objectives for each study session, you transform vague aspirations into actionable steps. This not only makes your study sessions more effective but also keeps you motivated by providing regular evidence of progress. Remember, every master architect started by learning to lay a single brick correctly. Your GMAT success will be built one well-defined objective at a time.

I recently wrote about something deeply personal - my journey understanding why criticism affects me so strongly. It led me to explore some interesting connections between self-worth, intergenerational patterns, and how we internalize feedback. If you've ever found yourself dwelling more on one negative comment than countless positive ones, you might find some resonance in these reflections. https://chiranjeevsingh.me/2025/02/why-does-criticism-hurt-a-reflection-on-self-worth-and-belief-systems/ I'd be curious to hear your thoughts and experiences with managing criticism and self-worth in your professional journey. https://chiranjeevsingh.me/2025/02/why-does-criticism-hurt-a-reflection-on-self-worth-and-belief-systems/

My friend plays squash. After playing for 3-4 months, he started playing with top players in his society. It's been a year since, but he still loses every single match with the top players. One may think that he hasn't improved. After all, that's what the match results show - he used to lose one year earlier, and he loses now. Looking at just match outcomes, there appears to be no progress. But is that the right way to measure improvement? In the beginning, he wouldn't score a point. Gradually, he started scoring. Now, he loses, but typically scores 7-8 points in a game of 11. The match record still shows a loss, but a lot has changed. Let's look even closer. During his journey, for weeks at a time, he would lose every match by the same margin. Looking at just match scores, you'd say he was stuck, not improving. But focusing on match outcomes was missing the real story. His court movement was getting smoother. His shot accuracy was improving. His game reading was developing. The measurement just wasn't capturing these improvements. This is exactly the trap many fall into during GMAT preparation. You take practice tests and see the same scores for weeks. Your accuracy in practice questions remains similar. Looking at these metrics alone, you conclude you're not improving. But is that the complete picture? Three weeks ago, you had to read Critical Reasoning questions three times to understand them. Now you grasp them in your first read. Three weeks ago, you would get lost in complex Data Sufficiency questions. Now you have a systematic approach - you might still get them wrong sometimes, but you're not lost anymore. Your scores might not show these changes yet. Your accuracy might look the same. But are you really at the same level as before? The problem isn't with your progress. It's with how you're measuring it. All improvement in GMAT first happens at the level of understanding. Then in your approach to questions. Then in your accuracy when you're not under time pressure. Then in your timed performance. Finally, in your scores. If we focus only on scores and accuracy, we miss all the deeper improvements happening beneath the surface. We become needlessly demotivated, thinking we're stuck when we're actually progressing. Remember: Just like in squash, where only looking at match outcomes would hide real improvement, in GMAT preparation, looking only at scores and accuracy might be hiding your true progress.

If you are convinced about something or if something makes complete sense to you, perhaps it is correct. Perhaps it is not. What if your conviction is misplaced? What if your sense isn’t mature enough to detect the flaws in the reasoning? What if your belief isn’t born out of truth but out of necessity—a need to shield yourself from discomfort? We often cling to convictions because they provide us with a sense of stability. To question those convictions feels like stepping into an abyss. It’s natural to seek refuge in beliefs that help us avoid this suffering. But here’s a question: Have you ever consciously realized that you may be believing in untruths simply because facing the truths would cause you pain? Think about it. How many beliefs do you hold onto because they bring comfort? These could be beliefs about yourself, your relationships, your work, or even the world around you. We all do it, whether we’re aware of it or not. It’s a survival mechanism. But survival is not the same as living fully. The real challenge is acknowledging this tendency without self-reproach. It’s not about judging yourself for clinging to untruths but about becoming curious. What might change if you were willing to face the discomfort of those truths? Could that pain lead to growth, freedom, and a life more aligned with reality? Yes, truths can be painful. But so can be carrying the weight of untruths. So, the next time you find yourself deeply convinced of something, you may pause. Ask yourself: “Is this belief helping me avoid suffering? What truths might I be avoiding by holding onto it?” This isn’t an easy practice. It takes courage and humility. But in that willingness to question, to face discomfort, lies the possibility of discovering not just what makes sense to you, but what is true.

