04/7/08

On Teacher’s Day Last Year

Last year was the year after my graduation from secondary school. I went back there on Teacher’s Day to rekindle the memories and attachment to both my alma mater and the teachers. There was even an invitation sent via email.

Contrary to my intent, I and several other students who had kept their hair long and/or dye it were barred from entering. The pretext for that absurdity was our influence to the ‘innocent’ students there. Well, my previous sentence should suffice on what I feel about this treatment.

Now when I remember it, it seems I no longer feel much for that place. Yes, I remember my experiences within the school compound, and the constant hide-and-seek game with the discipline committee. But in some cases I’ve disassociated many emotions to that place. You can even call me crazy but I felt betrayed.

Imagine having few links that attach you to the past. And with time, each link breaks. You would expect the link to a building to be broken much later because mainly it is an inanimate object and doesn’t change much. Well, so much for expectations… People who set any expectations bound to be disappointed.

At least I’ve hung out with certain friends after.

Ikea Evening with Friends

Let’s see what happen this year…

Logen

04/5/08

Stupid Bangla Is Racist

More and more people are using the word ‘Bangla’ in a derogatory and racist sense. And it disgusts me.

The word ‘Bangla’ refers to a language native to Bangladesh and West Bengal. It is accepted also as a term to refer to the people of Bangladesh.

However, in Singapore where we import labour, ‘Bangla’ characterises construction workers who may or may not even come from Bangladesh. It has a hidden meaning behind it, which people are ignorant of.

Through the countless racist jokes and stereotypes, the workers in question, have been associated with the qualities of being dim-witted, perverted, smelly, illegal and inferior. I must add that there are some workers who fit this stereotype, but to use a word that associates those qualities with their skin colour is just wrong. Everyone should be treated with respect and should not be judged by their race.

Imagine going abroad to work. There is the language and culture barrier to get used to. Does it make you dim-witted for being inept in speaking another language? If you are a construction worker, wouldn’t you sweat and consequently smell? Because of these things, is it fair for people of another society to judge people like you as outcasts.

Consider this, commonly used by people:

Stupid Bangla!

Seems innocent, doesn’t it. But what if it was ‘Stupid Chinese’, ‘Stupid Malay’ or ‘Stupid Indian’ (replace Bangla with your own race)? Wouldn’t this be an insult directed to the person’s race.

This word has not only been indiscriminately used to describe any dark-skinned construction worker, some have used it on Indians to insult them. And who’s to say this racist sentiment won’t be spread due to popularity?

Now, I’m not one for political correctness. I’m not saying when we talk about a person’s race we should say: ‘I have this friend who is of China origin but she was born in Singapore. Her grandparents migrated, you see. That was a century ago.’.

That would be plain stupid. If you’re going to mention race, just say it.

There was this Bangla worker who pissed me off today. He dropped the rusty steel reinforcements through my foot, which kept me rooted on the ground for five hours. Bloody fucker!

That would have been fine because you have not made the issue about his race. The use of the italicised word clearly implies a worker from Bangladesh.

My whole point is, do not use a word or insult that targets a person’s racial traits. It is a gutless and brainless thing to do. Lastly, we ought to treat people with more compassion and understanding of their situation, not bully them for being a minority!

Logen L.

04/2/08

Neuro Linguistic Programming, A Way To Change Behaviour?

I came across the term ‘Neuro Linguistic Programming’ (NLP) again recently. I have a rough idea of what it means and saw it in effect on the Tyra Show.

Neuro Linguistic Programming is a means for changing behaviour, which are deep-set in the subconscious. To learn and unlearn behaviour.

Before having a clearer idea on what it was, I thought it was a cheater’s way of doing things. The results would be there but it’d be impermanent. I was wrong.

In NLP, it is proposed that behaviour was learnt at a young age. When you found an effective way of doing things, you replicated it till it became habitualised. Thus, based on that proposition, if you can unlearn certain defected behaviour, things could change. In other words, you are not stuck the way you are.

This knowledge can be applied to unlearn phobias, anxiety, depression triggers and so on. That’s why I’m interested in it.

Before, I had only two solutions to changing behaviour. They were either meditation or the 14 days of replicating a new habit. Meditation to change was time consuming and the 14 days technique required hard core persistence. Both could work hand in hand. But I’m too impatient and hasty. NLP was said to give quicker results.

If I hadn’t considered NLP, I would be meditating with a cockroach in front of me to dispel my fear of them. I’m not joking here. However, that would require myself to be a more accomplished meditator to prevent myself from running out of the room screaming.

Anyway, allow me to find out more about Neuro Linguistic Programming techniques, try them and then tell you if they work.

