On 10th February 2009 15:28, Diana Sinclair wrote: You all bring up some very interesting and valid points. Thank you.
A little off the topic here, but it makes me wonder, what in the make-up of the human species needs to make idols out of other evolving humans? Who says a nineteen year old should be turned into an idol in the first place? For that matter, why do we need "celebrity" role models at all?
Have you noticed, we don't just have opinions over things such as the Phelps incident, we get down right viscous. Why would a parent who hides marijuana in her dresser drawer and smokes it, just before getting behind the wheel of a vehicle, on her day to car-pool the kids to school, be angry about Phelps (This is not hypothetical, I am speaking of a real person here)? Could it be that we have a need to project our own crimes and punish others for iniquities we commit in secret?
I don't pretend to know all the details surrounding the Phelps incident, however, there are far worse crimes going on in this world that are "swept" under the carpet for the edification of a few. Serious crimes that continue to go unpunished.
Don't misunderstand me, I do believe in prudent justice, but at the same time (where appropriate), may justice not destroy what mercy can save.
According to Maria Montessori, whom before they developed an world-wide school after her, while she was still an young woman observing children, had noticed that there was two little boys in the classromm and one had been shown an task to do, and the other one knew it quite proficiently having mastered it. In fact he was so good that they gave him an little metal to wear around his neck.The other little boy, was still struggling learning the task. When they put them together, the one little boy still learning said he'dl ike to have an metal like that one, and so the other little boy nonchanlatly said, here, you can have mine if you'd like...took it off and gave it to him..went back to work on an harder skill. She then said that it appeared that rewards are only good for people that have not "Mastered" something, because once they have mastered something an "self-assurdness" sets in....that they don't need the rewards, to spur thier inadequacy.She said then that if we want an strong nation of "masters" we must train them in such an way, that their skills are "apparent to all" with out rewards necessarily... but they are "recognized" on thier merit of content alone. Of course that is not today's thinking at all... but I use to hand out "employee" pins...and I quite frankly told one of my girls one time, you know I will give you this pin today, but I hope you know what your work means to me.... without it, I could not begin to run this department...without your dedication of being here daily and doing your job, rather I'm there or not, filling in for me when I get called to attend to something, and your general friendship/loyalty...well, this pin seems like but an "token" of things few others other then me will really recognize and appreicate today. You know they say we spend more time on the job then we will with the people we marry, and with our own families. Having it run smoothly and efficiently...is one of the greatest goals of all people in business.You already KNOW how I feel about your work here, so it is that I would not like you to forget it, as we pass out pins from now on each month, and this is an small department in some ways...so you'll be getting them regualry here pretty soon...it may over time be something not taken so as important as the first time or down the line perhaps, so I guess I need to tell you to remember what's been said today between us. (.....I might add at this time I'd never heard of Maria Montessori, or her private schooling techniques...and won't for another some probably 7 years or better) I still say that an higher pay check speaks louder then all the little "tokens" of appreciation ever given some times, but you know, "tokens" were first introduced to not have to pay more out in job recongition by most managment. You don't see the CEO's of today taking "token" metals in lieu of hefty bonuses for themselves. One of the reasons we are having stuggles these days to make ends meet. As an past supervisor, I was only given so much money for each budgeted item, and wage hikes were pretty well company "set" for the most part.
