Should we be 'politically correct'?

I posted this in my Human Resource Management module's discussion board:

 

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Came across this passage while I was reading a book called The Big Questions: How Philosophy Can Change Your Life by Lou Marinoff in a cafe -

 

"What's on trial here today is political correctness. Now, political correctness is the idea that assumes that the worst thing we can do is offend somebody. Well, a lot of people were offended when Galileo suggested that the earth was revolving around the sun. A lot of people were offended by Picasso because in his portraits the eyes weren't where they were supposed to be. ... You see, everybody is offended by something. A joke, a TV show, a song, an idea...And offending is very different from hurting...Political correctness tries to protect us from ourselves, but what do we have to give up for it? WE give up our sense of humor, our sense of romance, our sense of play. We give up the courage to be different, to think different. "

 

- Alfred Molina in the TV series Ladies Man

 

The above passage certainly made a very good case that we shouldn't be politically correct, at least most the time. Professor Michael Heng encouraged us to 'SHOOT' and 'KILL' our fellow schoolmates during presentations. Professor Patrick Chan told us to tell the person beside us - "I'm going to EAT you!!!" during last lecture.

 

So, the question is:

 

"Should we really be politically incorrect some of the time? If yes, when?"

 

I mean, look, some of our (ex) opposition leaders had been politically incorrect, and where does it gets them? Does it pay to risk offending somebody, say, in a workplace? 

 

On deeper thought, does the fact that this problem exists reflect a flaw in our education system? By right, the education system should help us cultivate an internal sense of our own moral worthiness. However, most of us were brought up from young in the exact opposite way, restricting our speech and even thought for fear of offending someone. This way we end up rendered (as Singaporeans) somewhat defenseless against and scared of making any "unsanctioned" thoughts or words.

 

I don't know whether what I said made any sense or if it is correct or not. I also don't know the answer to the question in the bigger font. ('I don't know' - most politically correct answer... I hope. Haha! =P) What do you think?

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Hmmm after an incident with a friend recently, I think it will be better to be politically correct most of the time. Ermm... by "most" I mean 99.99% of the time.

 

Plans for Recess Week

Watch 881 ....................................................................... checked

 

Finish writing hall production script ..................................... checked

 

Buy latest issue of Fables during Kino's 20% discount .......... checked

 

Study for Data Mining module ............................................ checked

 

Study for Multimedia module .............................................. -

 

Do HRM report .................................................................. -

 

Watch Tosca ..................................................................... checked

 

Watch Azur and Asmar ...................................................... checked

 

Buy David Copperfield, World of Wonder tickets ................... checked

 

Update my N73's firmware ................................................. checked

 

Buy a dart board and darts ................................................. -

 

 

Still left one weekend to do the unchecked stuff. Hmmm. Sianz.

 

 

 

Quote from Ratatoullie

"In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize that only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau's, who is, in this critic's opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau's soon, hungry for more."

 

-Anton Ego

3 Phases of Every Galactic Civilization

"The history of every major galactic civilization tends to pass through three distinct and recognizable phases... Those are Survival... Inquiry... and Sophistication. Otherwise known as the How, Why and Where phases. 

 

The first phase is characterized by the question How can we eat?

 

The second by Why do we eat?

 

The third by Where shall we have lunch?"

 

 

- The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, Comic Version (One of my favourite novel of all times.)

 

 

Trivia - One Way Mirror

Did a little research on one-way mirrors from Howstuffwork.com. How do one-way mirrors work?

 

One-Way Mirrors

Just about everyone has seen a television show or movie in which a criminal suspect is questioned while detectives watch from behind a one-way mirror. How does a piece of glass manage to reflect light from one side while remaining clear on the other?

The secret is that it doesn't. A one-way mirror has a reflective coating applied in a very thin, sparse layer -- so thin that it's called a half-silvered surface. The half-silvered surface will reflect about 50% of  the light that strikes its surface, while letting the other 50% go straight through. So why doesn't the "criminal suspect" see the detectives in the next room? The answer lies in the lighting of the two rooms. The room in which the glass looks like a mirror is kept very brightly lit, so that there is plenty of light to reflect back from the mirror's surface. The other room, in which the glass looks like a window, is kept dark, so there is very little light to transmit through the glass. On the criminal's side, the criminal sees his own reflection. On the detectives' side, the large amount of light coming from the criminal's side is what they see. In many ways, it's the same as if people were whispering in one room while a loud stereo played in the other. The sound of the whisper might carry into the room with the stereo, but it would be drowned out by the intensity of the music.

