The Mentally Illiterate
One of my lecturers said something today and I totally agree with him.
It was along the lines of "A lot of Singaporeans are literate, but certainly not mature. Literate just means they are able to read and write, but it does not necessarily mean that they are mature."
He was talking about conservative Singaporeans who were not mature enough to accept changes in the media industry, and who expected the media to be run according to their stagnant, conservative values - if you would even call them values.
Considering the many taboo topics our society does not even dare venture to talk about, and how media professionals have been reproached, if not dismissed, for writing or talking about topics some consider to be taboo in our society, I seriously think some Singaporeans need to grow up in terms of their mindset. We're not even talking about sedition or some other topic that would cause social unrest here - just "unusual" topics some Singaporeans aren't graceful enough to accept.
We hear of the occasional incident where media professionals are sacked for talking or writing about things the public deems "inappropriate". This usually happens when readers, listeners or viewers take offence at comments passed on by these media professionals, and then go on to, like spoilt children who's sore that someone just had differing views, send complaint letters to all the conceivable authorities to get the media professional out of job.
I agree that everyone has the right to agree or disagree, but our disagreement should just remain as a disagreement, and not cost others their jobs. It is a very sad thing that many media companies actually entertain these childish individuals.
The "Oh that guy has said something I consider unacceptable and it has hurt me so bad because what he said was true, so now I'm going to write in to the company he's working for so I can have a shot at making him lose his job" mentality is indeed prevalent in many of these childish individuals.
I think conservativeness is the single, biggest stumbling block to growth. To remain in our comfort zones and to refuse to embrace changes will surely stagnate societal growth. To deny people access from certain information is just going to make them more curious. Thus, they will be more eager to find out. And boy, when they find out, it will make YOU look really bad.
Instead, educate as much as possible and allow everyone access to information we consider taboo, and let them as thinking individuals, decide for themselves whether they are for or against the point of contention. For all else we would be like unknown citizens, having lives and values shaped after the general consensus.
And that would be a sad reality, if people don't start learning how to open up, and continue to resort to complaint letters or the denial of access to information in their ever futile and meaningless effort to resolve disagreements or dissuade people from touching on taboo topics.
For that, they will become the mentally illiterate.
It was along the lines of "A lot of Singaporeans are literate, but certainly not mature. Literate just means they are able to read and write, but it does not necessarily mean that they are mature."
He was talking about conservative Singaporeans who were not mature enough to accept changes in the media industry, and who expected the media to be run according to their stagnant, conservative values - if you would even call them values.
Considering the many taboo topics our society does not even dare venture to talk about, and how media professionals have been reproached, if not dismissed, for writing or talking about topics some consider to be taboo in our society, I seriously think some Singaporeans need to grow up in terms of their mindset. We're not even talking about sedition or some other topic that would cause social unrest here - just "unusual" topics some Singaporeans aren't graceful enough to accept.
We hear of the occasional incident where media professionals are sacked for talking or writing about things the public deems "inappropriate". This usually happens when readers, listeners or viewers take offence at comments passed on by these media professionals, and then go on to, like spoilt children who's sore that someone just had differing views, send complaint letters to all the conceivable authorities to get the media professional out of job.
I agree that everyone has the right to agree or disagree, but our disagreement should just remain as a disagreement, and not cost others their jobs. It is a very sad thing that many media companies actually entertain these childish individuals.
The "Oh that guy has said something I consider unacceptable and it has hurt me so bad because what he said was true, so now I'm going to write in to the company he's working for so I can have a shot at making him lose his job" mentality is indeed prevalent in many of these childish individuals.
I think conservativeness is the single, biggest stumbling block to growth. To remain in our comfort zones and to refuse to embrace changes will surely stagnate societal growth. To deny people access from certain information is just going to make them more curious. Thus, they will be more eager to find out. And boy, when they find out, it will make YOU look really bad.
Instead, educate as much as possible and allow everyone access to information we consider taboo, and let them as thinking individuals, decide for themselves whether they are for or against the point of contention. For all else we would be like unknown citizens, having lives and values shaped after the general consensus.
And that would be a sad reality, if people don't start learning how to open up, and continue to resort to complaint letters or the denial of access to information in their ever futile and meaningless effort to resolve disagreements or dissuade people from touching on taboo topics.
For that, they will become the mentally illiterate.
posted by dlauposer | 8:09 AM
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