My teacher helped shape my emotional and spiritual being: Kamal Narayan Omer, CEO, IHW
The Proust Questionnaire is a questionnaire about one’s personality. It has its origins in a parlour game popularised by Marcel Proust, the French essayist, who believed that in answering these questions, an individual reveals his or her true nature
Kamal Narayan Omer, CEO, IHW (Integrated Health and Wellbeing) Council started his career as a journalist. Later he decided to become an entrepreneur and co-founded Teamwork Communications Solutions Pvt Ltd. In 2014, Kamal founded the IHW Council health initiative that sought to work aggressively towards finding sustainable, affordable, and effective solutions in Indian healthcare. Even as the healthcare scenario in India was witnessing a rapid change, there remained a major void for platforms that could offer viable and influential forums for a healthy multi-stakeholder discourse on India’s healthcare needs and policy. IHW Council has been working to fill this void through a series of initiatives over the last five years…
Here are Kamal's responses to our Proust questionnaire...
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
I believe in staying at the state of inner happiness at all times. I am not sure whether I can differentiate between happiness and perfect happiness. For me, every happy moment is the perfect moment.
What is your greatest fear?
The thought of losing people close to me is one thing I fear about.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
In the work we do, it is important to be perceptive. However, there are times when I am not able to understand how others are feeling or inadvertently hurt them through my actions or words – those are situations which I would like to change.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
I do not like people who think only about themselves and don’t value the emotional and material needs of others.
Which living person do you most admire?
My teacher who not only helped me in my academic progress but also helped in shaping up my emotional and spiritual being.
What is your greatest extravagance?
A few branded clothes, watches, and accessories may be. I also love hosting parties for friends and family.
What is your current state of mind?
I am content and happy at heart about what I have achieved, but restless in mind to see my next dream project becomes a success.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Love as it is understood generally.
On what occasion do you lie?
I don’t lie when I know it will harm either me or the person I am lying to.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
Nothing.
Which living person do you most despise?
No one.
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Smart, hardworking, and sensitive.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Smart, hardworking, and sensitive.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Keep learning.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My wife and children.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Influencing people to do more and achieve more.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Be more patient.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Coming from a very modest background, I believe everything I could do as a professional, entrepreneur, or family person or as a wellbeing advocate are and will be my greatest achievements.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
I would love to come back as myself.
Where would you most like to live?
In Goa or a European countryside.
What is your most treasured possession?
My Apple watch.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Not being able to appreciate your life.
What is your favourite occupation?
The work that I am doing in IHW Council. I am grateful that I am able to do what I love and love what I do.
What is your most marked characteristic?
Humility.
What do you most value in your friends?
Sensitivity and honesty.
Who are your favourite writers?
Dan Brown, Haruki Murakami, Khaled Hosseini, and Paulo Coelho.
Who is your hero of fiction?
Professor Robert Langdon.
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Napoleon Bonaparte.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, and Barack Obama.
What is your favourite name?
Kanishk (I am fascinated with this name and decided on this long before our first son was born).
What is it that you most dislike?
An unwillingness to learn.
What is your greatest regret?
That I could not study at the JNU.
How would you like to die?
Active and happy.
What is your favourite journey?
My life.
What is your motto?
Live More, Do More, Give More.
Edited by Megha Reddy