|
Monday, January 31, 2005 "Anything screwed up that happens now makes ORD sweeter." -- Peter, 01S60 class blog. What sweet balm to my ears, coming at a most appropriate time: my off days this week have been cancelled due to a last-minute stock-take demand from Battalion HQ. <*=-----=*> As a commander, I've found it necessary at times to ask people to do things they do not like to do. Some of those things I demand of others, I would not do myself. However I ease my conscience by making sure of two things. One, I make sure I do the unpleasantness side-by-side with my men, unless I'm occupied elsewhere. Two, I make sure the unpleasantness is absolutely necessary and no better alternatives are available. Thus far my methods have worked for me, I have not heard complaints directly or indirectly from my men. I suppose others thrust with the responsibility of command would also face the same problems as I did, and probably handle them in similar manner. However, with the passage of time, will the strength of the 2 guidelines be eroded? Will commanders reach a stage where they become numb to the feelings of their men, having dished out unpleasantness for a very long time? It seems to me very probable that commanders eventually begin to consider all unpleasantness as necessary, being too busy or too lazy to even try to think up of better alternatives. They are also too busy or too lazy to join their men in the unpleasantness, and therefore fail to understand or to empathise with the bitterness of their men. The men are therefore condemned to a life of bitterness, with no hope of redress or reprieve and only each other for support and consolation. Why am I waxing such volumes about this issue? Because I can think of no other way to understand why perfectly nice and decent people, who privately can even be good friends, are capable at work of dishing out as much unpleasantness and bitterness. If I had to come up with one word to describe the unit's enlisted men and enlisted commanders (NSFs), it will be Resignation. Because that is what I see everywhere in the unit, it is what I eventually find in myself (after a series of reactions from bitterness -> incredulity -> resentment -> resignation). And I seriously wonder why it has to be like that. The answer I have found, above, is the one that makes the most sense to me, because I see how it can be possible even in me. It is a most depressing thought, mainly because there is nothing I or anybody can do about it.
Comments:
Post a Comment
|
My friends PostSecret Sheares Hall Acers Jiaqi Purple^ Xuan Mystiara KH jiunwei Alvinny archives February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 December 2009 January 2010 February 2010 March 2010 April 2010 May 2010 June 2010 July 2010 August 2010 September 2010 October 2010 November 2010 December 2010 January 2011 February 2011 March 2011 May 2011 November 2011 December 2011 January 2012 March 2012 April 2012 May 2012 June 2012 July 2012 September 2012 January 2013 February 2013 March 2013 April 2013 May 2013 August 2013 September 2013 February 2014
|
