A viral post from on X (formerly Twitter) has sparked a heated discussion about the humility of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) graduates. The conversation began when X user Jay Modi, a graduate, shared a post about an anonymous IITian who introduced himself simply as having studied in a "college in Kanpur," only for it to be revealed later that the individual was a sub-100 rank holder from IIT Kanpur.
Mr Modi's post, which reads, "IITians are most modest creatures out there," quickly gained traction, leading to various comments from users across the platform.
IITians are most modest creatures out there pic.twitter.com/kxr7XUhfNA
— Jay Modi (@jay_modi6) October 3, 2024
One user argued that humility is situational, commenting, "If I am around people smarter than me, obviously I will be humble. But if I am around less achievers, I would want to flex my degrees or qualifications to show I'm superior, which is nothing wrong if I use my knowledge to grow people around me."
However, the perception of IITians as being humble didn't sit well with everyone. A user remarked, "I don't agree. I have a few IITians in my office and every conversation involves IIT somehow. A guy was singing, and another IITian commented how they used to do that in IIT. We talk about the stock market, and someone mentions an algorithm they developed at IIT. It's like they can't just say 'college.'"
Others praised IITians, with one remarking, "I used to work with AIR 1 (Mains). He was as down-to-earth as a person can be," while another added, "Not everyone wants to brag about their achievements."
The debate highlighted contrasting views about the cultural identity and behaviour of IIT graduates. While some praised their modesty, others found the frequent references to their institution repetitive and unnecessary.
