Are we taught to... (I)
I was a good student when I was in school, although I can't deny that I'm rebellious in my mind. It was not really exposed to others mainly because of the lack of bravery. Yet I found that this rebellious power is always useful, at least, more rewarding as a whole then how I was taught, or how I perceived from what I learnt from schools, eventhough the original intention of the teaching is not leading to that result...
Are we taught to be diligent?
Yes. It seems that its more important to be diligent than to get things done, or to be exact, get things done efficiently.
In an office environment
Many people are working diligently but their monetary rewards and satisfaction could vary. Some management, esp. Chinese, would think that its always good to work overtime. It could be right or wrong. If its right, then its based on the assumption that the staff would spontaneously take up the tasks not being done by others, or some tasks used to be done by someone (by 'stealing' them). The former is the best, whilst the second is not really too good. It probably would benefit the employer, but its just probably, based on another assumption that all the works are being down efficiently. It could be wrong, when the staff wants to show his/her loyalty and performance by staying late without doing anything. Or it'd also be wrong that the staff would like to show that (s)he is a good staff because (s)he is staying late, but the way (s)he works is inefficient because (s)he doesn't know how to work efficiently, or is reluctant to do so 'cos (s)he needs to think how to do the tasks assigned in a more efficient way, and the reward of staying overtime is better than doing things efficiently, because the employer could only see the result, but not how the thing was done and how long it takes the thing to be done.
But I couldn't keep on thinking that its a conspiracy but those with power to teach others to work diligent and generate $$ for them.
下流社群
It does not merely exist in office environment. It hurts more when people believe that its the way of living by working diligently, no matter what tasks, (s)he is taking up. Some people would just work and work and live humbly. The reward is that (s)he would gain others respect by working diligently. I believe that in most of the cases they simply are not thinking how to make money more efficiently, like that if they are in a different career they would earn more $$. That's why it formed the generation of 下流社群, i.e. those who was brought up with a certain social status and is then downgraded. Like those who has been studying for a variety of degrees, no matter its a bachelor degree or a master degree, but they would just like to take up some tasks with low wages. They would think that they could gain respect from others because they work diligently. Yet what's behind is that they could not encounter their fear of being challenged and being the loser in the society. There are many excuses like they want to find some tasks they like (it could be true and good - but when its an excuse certainly its no good), or they do not want to face the cunning people in the commercial world (that's an escape and they are reluctant to grow up and become mature enough to face the reality). It seems that respect is their shield of the fear of all these. Of course, may be the weight of being respect is just too low in my mind.
I like the term 'social ladder'. You could go up and down. You have to know whether you want to go up or down.
Why is that? Its because of the wrong shift of focus. The focus of being diligent implied a lot of assumptions which might be too difficult for the students (or the teachers) to understand or to explain. So - to be lazy - we are just taught to be diligent. It's a very good example of showing the lazy generalization of terminology because 'diligent' could be something positive with assumptions behind. Diligence is a means to achieve our goals, not the vice versa.
Addition on Jul 29:
After I have read more about 下流社群 I found that what I have written is different from what's the definition of 下流社會 because those people are simply staying 'idle'. Maybe those I described here are better than those in 下流社會.... hahaha...
To be continued....
More info on 下流社會:
下流社會：新社會階級的出現
作者：三浦展
譯者：吳忠恩
出版社：高寶
ISBN：9867088549
Are we taught to be diligent?
Yes. It seems that its more important to be diligent than to get things done, or to be exact, get things done efficiently.
In an office environment
Many people are working diligently but their monetary rewards and satisfaction could vary. Some management, esp. Chinese, would think that its always good to work overtime. It could be right or wrong. If its right, then its based on the assumption that the staff would spontaneously take up the tasks not being done by others, or some tasks used to be done by someone (by 'stealing' them). The former is the best, whilst the second is not really too good. It probably would benefit the employer, but its just probably, based on another assumption that all the works are being down efficiently. It could be wrong, when the staff wants to show his/her loyalty and performance by staying late without doing anything. Or it'd also be wrong that the staff would like to show that (s)he is a good staff because (s)he is staying late, but the way (s)he works is inefficient because (s)he doesn't know how to work efficiently, or is reluctant to do so 'cos (s)he needs to think how to do the tasks assigned in a more efficient way, and the reward of staying overtime is better than doing things efficiently, because the employer could only see the result, but not how the thing was done and how long it takes the thing to be done.
But I couldn't keep on thinking that its a conspiracy but those with power to teach others to work diligent and generate $$ for them.
下流社群
It does not merely exist in office environment. It hurts more when people believe that its the way of living by working diligently, no matter what tasks, (s)he is taking up. Some people would just work and work and live humbly. The reward is that (s)he would gain others respect by working diligently. I believe that in most of the cases they simply are not thinking how to make money more efficiently, like that if they are in a different career they would earn more $$. That's why it formed the generation of 下流社群, i.e. those who was brought up with a certain social status and is then downgraded. Like those who has been studying for a variety of degrees, no matter its a bachelor degree or a master degree, but they would just like to take up some tasks with low wages. They would think that they could gain respect from others because they work diligently. Yet what's behind is that they could not encounter their fear of being challenged and being the loser in the society. There are many excuses like they want to find some tasks they like (it could be true and good - but when its an excuse certainly its no good), or they do not want to face the cunning people in the commercial world (that's an escape and they are reluctant to grow up and become mature enough to face the reality). It seems that respect is their shield of the fear of all these. Of course, may be the weight of being respect is just too low in my mind.
I like the term 'social ladder'. You could go up and down. You have to know whether you want to go up or down.
Why is that? Its because of the wrong shift of focus. The focus of being diligent implied a lot of assumptions which might be too difficult for the students (or the teachers) to understand or to explain. So - to be lazy - we are just taught to be diligent. It's a very good example of showing the lazy generalization of terminology because 'diligent' could be something positive with assumptions behind. Diligence is a means to achieve our goals, not the vice versa.
Addition on Jul 29:
After I have read more about 下流社群 I found that what I have written is different from what's the definition of 下流社會 because those people are simply staying 'idle'. Maybe those I described here are better than those in 下流社會.... hahaha...
To be continued....
More info on 下流社會:
下流社會：新社會階級的出現
作者：三浦展
譯者：吳忠恩
出版社：高寶
ISBN：9867088549
posted by legomate at 5:49 pm
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