HR professional was stuck at Chennai airport for 3 hours. But she learnt something bigger about life while waiting for the flight

A senior recruiter from a leading consulting firm recently became the target of criticism on the subreddit Indian Workplace. The backlash followed a motivational update she shared on LinkedIn about how she handled an unexpected delay while traveling.

In her post, she recounted that her flight from Chennai to Delhi had been pushed back by three hours. Initially, she admitted to feeling the typical irritation most passengers experience in such situations. However, instead of dwelling on the inconvenience, she chose to use the time productively.

She explained that she pulled out her laptop, worked through pending emails, and organized her upcoming tasks and ideas for the week. Afterward, she took a short break with a cup of coffee and some quiet reflection. According to her, the hours no longer felt wasted but rather repurposed into something meaningful.

The professional also drew a larger life lesson from the experience. She wrote that delays—whether in career, opportunities, or personal goals—can feel like setbacks in the moment but may later reveal themselves as disguised opportunities. For her, patience meant not just waiting but trusting that even moments of pause or rejection might be shaping better outcomes.

"By the time we boarded, the delay didn’t feel like a setback. It felt like time I’d invested differently.
It also reminded me of something bigger: Sometimes we don’t get what we want when we want it—a job, an answer, an opportunity. It feels like a setback. But with time, those delays or detours often reveal themselves as blessings in disguise."

Reactions from Reddit

Her post quickly gained attention outside LinkedIn once it was shared on Reddit, where many users mocked the overly polished nature of her message. One commenter remarked that this kind of corporate storytelling was the reason they had removed LinkedIn from their phone entirely.

Others raised concerns that went beyond annoyance. A user pointed out the serious cybersecurity risks of working on a company laptop while connected to public Wi-Fi at airports. They also highlighted the need to be cautious about sensitive information being visible on screens in crowded places.

Another Redditor described LinkedIn as nothing more than “Facebook for professionals.” They argued that the platform encourages people to seek validation by packaging ordinary experiences into grand life lessons. According to this view, users feel pressured to sugarcoat everything because displaying raw honesty or being blunt could damage their reputation, affect current employment, or even hinder future opportunities.