The Gump Philosophy

"life is like a box of chocolates you never know what your going to get" - Forrest Gump

When asked what do you think of this quote, many (if not all) of my friends tell me that they agree of this quote. They will then add or paraphrase," Life is unpredictable so you will never know what you are going to get." I believe they are right life is indeed a mystery, you will never know what could happen next. But that's not just what the quote is saying. Allow me to call the quote - "Gump Philosophy".

The Gump Philosophy is not just stating about the unpredictability of life but more on the statement - "life is a box of chocolate".

You see, I believe Forrest Gump sees life, more than the randomness, as a box of chocolate. It's sweet, satisfying, enjoyable, and exhilarating. Some people considers chocolate their passion. So if life is a box of chocolate then to these people, life is a box full passion. It's so wonderful that no matter what happens it's still as sweet as chocolate. And if we live our lives thinking that life is a box of chocolate then we will have a more positive outlook in life. We will take life expecting the sweet part of it.
When I was young, I thought I'll be a doctor, then a lawyer, then an accountant, then a mathematician, and now I am a software engineer. Thinking about it, the journey from dreaming of becoming a doctor to actually becoming a software engineer was indeed a chocolate. Every bite is a different sensation. Every experience is a taste of what it is to wonder and dream. In the end, I realized I like to be a software engineer more than a doctor, or a lawyer or a mathematician. :)



When I was in college, I flunked my first programming class. It was devastating, number one, because I never failed in a class before and, number two, I lost my scholarship for a semester. At first I was angry at the teacher who gave me the grades. I thought to myself, "he did not know how to teach.How dare he give me this grade". Then some of my "friends" told me, "You will not make it in your degree because you just failed my first programming class". Those are the kinds of "friends" you stay away from.:)

The hardest part is telling my mother and sisters. I know they have expected so much from me. They thought I am so smart I could not fail. And it's hard to disappoint them. I was able to break the news to my mother who was very merciful and to my surprise, she just comforted me. I thought she is going to cry or worry but she didn't. I saw how strong she is when she told me,"I'll pay for your tuition fee and it's not a problem. " Somehow, I feel that a lid has been lifted off my shoulders. When I told my sister what happened, she cried and I cried with her. She told me these wonderful words, "Smart men studies their lessons, those who are not, don't". I realized that it's not my teacher's fault. It's my fault because I did not study enough. I did not deliver. I acted not so smart so I flunked. My sister forgave me for failing but more importantly she told me, "I'm sorry if all those expectations to you seemed to have choked you." Again, I felt a lifting feeling as we are reconciled.

I went back to school and studied harder than I should. I worked with my teachers to understand concepts that I have hard time understanding. I learned that information is a matter of asking for it from the right source. I learned that I can do things I thought I could not do if I focus my energy on it - I can actually study. I re-take my programming class and took the top spot in the class. I took my second programming class and took the top spot again. What my doom and gloom "prophet/friends" said never happened because I never flunked another class since then.

Looking at it, I can say, that part of my life is another chocolate. Like some chocolates I've tasted it started bitter but ended up very sweet. It's so delicious that I can't forget it after 8 years tasting it.


Life is unpredictable but if you look at life using the Gump Philosophy i.e. like a box of chocolate then you will be excited to wake up in the morning knowing that today could be another bite.