Haven’t been updating much lately, because I have been plagued down by many things. All is expected to be resolved later half of this year though, and hopefully from 4Q 2025 I would have totally come out of the pits and towards recovery mode. Just a few more months to go, hopefully. So today’s content is more of a chit chat and reflections on certain things. As always, content is scoped towards human nature and human interactions.
On Justice
Is there justice for the bottom-feeders, ie the commoners on the lower rungs of society?
If you are a pig farmer, and 2 pigs were seen fighting. You would have taken a stick and beat them up to restore order. Which pig is in the right or wrong does not really matter. As a pig farmer, what you want is the stability of the pig farm.
A netizen, who is also a primary school teacher said this: “Everyday there are many children coming to me to complain about their classmates. To be honest, I am sick and tired of all these. To me, it does not really matter who is right and who is wrong.”
On Kindness and Second Chances
One of Aesop’s Fables, The Farmer and the Viper has the story which goes like this: A farmer found a viper freezing in the snow. Taking pity on it, he picked it up and placed it within his coat. The viper which was revived by the warmth, bit his rescuer by instinct when it had regained enough strength. The farmer realised he will die. As he drew his last breath, the farmer said to those standing around: Learn from my fate not to take pity on a scoundrel.
If we are the farmer, and if we lay dying on the ground, will we curse our own naivety for not seeing through the viper’s nature and for being blindly kind? There are many evil people in society. Towards this group of people, there should be no sympathy. Likewise, we should not deceive ourselves we can change them. They are heartless, and so how would their hearts be touched by your kindness? Their smiles towards you were simply joy from seeing you lowering your guard, after which they will ‘eat’ you up alive and whole.
On Kindness Again
In a university school library, a man asked a lady if he could sit beside her. Unexpectedly, the lady said in a very loud voice: “No. I do not want to spend the night with you!” All the students in the library looked at the man, and he was embarrassed to the max. He moved to another table and sat down to do his own thing.
A few minutes later, the lady walked to the man and said: “I study psychology. I understand very well what men are thinking. You should be very embarrassed now?”
Suddenly the man raised his voice and said: “What? $1000 for a night? That’s too expensive!” All the students in the library now looked at the woman. The man stood up and whispered to the woman: “I study politics. I know very well how to destroy another person.”
It is one thing to strike back at those who do you wrong, yet another to be unnecessarily unkind to others. You never know if he is insane or capable enough to sink you.
Of Blood Ties, Love and Bonds
When training a young elephant, humans often put a chain strong enough to withstand the baby elephant’s strength. The young elephant, having failed too many times from trying to break free, finally had its mind broken and gave up, believing that it can never get out of the chains. Even when it had grown to an adult, and the chain remained small, the elephant will no longer attempt to break free, believing in its mind it could never overcome the chains.
Love and blood ties, if done positively, can be the strongest bonds and the most solid of foundations for one to stand on. Conversely, it can also be the strongest, ‘unbreakable’ chains to drag you down to the pits. To break the chain will likely mean to kill a part of yourself, and not many can do that. And just like the elephant, many condemned themselves to be a slave forever.
Male and Female Perception Towards Authority
One common and noticeable difference between male and female bosses observed by many is their attitude towards rank and power. We omit out trashy bosses from both genders who just happen to be there due to their seniority but have no intention to work properly but just wants to collect free salary.
Men generally knows that just because they are in a position of power does not mean that the lower ranks will automatically submit to their authority. The authority gives them an advantage, but they will still have to prove themselves to be capable of sitting in that position and to get the rest to submit to them. This may include positive methods such as proving he is far more capable than the subordinates or that he can get things done under his leadership, or the negative methods such as threats of firing those who do not listen and promoting those who are willing to listen to a higher position. Whatever the methods, men knows that power does not drop from the sky. He knows he has to work to consolidate power and ensure that his authority is unshakable.
Women: Because I am the boss, you have to listen to me. Because you are the boss, I have to listen to you.
Women generally thinks the one in a position of power has the absolute unshakable authority. That the authority comes from the position itself.
I have to admit that not all men and all women fits nicely into what I said above. There are always the incompetent men and the capable women who knows what is going on. But the thinking generally fits what I described above, and if you consider from this angle, you may realise why male and female bosses as well as subordinates act the way they do.