If the lights in the room with the mirror are suddenly turned out, or the lights in the observation room suddenly turned on, then the one-way mirror becomes a window, with people in each room able to see those in the other. You can see this effect in any mirrored office building at night -- if the light is on in an office, you can see into the office just fine.

 

- From Howstuffworks.com

 

 

I hope I will have a chance to play with One-Way Mirror soon. =)

 

 

Random Updates

Random...

 

Getting slack current-affairs-wise these days, seldom go Channel New Asia website anymore. Only when I go MrBrownShow.com then I found out this piece of interesting (old) news:

 

Guard duty personel AWOL go Orchard Road with his SAR21 rifle and bullets.

 

WTH! Haha! Anw, this is MrBrownShow's podcast on the above incident. Damn funny!

 

 

Random...

 

"If at all possible, encounter a tree. It is unique, beautiful, fractal, solid, flexible - and very much alive. It has no prejudices or opinions. It knows no terror. It takes root, and hold down the very soil. It draws water from earth. It fashion a leafy canopy, sun- drenched above and shady beneath. It breaths. It is wondrous to behold. It harbors and shelters many other life forms. Its sap flow. It bears fruit in its season. After benefiting its environment, it returns silently to its origins. Can any human aspire to more?"

 

-The Big Questions. How Philosophy Can Change Your Life. Lou Marinoff.

 

 

Random...

 

Playing a lot ('a lot' is an understatement) of games these days from www.reflexive.com. Recommended: Risk II, Gish, Astral Masters, Jets n Guns, Democracy, Off Road Arena, Grimms Hatchery etc etc. Recently I've read an article arguing that playing computer games is good for developing your IQ. So, yup, my IQ has increased alot these days. (Like real! Haha!)

 

Anw I think is true la. You need to strategise when you are playing games. Train your reflex too!

 

Btw if you are playing games from Reflexive, message me. I have what you need. *Wink*

 

 

Random...

 

Watched 2 dramas and 1 movie since I last update: If There Are Seasons, Enchanted Tales, Ratatouille. I heard my JC friends said that they don't like If There Are Seasons that much because of the plot. But I personally feel that the plot is ok... I was touched towards the end. But the plot is secondary. Just listen to them sing is already worth the ticket price.

 

Ratatouille is another show that touched me. Must watch!

 

 

Random...

 

Projects. Although this semester is only 13 AUs, Human Resource Management is enough to make me die! The project aim is to apply Blue Ocean Strategy (an overhyped business thinking model these days) to a company you choose. So, you need to interview the company's boss, interview 30 customers, interview the company's competitors, interview the competitors' customers, interview non-customers... compile everything, think of new strategy to innovate the company, present to class wearing formal with tie (with tie!), ganna attacked during presentation.

 

STRESS!

 

One of my classmate even fainted on the day of presentation. Scary. Two more HRM presentations to go this sem.

 

 

Random...

 

Read alot of comics these days. Highly recommend Lucifer and Astro City.

 

Lucifer, by Mike Carey, is the same Devil who met Sandman in... Sandman. Highly interesting character! (Those who read Sandman before will know how interesting he is... =P) But NLB don't have the complete set, and I've been reading individual book here and there. Still, I loved it! As good as Sandman and Fables.

 

Astro City, by Kurt Busiek, is a city/story of/about superheroes. Marvel and other comics usually portray its heroes from a third person's (reader's) point of view. Astro City portray its heroes from a first person's (the hero himself) point of view or from a Astro City resident's point of view. Fresh perspective. Interesting stories. A good read. =)

 

 

Random...

 

Hall Production. Idea -> Script -> Find actors and backstage crew -> Preparation / Rehearsing -> A Performance. I'll participate at every stage even though I'm in my final year. The fire of passion is still burning stong in my heart. Love production.

 

Those who never joined Production will never understand the Magic of making an idea blossom into something beautiful, a work of art... even though the beauty only last for two days.

 

You will be surprise how many seniors feel the same way.