To no one in particular...
Had this urge to say something. Perhaps its due to the stresses that are coming from the exams being 2 wks time. Perhaps its from what I learnt at cell today. Perhaps, its a tip from God about my Religion paper...
'Words are meant to be written, said, read, and listened to'. How's that? That's what we always take words to be. Mere icons. They represent something else. But do these icons hold any specific meaning, or translate into any positive action on our part? Do they change from being mere 'icons' to 'symbols' - actually representing an action or other entity?
We could say things that are not meant to hurt others. We use our words with such looseness in this modern time, that speech has been commodified. Commodification of the spoken word has reached the extent of words not being valued as much as they should have been. The gift of sentient beings is the ability to communicate intelligibly. Think about that.
Was just going thru a related thought...and I have come to realise that people continue to perceive me in some light that I just find intriguing. True, I may have been more chatty/outspoken/sociable/even..."full of nonsense" if you'd go to that extent of describing me in when I'd just entered Uni. It is funny isn't it, how we change?
You'd think that Personality sticks with you for life. In a social science argument, you'd say, "oh but it does change, according to political/social/geographical/economic...etc" factors. And I'd say yes. it DOES. I've made it clear to friends who try placing others into 'neat little categorized' holes formed by the Myer-Briggs Test (I call it the "Four-Letter Test"...because it has this odd-habit of classing you into one of 16 four-lettered categories) that I absolutely DETEST it. You can't label a person from young that he's 'ASOB', and expect him to remain an 'ASOB'...just because he pushed you and your bicycle over and stole your lollipop when you were five (although if you could catch those kids in my neighbourhood from ACJS who played dirty...I'd appreciate it. But moving on...)
Likewise, don't expect your EF-Whatever-whatever to stick along with a growing person. True, some people may be more inclined to be open in a social context and mingle. You could call them "E" (for extroverted) at some point. How about other situations when they just sit it out, and not move their lips, and not issue any noise at all. I could name a few...(totally bone debates, ridiculous statements...and really unsocial characters in the vicinity).
As I said before, this article is not aimed at any specific readers. Rather, if you may, absorb and try comprehending what I've tried to articulate. Classing people may seem fine-and-dandy for a 'meritocratic' society...after-all, we DO need people to govern, and others to be governed. But classing people right down to the almost impossible details (and I say this from an anthropological viewpoint) of gender, ethnicity, language, and even personality...is absurd. Stereotypes serve their purpose in governance and control (Foucault will gladly expound his panoptic essays)...but stereotypes to govern interactions with friends and even family are simply ridiculous.
Surely, now, we could be more open to accepting diversity?
Surely we can...or can't we?
'Words are meant to be written, said, read, and listened to'. How's that? That's what we always take words to be. Mere icons. They represent something else. But do these icons hold any specific meaning, or translate into any positive action on our part? Do they change from being mere 'icons' to 'symbols' - actually representing an action or other entity?
We could say things that are not meant to hurt others. We use our words with such looseness in this modern time, that speech has been commodified. Commodification of the spoken word has reached the extent of words not being valued as much as they should have been. The gift of sentient beings is the ability to communicate intelligibly. Think about that.
Was just going thru a related thought...and I have come to realise that people continue to perceive me in some light that I just find intriguing. True, I may have been more chatty/outspoken/sociable/even..."full of nonsense" if you'd go to that extent of describing me in when I'd just entered Uni. It is funny isn't it, how we change?
You'd think that Personality sticks with you for life. In a social science argument, you'd say, "oh but it does change, according to political/social/geographical/economic...etc" factors. And I'd say yes. it DOES. I've made it clear to friends who try placing others into 'neat little categorized' holes formed by the Myer-Briggs Test (I call it the "Four-Letter Test"...because it has this odd-habit of classing you into one of 16 four-lettered categories) that I absolutely DETEST it. You can't label a person from young that he's 'ASOB', and expect him to remain an 'ASOB'...just because he pushed you and your bicycle over and stole your lollipop when you were five (although if you could catch those kids in my neighbourhood from ACJS who played dirty...I'd appreciate it. But moving on...)
Likewise, don't expect your EF-Whatever-whatever to stick along with a growing person. True, some people may be more inclined to be open in a social context and mingle. You could call them "E" (for extroverted) at some point. How about other situations when they just sit it out, and not move their lips, and not issue any noise at all. I could name a few...(totally bone debates, ridiculous statements...and really unsocial characters in the vicinity).
As I said before, this article is not aimed at any specific readers. Rather, if you may, absorb and try comprehending what I've tried to articulate. Classing people may seem fine-and-dandy for a 'meritocratic' society...after-all, we DO need people to govern, and others to be governed. But classing people right down to the almost impossible details (and I say this from an anthropological viewpoint) of gender, ethnicity, language, and even personality...is absurd. Stereotypes serve their purpose in governance and control (Foucault will gladly expound his panoptic essays)...but stereotypes to govern interactions with friends and even family are simply ridiculous.
Surely, now, we could be more open to accepting diversity?
Surely we can...or can't we?
posted by Nian Long at 4/09/2006 09:18:00 AM
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