Of Metamorphoses and the Job Search

Another post of observations. One would think, going by my posts, that an MBA is rarely about action but I'm a young guy with much to learn and a whole bunch of what I'm getting out of this year is simply by observing, studying others and just seeing how various people react to different situations.

It isn't a stretch to say that different people react differently to different situations but having that difference so clearly illustrated by observable actions, enhances the impact of the observation.

Job search at my b-school is an incredibly tough, stressful time. Statistics indicate that 75% of people find a job upto within 3 months of finishing the program through campus placements and other allied services. Nobody wants to be in that other 25%. It is a time of intense competition, rivalries, perceived face-offs and one-upmanship.

It is also a time of inflated egos when a single rejection can cause people to denounce humankind and question the intelligence and abilities of others, especially those who've been selected. It is a time when egos can be massaged with the poor performance of others and satisfaction derived from others' pitfalls. It is a time when innocent questions come fully-loaded and hidden meanings are inferred from simple answers.

It is a time when people have to make a decision to either focus solely on the job search and well, self-interests or to chip in with group assignments and coursework and do as much of both as is humanly possibly until the sleep deprivation proves to be too much. It is a time when free-riders roam free.
It is a time that not everyone deals with well.
It is also therefore a time where you know who the really great and genuine people are and your appreciation for these people increases multi-fold.

There is a question at the end of this.
What tells us more about someone's personality? Reactions during stress, trouble and adverse situations or those on a normal day when there is far less at stake?
Do intense moments bring out true personalities or the worst in people?
Should some people be reassessed and their actions examined in a different light?

I'm not sure. What does it mean when some people seem to metamorphize overnight, however temporarily? Is this the 'changing' part of the Life-Changing aspect of an MBA?

I'm not sure what the answer is. I'm not sure if there is just one answer.
However I'm observing and I'm recording.
And yes, I'm definitely learning.