Logen L.

03/30/08

Learning to Persevere

A while ago I wrote about how perserverance and motivation are interdependent. To depend on one without the other will be ineffective to success.

Now, I have a confession. I’m the kind of person who solely relies on motivation. Motivation, meaning being mindful of the task’s purpose. Once I lose focus on that purpose, I tend to give up. It is only when I lack the option to give up, that I endure and persist on.

Therefore, knowing the only way I’d persevere is to remove the option of giving up, I made it a point to announce my goals for the holidays. I had hoped by putting my reputation on the line (reputation of being true to my word), I’d finally take action. However, I’ve hit a snag. I still lazed off and lost focus.

Anyway, I’ll take this opportunity to train myself to persevere and always be mindful of my task’s purpose. And watch fewer episodes of Naruto Shippuden each day. Hehe.

Logen

03/24/08

Racist Propaganda

If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.  -Adolf Hitler

Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.  -Adolf Hitler

Hitler may be a bastard but having read many of his quotes, they make sense. This entry is one that touches on a brief aspect of racist propaganda.

It is racist to act on a predisposition about a person based on his/her race. But! isn’t it worse when you spread the stereotype around.

This isn’t just innocent gossip. It is propaganda! The truth is merely a person’s perception of reality. Therein lies the power of propaganda because propaganda seeks to exploit this, a person’s view of reality.

Remember the last time when a baseless rumour was spread around. As more people repeated it, more people believed it to be true. People tend to believe in things that are believed by the majority because after all, the mentality is “how can so many people be wrong”.

An idiot spews nonsense and is believed by some idiots; those idiots spew the same nonsense and is believed by more idiots; once a substantial number of idiots believe in nonsense, those people who were unaffected will also become idiots just because many of their counterparts believe in nonsense.

The solution to this spreading of racist predisposition is obvious. Use your brains to reason if the racist mentality makes sense before you pass it on in conversation. After all, the power of knowledge is the only power that can resist propaganda.

It is similar to sending your friends stupid chain emails. On thinking about it, this is a bad analogy because I have idiots who send me chain mail, asking me to forward the email or be killed by a killer clown. Obviously and sadly, not many people use their brains much.

Logen L.

03/18/08

Pain and Comfort

I was chatting with a friend earlier and we came upon certain things. These things reminded me of the past and helped form valuable insights.

In talking about choices that affect the future, this friend had indicated he was afraid of history repeating. I remembered my own fear of my past and the fear of another friend. It was then I realised everyone has this universal fear of their past hurts and desire to escape it.

This hurt is very much like a burn caused by fire, resulting in the victims avoidance of fire. However it is much deeper and potent at consuming the mind. Deeper, because it is the cruel kind of pain entwined with the victim’s helplessness, which leads him to believe himself to be inferior.

It is the kind of pain that robs a person of his hope, strength and purpose to live on his life. Eventually, the pain may die off but it leaves a ghost that enslaves its victim into a vicious cycle. At the hint of history repeating itself, the heart races, the head pounds and the breath becomes short.

On the same wavelength, I identified another piece of insight while talking to this friend. As human beings, we reach out from within our sorrows and desperation, hoping to find a person who would understand.

Just knowing that you’re understood, makes a difference. It indicates you’re not alone in your suffering and, that someone who understands you has acknowledged your worth. But many times, we isolate ourselves, and never allow the world to assuage the hurt and to understand. In this sense, we are all similar.

I know this because, I myself have many times felt myself scratching desperately at the walls of the abyss, trying to crawl out. And in my heart, I just want someone to believe in me, to witness my tears and acknowledge that I’m not disposable. However, my ego despises being pitied at, because some people confuse support and pity.

It is this understanding that calls forth compassion. It is when I see myself in the person suffering that I cannot just watch without helping.

Logen

03/12/08

Is Motivation or Perseverance More Important

I’ve taken a 7-day stint on my goals. It’s this procrastination syndrome I suffer from.

Nonetheless, I shall take this failure as a break and reflect. At the very least, this serves as a reminder for the following.

Motivation for change is a powerful driving force. However, it is temporary. Once the mind is disillusioned by time and obstacles, motivation ceases. Therefore, the only other driving factor to keep one’s momentum is perseverance.

The more I think about it, it seems perseverance, as a force, is equal to motivation. They complement each other. Motivation is the reason behind one’s goal. Perseverance is the mysterious force, which drives one, even when there is no indication of success.

Of motivation and perseverance, one without the other, is a sure path to failure. Without motivation you have no purpose and no goal; without perseverance, you give up before succeeding.

Logen