"If only that hadn't happened..." How many times have we said this? A simple scooter kickback changed my brother's life for a year. It led me to question things I understood about cause and effect. Some reflections on karma, suffering, and why the triggers we blame may not be the real causes. https://chiranjeevsingh.me/2025/02/the-kickback-and-karma-understanding-suffering-and-growth/ https://chiranjeevsingh.me/2025/02/the-kickback-and-karma-understanding-suffering-and-growth/

I don't want to die as a mediocre person. I don't want to die having reached only a few people. These thoughts drove me for many years. I constantly honed my skillset, driven by an urge to become excellent and a fear of dying not good enough. Then came a time when I started to question this desire. I realized that my self-acceptance was conditional; it depended on my being excellent. To gain self-acceptance, I had tirelessly pursued excellence. Now, I began to question the conditionality of my self-acceptance. I wondered, "Why can I not accept myself in mediocrity?" The more I became aware of my conditional self-acceptance, the more I became unsettled. I wanted to focus on my relationship with myself rather than pursue excellence to gain my acceptance. I am beginning to arrive at a stage where I will be completely fine with remaining mediocre or unknown. Would this self-acceptance make me mediocre? I don't think so. Instead, my pursuit of excellence will spring from pure joy rather than the fear of rejection. And even if I do become mediocre, I will be at peace with that outcome. I would rather have an excellent relationship with myself, marked by unconditional acceptance, than possess excellent career skills that mask an inner void.

A Car Ride That Made Me Rethink Power, Friendship, and Parenting What started as a routine carpool ride with three young kids became a significant introspection or reflection on power dynamics, childhood emotions, and my own growth as a parent. I watched my son, Fatehveer, go from feeling vulnerable and seeking comfort to suddenly aligning with a more dominant child, even against a friend who had supported him moments earlier. It was a hard thing to witness, but it gave me new insights into how power and emotions shape children's interactions—and how, as parents, our instinct to intervene isn't always the best response. This experience left me reflecting on what it means to guide children. If you've ever struggled with the delicate balance of when to step in and when to let children navigate their own social world, you might relate to my reflections in this article. Would love to hear your thoughts—how do you handle these moments as a parent, teacher, or mentor? Read the full story here: https://chiranjeevsingh.me/2025/02/a-fathers-reflection-power-love-and-learning-in-a-car-journey/ https://chiranjeevsingh.me/2025/02/a-fathers-reflection-power-love-and-learning-in-a-car-journey/

If something doesn’t make sense to you, it could be because the thing itself is nonsense. Or it could be because your understanding hasn’t yet developed enough to grasp it. Dismissing something as nonsense or wrong simply because it doesn’t make sense to you ASSUMES that your understanding is flawless. Am I saying that your assumption is incorrect? No. I’m merely pointing out that it is an assumption.

"'The road to hell is paved with good intentions.' 'It's the thought that counts.' Why do we have such conflicting wisdom about intentions vs actions? Through a dialogue between two characters, I explore this tension and how both perspectives might hold profound truth. Would love to hear your thoughts! Here's the link: https://chiranjeevsingh.me/2025/02/between-actions-and-intentions-what-matters/ https://chiranjeevsingh.me/2025/02/between-actions-and-intentions-what-matters/

I started feeling nervous and anxious right after announcing on LinkedIn that I'll be taking the GMAT (8th Feb) and asking people to meet me afterward. Why did I feel so? I was anxious because of the possibility that the outcome may turn out to be bad - what if I don’t do well on the GMAT? What if people don’t express interest in meeting me? What if they feel they wasted their time after meeting me? Can I ask myself to stop thinking these things? No. Because I wasn’t consciously thinking these thoughts. These thoughts resided deep within - I couldn’t access the thoughts; I could just feel the feelings. However, I could guess the thoughts behind the feelings. I couldn’t stop the thoughts or the feelings. What could I do then? Just keep working on the things I planned to work on while the feelings of anxiety and nervousness lay in the background. Or stop and be with myself. Allow myself rest and offer compassion and presence - something you would do with your friend when you cannot solve her problem. — I stopped and chose to be with myself. In a way, I prioritized myself over my productivity. Of course, some people need to work to meet their obligations; they can’t just stop like me to be with themselves. However, at least some people are unnecessarily working, not paying attention to themselves. They are not pausing or slowing down, not because their basic needs will not be met but because the fear of being left behind is immense. But what have they gotten by being ahead? What have others gotten by being ahead? Approval in others’ eyes? What about their own approval? Does that come automatically when others approve them? Perhaps, the emptiness they feel within is a sign that they have lost touch with their own self. They have stopped asking their innerself the criteria it has for approval. — As I type this, I feel within a constant desire to check my email or linkedin to see whether people have expressed interest. This part of me is still seeking validation. And the problem with seeking validation is that it is never enough. I ask myself, what if a lot of people apply and those who come cherish meeting you - then what? And what if people who come find meeting you a waste of their time - then what? How would their opinions change your experience of life? For how long do you want to be driven by people’s opinions of you? Till death? If not, perhaps, it’s time to change. Not forcefully. Not fast. Slowly. At your pace. With patience and love for yourself. With care and compassion for yourself. Otherwise, the change itself will become more important than you. And this, I don’t want now. I am the priority for myself.

