Where debate is awkward, perspectives clash, and magic happens.
The Power of Discourse Through Time
Let’s be clear from the start: this isn’t another lament about social media echo chambers or the sorry state of public debate. No, this is a celebration of the small but significant wins I witness on campus every day — those rare moments when people with vastly different backgrounds and beliefs actually engage with each other. There’s something profound about that, something that echoes through history. From the Athenian agora, where philosophers debated the essence of democracy, to the Renaissance salons of Florence, where art, science, and philosophy intertwined, the magic has always been in the mix. The great thinkers — Socrates, Da Vinci, Confucius — may have been wildly different in their beliefs and methods, but their genius flourished in spaces that encouraged questions, not uniformity. These gatherings weren't meant to generate agreeable ideas but to spark transformation. And perhaps, in our own small way at HBS, we honor this legacy when we engage in spaces where every voice, whether comforting or confrontational, has a place.
The “Great Debate” Win
In our modern, meticulously scheduled world, genuine discourse can feel like a novelty. Last month, the spirit of debate was alive when Harbus and the Government & Public Policy Club organized a student debate — a veritable forum of our own. Now, I’ll admit that many of the arguments went right over my illiterate head. But here’s the remarkable part: as I looked around the room, I realized that people weren’t just listening; they were engaging, asking questions, challenging assumptions. There was no need to “win” — the true victory was in the dialogue itself, echoing those ancient gatherings where dialogue was an art and an act of civic duty. Here, amid the differences and a few good-natured jabs, we found a reminder of why we’re here — not to become copies of each other but to learn, respectfully, from our diversity.
Classroom Comedy (and Magic)
The classroom, much like those age-old academies of debate, is our primary arena. Here, we bring together a colorful cast of characters — PE pros, consultants, social impact warriors — all eager to chime in, each wielding their unique toolkits, worldviews, and, let’s be honest, a healthy dose of preconceptions. Take my Managing Service Operations class, for example. We were discussing the case of Mumbai’s dabbawallas, the legendary lunch-bag delivery network famous for its mind-boggling efficiency. Everyone was in awe, extolling their “old-school grit” and the sheer marvel of the operation. For a moment, it was as if we were all ready to drop our iPhones, hop on bicycles, and revive the art of Tiffin-carrying ourselves.
But then — enter the voice of realism. “Who’s funding this? And how are they going to stay relevant without some serious educational upgrades?” The spell was broken. Suddenly, we had to reconcile our idealized vision of dabbawalla glory with the uncomfortable truths of funding, scalability, and, yes, education. Turns out, keeping a legacy alive in the real world might involve more than admiration and nostalgia.
Or take finance classes, where the ROI on everything looks fantastic…until someone sheepishly raises their hand to point out, “Yeah, the returns are great, but that’s mostly because they fired all the local employees. Maybe not the best thing for the community?” It’s that lone voice of dissent, reminding us that not every rosy projection accounts for the human costs.
It’s in these moments that HBS really shines. What starts as a comfortable chorus of agreement — whether on the charm of dabbawallas or the thrill of high ROI — often ends in a far messier, but infinitely richer, discussion. Our stereotypes don’t vanish, but they soften; our assumptions don’t shatter, but they do crack. The PE pros, the idealists, the skeptics, and the plain-spoken realists all bring threads to a larger, more complex tapestry. Because, as it turns out, when we confront our differences head-on, there’s more to learn than when we’re just nodding in unison.
Beyond the HBS Bubble
Venture beyond the confines of HBS, and the story changes, but the lesson remains. I’ve strolled over to the Harvard Kennedy School for quorum call, where I’m branded as the “capitalist HBS student.” And yes, I’ve been guilty of seeing HKS students as moral high horses, assuming they’re here to save the world while I’m just here to analyze it for arbitrage opportunities. But every conversation chips away at this convenient divide.
Take, for instance, a discussion I had with an HKS student about nonprofits. I argued that for nonprofits to be impactful, they have to scale like businesses, adopt efficiency models, and focus on measurable outcomes. “Otherwise,” I said, “how do they truly create change?” She listened, then countered with her experience in grassroots work, explaining that “impact” isn’t always a neat line on a chart. Sometimes, she argued, it’s about empowering local leaders, building trust, and respecting cultural dynamics — elements that can’t always be “scaled.” She pointed out that while business models are great, they aren’t a universal solution for every social issue.
We walked into that conversation wearing our labels but walked out with a little more empathy, each of us seeing shades of gray we hadn’t anticipated. These exchanges rarely end in full agreement — agreement isn’t the point. It’s in seeing the human on the other side of the table that we find common ground. Over time, I’ve realized these interactions might just be the best antidote to the easy stereotypes we all carry.
Real-World Reverberations
Of course, this “Harvard bubble” is not immune to the realities of the world beyond, a fact of which Vishesh Mehta (MBA '26) reminded me when he pointed out how insular we can be. He spoke about Lebanon, a country facing deep crisis, and wondered aloud why global issues like this seem so absent from our conversations. It hit me hard — how many times have I shied away from discussing “tough topics” out of fear of ruffling feathers? For all the privilege of our platform, we often self-censor, retreating from discourse that might challenge our worldview or unsettle our image. If we can't embrace discourse here, within the “sacred grounds” of an educational institution, where else can we? Maybe, just maybe, there’s a world outside this bubble that needs our attention — and our respect.
The Future We Build
Let’s be real: is creating spaces for discourse uncomfortable, especially when people hold drastically different opinions? ABSOLUTELY.
Do I, as the writer, come with my own opinions, biases, blind spots, and limitations? No doubt about it.
But I like to believe I’m learning to approach conversations with curiosity, suspending judgment, understanding that I don’t know the full story. Imagine a world where more of us did just that — where we leaned into the discomfort, embraced the complexity, and used our diversity of thought to unlock untapped human ingenuity and creativity.
Because here’s the thing, dear reader: you have a role in creating that world. The ball is in your court now. So, what will you do with it?
Adhitya Raghavan (MBA ’25) is originally from Chennai, India. He learned about rockets during his undergrad at Princeton, studying Mechanical and Aerospace engineering. Adhitya loves playing sports and attempting to write poetry, and hopes to build his own energy company post-HBS.
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