Irksome Social Behaviours – Why Bother?
Posted by: mykscope on: August 9, 2009
Why do we need to discuss irksome social behaviours?
Because these behaviours affect others by in some undesirable way – can cause bigger social menace when they are prevalent among majority and umpteen issues both minor and major. Understanding these behaviours is key to their root and hopefully develop workarounds and solutions so that changes can be made for good – whether or not it is within our circle of influence. Of course! that there are no absolutes only possibilities:
- There can be and will be outliers- men and women whose behaviour doesn’t conform to these patterns – but we refer to majority
- India is vast and diverse, some societies might be more mature than others and manifest less of following behaviour patterns
A society’s ability for taming unproductive behaviours is a function of its ability for self-criticism and governance through legislation and enforcement.
Posts on this blog follow this general pattern: elaborate the behaviour pattern – understand the inherent reasons for the behaviour – explore possible workarounds. All these might not be posted at once.
Public property can be yours if you only want it…
Posted by: mykscope on: August 11, 2009
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The most reliable way to forecast the future is to try to understand the present. – John Naisbitt
It amazes anyone who steps back and looks at this behaviour – public property belongs to those who are first to claim it and take it. Size of the property you embezzle is a function of your audacity and subsequent ability to retain it (by whatever means).
People heading governments, holding government posts forfeit public property or issue orders to sell it in secrecy to their aides for pittance, or simply steal public money. No wonder there will be a stampede to join the winning party after elections. Everyone wants their share of public money.
Religion, caste, all other possible affiliation based groups demand unfair share of everything in return for their votes in elections – people want unfair advantage at the cost of the rest. Education, employment…where ever you can reap benefits. (http://www.hvk.org/articles/0501/61.html)
That is not all, footpaths(sidewalk/pavement), alleys, roads, your neighbour’s property…what can be taken is taken.
- encroached sidewalks
Benches in parks, bus stops, public lounges are either made unusable somehow or occupied to prevent others from sharing the space, or used to keep luggage rather than allow others to share it.
Booths are built on pavements for running petty businesses – for generations people grow up failing to realize what the foot paths are for and why they are called footpaths because no one walks there (or allowed to walk there). You can imagine where pedestrians are supposed to walk!
Cushioning in city buses is slashed till the coir padding comes out. Faucets in public places are ripped off and taken away.
Once there was a call from the Government of India for designs of faucets offering huge cash prize for winning entry. The criteria read as follows:
1. Faucet cannot be left open – when someone stops using it water flow ought to stop
2. Faucet or parts of it cannot be taken away or destroyed
3. When faucet is destroyed on heavy impact, water should not be leaking from the pipe
4. The material used to build the faucet need to be unusable in any form and should have no value whatever (alas! this still wouldn’t prevent destruction)
The paranoid acceptance criteria indicates metropolitan works’ frustration in dealing with damage caused to public property day in and day out.
In my next post, let us see where this behaviour comes from – what are the cultural roots to it.
Irksome Social Behaviours In India-1
Posted by: mykscope on: August 9, 2009
People hate to ‘wait’ for whatever
- At a traffic signal people are more likely to stop(if at all) next to each other rather than behind each other
Chaos on the roads
- Queues grow rather side-ways (Everyone would like to go first): If you were in the queue, person standing next to you (beside you not behind you) would rather try and get past you – if you confront him, he is not likely to show any overt signs of aggression instead tells you ‘not to worry’. It is like a crazy passive aggressive wrestling match – you got to keep fighting for your rights whatever – it is a struggle that never ends.
- Only way of making people wait, it appears is denial of service – no one would wait for you to collect your change unless the counter is closed, count the cash dispensed unless ATM starts spewing think smoke soon after you withdrew cash, finish washing your coffee cup at the sink unless you yanked out the faucet, let you pass thorough the door unless…well, I can go on and on but I guess, I made my point though with a liberal dose of exaggeration.
