This quote of yours "The standard you walk past is the standard you accept," is a powerful reminder that inaction in the face of wrongdoing is not a neutral stance" reminded me of a quote which i always tell people " If you are not against the crime , you are with the crime".
🤓 That's awesome. It's always fun to see different variations and interpretations of the same message. We are what we do and don't do. In the case of where the world is heading right now, being against 'bad behaviours', in all its forms, is as important as actively promoting goodness and justice in our lives. And most importantly, find our tribe. I'm glad to have you joined the conversation.
So I'm a year late to the conversation but...my take on this is that humans are neither solitary spiders not communal ants, but have characteristics of both species. We are social animals that need each other to survive, but the individual chafes against the requirements and obligations of the group. Furthermore, there are both benefits and costs to each end of the spectrum, thus leading to what I have called "the four forces of politics."
I think the ability of individuals to reject conventional wisdom, whether in art, science or society, is what enables humans to adapt, grow and change, but the Western hero-worship of the individual makes our cooperative nature invisible.
You're never too late to the conversation! I actually wrestle with this paradox a lot. This balance of being deeply social and at the same time, fiercely independent. For me, the contradictions are obvious when it comes to personal relationships. We crave belonging, but we resist the obligations that come with it. We want to be understood, but most times we fear being fully seen (and judged). And I see what you mean about Western obsession with individualism, because there's a very similar trend in Thailand, yes, even a collectivistic society like us is on the same trajectory.... although to be fair, I'm based in Bangkok so I have capitalism to blame. Thai society does emphasise on "collective harmony" a lot but it's more so as a form of control than life philosophy as not all lives are equal here!
Yuval Noah Harari is so fitting here - "A society of courageous people willing to admit ignorance and raise difficult questions is usually not just more prosperous, but also more peaceful than societies in which everyone must unquestioningly accept a single answer. People afraid of losing their truth tend to be more violent than people who are used to looking at the world from several different viewpoints. Questions you cannot answer are usually far better for you than answers you cannot question."
Things get hard when things get bad enough. The current state of politics many places of the world remind me of the Leon Trotsky quote “When you fail to convince a fascist, acquaint their face with the pavement.” Our problem is we let things get this far in the first place. What does one do now?
Didn’t mean to derail into politics. We have a moral obligation to fight bad actors whereever we encounter them, in every small encounter.
I find it so hard to respect people of privilige who don’t stand up for those who can’t. In the end it really does feel like humanity is divided between those who are intellectually honest & empathic and those who aren’t — and don’t even realise they aren’t.
You're absolutely right. People look at the state of the world today and act *shocked Pikachu face* - as if this wasn't decades (or centuries) in the making.
And the privilege part is infuriating, and I honestly had a hard time accepting it a few years back myself until I came across Hannah Arendt's quote - "The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil" and it clicked for me.
For me, the psychology of fascism itself is extremely fascinating. I can't help but wonder if it stems from childhood trauma, from never growing out of the narcissistic stage where the world revolves around you. The belief in one's own greatness, the sense of entitlement, the deep need to control others.... a defense mechanism distilled into an ideology. And instead of developing empathy, they double down on dominance as a survival strategy, projecting their own unresolved fears onto the world.
The world is in desperate need of people who do see through it as well as refusing to look away or stay silent.
"A lot of us are stuck in this perpetual cycle of competition, where satisfaction is always just out of reach" -> I feel like this often. We're fundamentally misaligned: we say that what we want is to be happy, but instead of doing things that make us happy (hikes, low-stress life, yoga, connecting with others) we run dopaministic threadmills of "more". ("The molecule of more" is a very insightful book about the neurological driver of this)
You are absolutely right, Przemek - I haven't even scratched the surface from the neuroscience perspective yet but chemicals in our brain play a huge part that shape our personalities, behaviours and emotions - well.... essentially the entire architects of our identity. Consumers have been, time after time, exploited due to the very nature of our dopamine-driven desires for new & exciting things. The only 'solution' is balance. Enjoy the dopamine but also don't forget to top up your serotonin and oxytocin too.
Us humans seem to trip so easily when it comes to new, shiny, immediate (short-term) things. I guess the battle with our 'animal brain' continues....
Amazing Post Ms.Prasertkul. This post really connected with me, especially when discussing the characteristics of a "Bad Actor" against collaboration. I was recently part of an NGO focusing on climate change adaptation in the Himalayan region as a project fellow. While their mission was commendable, I often observed a lack of teamwork within the organisation, especially in a nonprofit setting. When things went well, the entire organisation took credit, but when there were issues with external projects, the blame was often placed on the inadequacies of the organisation's members. I found this unfair. I left that space.
After that, I left my next job after just one week of joining because I felt the founder was exploiting two workers with low pay and mistreatment due to their entry-level roles. On the other hand, I received a different reception due to my profile and expertise. Despite questioning from my friends about leaving a job that treated me well, I smiled, and now I've found a much more fulfilling space. Some may say I can afford to make such decisions because of my privilege, but I sometimes wonder if I should have been born under different circumstances to prove that I would have still stood up for myself and my fellow humans.
I'm actually smiling reading your comment right now. I love what you have shared here. Huge respect to you for leaving an environment that doesn't align with your principles. I know it takes a good amount of courage to commit to fairness and respect for all - regardless of their role or status. Kinda sad to write that out to be honest - the idea of needing courage to do something that should be a given.... it does leave a 'funny' feeling inside.
I don't think you need to prove more than what you're already doing right now. It's the actions that define us, not our circumstances.
