What the fuck I should be to get respect? Not a linguist or a tranlator, that's for sure. This branch of science is not even titled as "science" by any other branch of science. Another field in the No-No Zone is anything to do with art: studying art, owning a gallery or, -fact forbid!- if you dared to spend your time *creating* art, being an.. ar.. art.. [cold sweat for saying the abomination].. an artist. Literature... it's okay if you sell a lot no matter what you wrote, like Jari Tervo, Arto Paasilinna etc. but even they are regarded a bit like in need of a "real" occupation.
And the real occupations?
¤ a medical doctor; preferably a brain surgeon (never mind that the need for brain surgeons is limited). A heart surgeon goes, too, but only if they're the top of their field. If you're a GP... well, you know, if one isn't even a medical doctor of a specialised field, they must be failures and thus not deserving any respect. An MD who researches AIDS/HIV or cancer, they're respectful. But if you spend you're time for such petty things as the cure for the common cold or -*shivers*- a pain restraint for women in labour... well, I mean, seriously, have you no self-respect, no ambition at all?! And whatever you do: don't be a nurse! That's only for women and since they'll do it anyway as they're grateful for any scraps left for them like malnutritioned dogs, you don't have to pay them enough. If they demand more, they are of course greedy; nursing is a calling and therefore it should actually be free of charge for the society.
¤ a physicist; preferably one disproving solid theories, like Einstein or Newton or the like. If you work at the CERN... well, it's a fancy palce alright, but what' the use of finding out the building blocks of the universe since you can't sell them with good profit to the highest bidder?
¤ a fire-fighter; but only if you are killed on duty while saving a baby from a fiery collapsing building, and just in time you get the child out but the building collapses on you...
¤ a police; but only if you -and you alone, no help from anyone is allowed- catch a serial killer terrorising the well-paid burgeois white-collar economists and their lifestyle.
¤ an inventor; but only if you're invention is to give you an aura of an altruistic, selfless sacrifice á la bona fide, and only if you're a man ("because, you know, women never can invent anything, and even if they did it's something useless like a more efficient and safer domestic applicant, and, you know, we men don't need those since we have women to do every fucking thing for us.. except the fucking HAHAHAHAHAH....")
¤ a judge or a lawyer; everyone hates them but respects them; plus they're well-paid so they must be respected.
¤ a CEO of some male industry
Anything done for one's own interest without the prospect of getting a lot of money as fast as possible is not valued? Why can't it be that people are respected for pursuing their own interests, their attempts to have a satisfying life even if -and in most cases- it doesn't pay you a really fancy mansion, a couple of acres of ground, your own tennis court and a few Lamborghini cars?
And then there are these people -economists- reinforcing this division and telling everyone they're worthless pieces of shit unless they get the fancy mansion et al. by morally questionable pay play. These people also try to push their "values" to people who do not want them, who still have balls to stand up for them and pursue their interests instead of money.
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What's the point of graduating from the university, as a Master of Philosophy? It should be a MBA or KTM, no other is worthy of respect or even the trouble of attaining it in the first place. Is it really that it doesn't matter how much you enjoyed or were interested in, say, literature; the sole purpose should be making money, and literature sure ain't doing that? Are all non-economic/non-IT fields really waste of resources? Because, let's face it, the only morale in this world is in making money and gaining your own benefit regardless of the means. Who cares about enjoying anymore? It's all about making money, and humanists don't do that. Recession or not, I'll end up in as an underpaid McDonald's worker. Is graduating really worthy of getting myself a T-shirt saying "Hello! I am a Master of Philosophy. Would you like ketchup with your French fries?"
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A rather questionable article on the "kylterit vs. humanistit" debate can be found here: http://www.kylteri.fi/arkisto/kylteri203.pdf. Sounds very much like an appeasement attempt. "Beneath the cold, cruel, and utterly selfish exterior is a sensitive human who plays saxophone in the evenings." Well, fuck off Mr. Saxophone; bullshit! Do they really expect that to be even remotely plausible excuse?!
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www.loesje.fi
5 kommenttia
Rokkihomo
1.8.2009 01:23
Yep, humanists don't do that. What do you see in the mirror?
Splenetic
1.8.2009 17:30
I see a humanist who in and off itself doesn't crave for respect but the second the humanist steps outside to the real world, she discovers that to everyone else that is among their top priority and thus gets a feeling that her thinking -developed on this particular matter beyond that stage- is useless: like a single person trying to lift a huge ship and move it in the water when the other 999 people around the ship are doing something else. And the ship doesn't move. That's what I see in the mirror: a person doing something she finds important but which no one else cares about, and is put down by it. Furthermore, I'm considering doing something outrageous; if my way of thinking is so useless, why cling to it? Why not just apply to Hanken and become a souless, cruel and cold economist just like everyone wants. To become an asset to the society. A person not only paying taxes but making money. I'm not quite souless yet but if I started studying economics I suppose my inner self would die soon of boredom and neglect. Because no one cares if one likes their job, as long as they make money.
What do you, fellow humanist, see in the mirror?
Rokkihomo
2.8.2009 05:39
...and that respect is often linked with the very making of money. I don't get it. And I hope I never will.
For years, as an encouraged and praised little wannabe-wonderboy that I almost was, I thought I could fit my work/job/career/profession in with what I both wanted to do and considered rather important: reading and writing.
Oh well, wasn't that easy.
For a while it almost worked but I found myself surrounded by small-minded career-builders, and small-minded self-centered little shits.
And some colleagues who occupied my personal space far too much.
So, eh, I wasn't reading and reading much at all.
Among the things I see in the mirror is a dreamer, I guess, with some broken dreams.
One that wonders shoud one wonder about it, or just lay back and relax.
(Of course, there must be something about making money. Something else than the hailed respect and status. Maybe the money...)
Rokkihomo
2.8.2009 08:34
(dunno if You know the original band but probbly do, so... I think this is, well, quite smthg:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTCzyz8pzso&feature=related
)
Splenetic
2.8.2009 23:15
Yup, money=respect. The only wrinkle in that perfection would be the means of acquiring the cash; they only matter if they become public knowledge. Then everyone can have some moral constipation and condemn the means as a bit inhuman or unfair, but if not known... well, then everyone just turns their eyes the other way. What one doesn't see, one doesn't know. Well, yeah, of course people need to make money, but I'm talking about people who want to become the next Fortum CEOs and get those filthy rich bonuses, for the sake of money. I mean, who really *needs* that much money (apart from the small-minded self-centred little shits of career-builders of course, who have apparently been brainwashed to think they need that much money)?
I don't wanna be an adult in a world like this. But then again, being a child in a world like this sucks bad, too. A filthy rich bonus for the one who invents a way to tell a foetus in a way it can comprehend the worst case scenario for its life so that it can choose whether it wants to take the risk.
I suppose this could be my new theme song for this mood: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO34Bp3Nw_A (Sia: Playground): "I don't wanna grow up/bring me all the toys you can find/You don't wanna grow up/ you can be my partner in crime..."
And no, Queen Diamond was new to me. Quite a transition from the Totoro theme song to King Diamond covers... :)
And now to listen the song I want to be played in my funeral. Aren't I just a really cute and positive little peach...