Common Misconception Regarding SSB: What do we collectively do wrong?

Looking for common mistakes that candidates do at SSB interview? Candidates puts themselves in a stressful environment and eventually get rejected for their mistakes. Read on to know about common misconception regarding SSB interview for success.

Common misconception of candidates appearing in SSB interview

SSB boards shoulder the key responsibility of selecting the Officers for the Armed Forces, who would lead men into war. There is no doubt that when it comes to matter of selection, they need the right people. One wrong person selected can pose a threat to lives of many people. The SSB’s would never take risk of selecting wrong people and rejecting the right ones. For this lone purpose, 5 day SSB interview is formulated and is successful in rejecting the persons who are not fit to become Indian armed force officers.
But, while giving an SSB interview, what many assessors have observed is that many candidates try to compete with one another as to project themselves to be the better fit for the defence forces. This is the most common and misleading misconception candidates have in their minds. Candidates, if you are preparing for SSB, remember that you are not competing there with other candidates. You are projecting yourself in a group and your ability to influence the group matters. It is highly likely that all of you get selected from the same group at a time and at the same time, it is also highly likely that none of you get selected. So, don’t forget, YOU ARE NOT COMPETING WITH OTHERS, YOU ARE JUST PROJECTING YOURSELF.
The wide perception gap between the ‘Best Fit’ and ‘Right Fit’ is matter of worry and this leads to unnecessary Competition. Unlike many corporate organisations, defence forces rely on the ‘right fit’ policy.
As a common example, suppose you go to buy a gold coin and the jeweler hands you the coin and you look at it in awe, by its glittering external appearance. By chance, you happen to slide your fingers over it and notice some particles coming off. Now in doubt, you slightly rub the coin and find there is only a gold polish upon the surface and observing underneath, you found it to be made of some other metal. Would you like to buy such a coin?
This is exactly the same way, the SSB’s function as a whole. They just slide their fingers over the aspirants using their primary techniques in Stage I testing and see the particles of artificial behaviour coming off. Next, they rub you over and above, thus revealing your unnatural and facade personality in Stage II testing. Just as you didn’t buy the above coin, they don’t want to buy you either.
Some aspirants genuinely possess the attributes of becoming an officer, but where the problem lies is that, they put a hard shield of artificiality upon themselves and lose flexibility.
What Do We Collectively Do Wrong in SSB?
At the SSB’s, we say and do things, which we have learnt from somewhere, regardless of realizing what the situation is. For instance, no soon do we listen to the topic in the group discussions, than we start “Yes Gentlemen I think……” We compete mutually. We pay no heed to the Stimulus, bye-pass it and directly Respond. We don’t see as to what is the demand of the situation and act aimlessly. This is where we lose our ‘Natural-Self’ and needless to say, we lose everything else at SSBs.
What We Have to Do?
The natural and simple approach is the ‘Stimulus - Response’ approach. In order to bring a change into our personality, we must know how the personality is formed over a period of time. We must learn to respond according to our stimulus. This is the only was where we can stop faking ourselves and be our genuine and true self. I have said it earlier and will say it again, at the SSBs, YOU ARE NOT COMPETING WITH OTHERS, YOU ARE JUST PROJECTING YOURSELF.