This quote of yours "The standard you walk past is the standard you accept," is a powerful reminder that inaction in the face of wrongdoing is not a neutral stance" reminded me of a quote which i always tell people " If you are not against the crime , you are with the crime".
🤓 That's awesome. It's always fun to see different variations and interpretations of the same message. We are what we do and don't do. In the case of where the world is heading right now, being against 'bad behaviours', in all its forms, is as important as actively promoting goodness and justice in our lives. And most importantly, find our tribe. I'm glad to have you joined the conversation.
So I'm a year late to the conversation but...my take on this is that humans are neither solitary spiders not communal ants, but have characteristics of both species. We are social animals that need each other to survive, but the individual chafes against the requirements and obligations of the group. Furthermore, there are both benefits and costs to each end of the spectrum, thus leading to what I have called "the four forces of politics."
I think the ability of individuals to reject conventional wisdom, whether in art, science or society, is what enables humans to adapt, grow and change, but the Western hero-worship of the individual makes our cooperative nature invisible.
You're never too late to the conversation! I actually wrestle with this paradox a lot. This balance of being deeply social and at the same time, fiercely independent. For me, the contradictions are obvious when it comes to personal relationships. We crave belonging, but we resist the obligations that come with it. We want to be understood, but most times we fear being fully seen (and judged). And I see what you mean about Western obsession with individualism, because there's a very similar trend in Thailand, yes, even a collectivistic society like us is on the same trajectory.... although to be fair, I'm based in Bangkok so I have capitalism to blame. Thai society does emphasise on "collective harmony" a lot but it's more so as a form of control than life philosophy as not all lives are equal here!
Yuval Noah Harari is so fitting here - "A society of courageous people willing to admit ignorance and raise difficult questions is usually not just more prosperous, but also more peaceful than societies in which everyone must unquestioningly accept a single answer. People afraid of losing their truth tend to be more violent than people who are used to looking at the world from several different viewpoints. Questions you cannot answer are usually far better for you than answers you cannot question."
Juicy stuff, thank you.
Things get hard when things get bad enough. The current state of politics many places of the world remind me of the Leon Trotsky quote “When you fail to convince a fascist, acquaint their face with the pavement.” Our problem is we let things get this far in the first place. What does one do now?
Didn’t mean to derail into politics. We have a moral obligation to fight bad actors whereever we encounter them, in every small encounter.
I find it so hard to respect people of privilige who don’t stand up for those who can’t. In the end it really does feel like humanity is divided between those who are intellectually honest & empathic and those who aren’t — and don’t even realise they aren’t.
You're absolutely right. People look at the state of the world today and act *shocked Pikachu face* - as if this wasn't decades (or centuries) in the making.
And the privilege part is infuriating, and I honestly had a hard time accepting it a few years back myself until I came across Hannah Arendt's quote - "The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil" and it clicked for me.
For me, the psychology of fascism itself is extremely fascinating. I can't help but wonder if it stems from childhood trauma, from never growing out of the narcissistic stage where the world revolves around you. The belief in one's own greatness, the sense of entitlement, the deep need to control others.... a defense mechanism distilled into an ideology. And instead of developing empathy, they double down on dominance as a survival strategy, projecting their own unresolved fears onto the world.
The world is in desperate need of people who do see through it as well as refusing to look away or stay silent.
Always appreciate our exchanges, Jan!
"A lot of us are stuck in this perpetual cycle of competition, where satisfaction is always just out of reach" -> I feel like this often. We're fundamentally misaligned: we say that what we want is to be happy, but instead of doing things that make us happy (hikes, low-stress life, yoga, connecting with others) we run dopaministic threadmills of "more". ("The molecule of more" is a very insightful book about the neurological driver of this)
Thank you for the callout, beautiful postcard 🤩 !
You are absolutely right, Przemek - I haven't even scratched the surface from the neuroscience perspective yet but chemicals in our brain play a huge part that shape our personalities, behaviours and emotions - well.... essentially the entire architects of our identity. Consumers have been, time after time, exploited due to the very nature of our dopamine-driven desires for new & exciting things. The only 'solution' is balance. Enjoy the dopamine but also don't forget to top up your serotonin and oxytocin too.
Us humans seem to trip so easily when it comes to new, shiny, immediate (short-term) things. I guess the battle with our 'animal brain' continues....
thought provoking. Thank you!
Thanks Chris. Appreciate you dropping by!
Amazing Post Ms.Prasertkul. This post really connected with me, especially when discussing the characteristics of a "Bad Actor" against collaboration. I was recently part of an NGO focusing on climate change adaptation in the Himalayan region as a project fellow. While their mission was commendable, I often observed a lack of teamwork within the organisation, especially in a nonprofit setting. When things went well, the entire organisation took credit, but when there were issues with external projects, the blame was often placed on the inadequacies of the organisation's members. I found this unfair. I left that space.
After that, I left my next job after just one week of joining because I felt the founder was exploiting two workers with low pay and mistreatment due to their entry-level roles. On the other hand, I received a different reception due to my profile and expertise. Despite questioning from my friends about leaving a job that treated me well, I smiled, and now I've found a much more fulfilling space. Some may say I can afford to make such decisions because of my privilege, but I sometimes wonder if I should have been born under different circumstances to prove that I would have still stood up for myself and my fellow humans.
I'm actually smiling reading your comment right now. I love what you have shared here. Huge respect to you for leaving an environment that doesn't align with your principles. I know it takes a good amount of courage to commit to fairness and respect for all - regardless of their role or status. Kinda sad to write that out to be honest - the idea of needing courage to do something that should be a given.... it does leave a 'funny' feeling inside.
I don't think you need to prove more than what you're already doing right now. It's the actions that define us, not our circumstances.