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Buddist Youth. Interesting read

GoK Moderator (5096 posts) • +1

Great article.
The carrot and stick analogy never worked. It is somewhat puritanical (19th century patriarchal) thinking. It sometimes works for donkeys, but not for people. The carrot motivates some, the stick demotivates others, and the majority have always been content to ordinary. Hence the working persons' saying, ‘a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay’; notice the order of work for pay.
A more modern spin would be that subjects are either people are motivated towards (positive outcomes), or people who are motivated away from (negative outcomes) people. On one management course I did, it was said that research shows that people are only really motived ‘away from’.
In the carrot and stick analogy, some people hold most of the carrots. They release some occasionally, but usually frugally. It creates the illusion that anyone who works hard can succeed, and perhaps assuages the conscience of those who wield the sticks. It supports the false notion that the poor are poor because they are feckless and lazy. In the 21st century, we can see that the 1% hold more than half of the carrots.
Most of the Chinese parents I meet honestly believe that their children are exceptional, never average. Statistically, not everyone can be above average. But the kids are starting to wake up and smell the coffee, and have decided that maybe they don’t like coffee. If we apply game theory for a moment, and we see that the game is rigged, and realise that we cannot win, then one option is to refuse to play. China’s Buddhist Youth seem to be moving towards this option, as have the youth of many developed countries around the world. People decide to go ‘off grid’, or drop out, or become hippies, or live in the woods/dessert.
On a personal note, I think my life would have been a lot happier if I was brought up to live an ordinary life. Rather than being told I was exceptional, and that if I did not achieve I had failed or let my parents down

alienew (422 posts) • +1

@tiger: Good comment - yeah, there's a problem with any global system that produces the kind of global 1% we've got, and China is part of that system.

redjon777 (560 posts) • 0

I'm definitely down with these 'Buddhist youth' and think the over reaching of life's goals/targets can have an unintended downwards effect on your life.
Too many years I played the way of over reaching but feel just leading an average life and not setting the goals too high, brings a better feeling about everything in your every day life :o)

redjon777 (560 posts) • 0

Showing someone about 20 years old and then at 40/50 years old is not quite fair with the 'got fat' article!

Sorry, the 'Millennials' article bored me lol

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