🚀 GMAT Round 5: Here I Go Again! 🚀 I’ve booked my next GMAT for 8th Feb at 8 AM (because what’s better than solving GMAT questions first thing in the morning? 😅). By 10:30 AM, I'll be done. This time, I am thinking, why not grab a chai and chat? ☕ If you’re in Connaught Place and up for a casual post-test meetup at 10:45 AM , shoot me an email at CJ@GMATwithCJ.com. (I will be there till 11:45 AM) We can talk about GMAT, strategy, or my test-taking experience. Or we can avoid GMAT talk altogether and just enjoy chai. No pressure! But promise I won't solve any quant problems over chai! Drop me an email if you're interested. Would love to meet 2-3 aspirants or anyone who enjoys deep dives into learning and test prep. See you on the other side! 🤞

Only those who reject themselves crave to be accepted by others. Those who have accepted themselves neither need nor desire the approval of others. If you constantly feel a need to prove yourself or seek others' approval, ask yourself, "Which parts of myself am I not accepting? What are the reasons I have to consider myself unworthy?" For how long will you ignore the cause of the pain and settle for pain-relievers?

I am working with a student who works in Private Equity (PE) in the US. She is extremely weak in quantitative skills. How can someone so weak in quant get into PE? Perhaps, because PE requires several skills, not just quantitative skills. Perhaps, she compensates her lack of quantitative skills by being brilliant in other skills. She recently shared that she feels a little nervous that I might be judging her on her quantitative weakness. Do I judge her? No. I don't. Why not? Because I know that her quantitative skills do not represent her skills in general. On the contrary, it is pretty clear to me that she is, overall, more skilled than I am because she is in PE, a field that typically recruits only the top performers from IIMA, a group I wasn't part of. Well, then, do I feel inferior in her presence? No. Because my skills do not represent my humanity. My worth as a human being is not necessarily dependent on my skills. So, we both can be valuable, regardless of our skills. No? Okay, I got digressed. The main point of this post was to share an interesting anecdote from our session. I asked her, "What is the percent increase from 100 to 125?" A few seconds later, "25 percent" Me: "What is the percent decrease from 125 to 100?" She: (after a minute of calculations) 20 percent. Me: "If I decrease a number by 80 percent, what percentage increase would get me back to the original number?" I asked her to guess before jumping into the calculations. She: "May be, 85 percent." Me: "How?" She: "I am expecting it to be slightly more than 80." Me: "What if someone argues it is 400 percent?" She: "Obviously, that cannot be the case. 400 is so much bigger than 80." Me: "Actually, it is 400 percent," I replied. "Your use of 'obviously' is fascinating - it shows how convinced you were that 400 couldn't be the answer. Yet it is." "This reminds me of how people approach many things in life. They speak with absolute certainty about matters they barely understand. They argue passionately, completely unaware of their ignorance."

Imagine a factory running at peak efficiency—machines humming, output soaring, profits multiplying. The manager, hailed as a genius, has a simple formula: push harder, faster, longer. Maintenance? A waste. Repairs? Delays disguised as losses. And for a while, it works—until it doesn’t. When the machines finally break down, they don’t just stop; they collapse spectacularly, taking the entire operation down with them. Now step back. Look at us. Humanity. We’ve reshaped the world in ways our ancestors couldn’t have imagined—touching the sky, stretching the limits of what’s possible. Progress at full throttle. No pauses, no downtime, no repairs. And yet, beneath this brilliance, something is breaking. A silent crisis grows—stress, burnout, anxiety—pushed aside like unnecessary maintenance, dismissed until it’s too big to ignore. Have we become that short-sighted manager, driving ourselves to the edge while skipping the upkeep? Will we allow ourselves to stop? To breathe? To recover? Or will we keep running until the breakdown is irreversible? And more importantly, what do we truly value? If humanity comes first, why do we still frame mental health as a productivity tool? Why do we justify self-care as a means to work better, as if human well-being isn’t enough of a reason on its own?

📖 Are You Reading Sentences the Wrong Way? Many people read a sentence in one go, hoping to grasp the meaning in one go. But when the sentence is long or complex, they struggle, reread, and still miss key ideas. What if there was a better way? A step-by-step approach that helps you understand progressively, avoid confusion, and read faster? In my latest article, I break down a structured method for reading sentences effectively—one that improves comprehension and eliminates unnecessary rereading. Here's the link: https://gmatwithcj.com/reading-comprehension/how-to-read-a-sentence/ https://gmatwithcj.com/reading-comprehension/how-to-read-a-sentence/