Work, Education, and Oppression

In life, there are certain truths that are so completely obvious, that one must wonder, why, with how glaring they are, we live in a world which has insisted time and time again to do things in the most miserable inefficient way possible completely ignoring these simple glaring truths.

One, people learn best when having fun, when they enjoy what they are doing. People are also at their most productive when they are enjoying what they are doing, when they are having fun.

Two, positive reinforcement is clearly more effective than punishment. With positive reinforcement people try to do better, with punishment people do just enough to avoid punishment, or with excessive punishment decide it's not worth it and leave.

Three, music is one of the world's greatest motivators, a good fast paced tune will have people producing in time with the tune, and be happier for it as well.

Four, the better morale people have the more motivated they are.

Five, I can count, wheeeee.

Six, I think I lost some of my train of thought due to being sick... oh right

Yet, instead what do most education systems do as well as work forces?

One: Drone on, and insist on making things as bland as possible. Do everything they can to make the environment as soulless as possible completely draining the human spirit.

Two: Punishment, punishment, punishment. Everywhere you look it's just, what mistakes you've done, how bad you did this day, ect. Very rarely is what good you do recognized, in fact when you start doing good, they instead raise the bar further on you and get mad at you if you stop doing what was already above and beyond expectations. Eventually you get fed up, nothing but negativity and when you do, do well, you're ultimately punished more for it, til eventually you break and just give up no longer caring anymore cause nothing you do is good enough.

Three: Music is so often denied in the most monotonous of places where it is needed most. I know I for one can move faster, keep up the pace, acquire a rhythm and simply do better with the right music for it. But nope, music is so often completely removed from all production environments. Music uplifts the spirit, instead we are forced into cold silence.

Four: Businesses spend so much time caring for profit they forget the morale of their workforce, they forget that, without good morale workers slow down, they're output lessens. I've seen places work people every day of the week with no time off. They end up paying more for less. Cause I guarantee you those workers are outputting crap work at a much slower pace. Then there's school, sacrificing one's childhood with hours of school work after school. Kids are expected to put in more of a work week when it comes to time lost than adults are. Is it really a surprise so many don't do their homework, or don't care about school?


Five: I can still count, Whee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Six: Um... where was I again, oh, right.

Is there some kind of reason why we choose to oppress ourselves, to make the world a miserable place? Learning COULD be fun, Work COULKD be fun AND productive. Life COULD be an uplifting experience. Ther world COULD be filled with music, merriment, and laughter. Why does it seem, that despite the obvious merit to these things, why does it seem that despite the obvious benefits to health, and emotional well being, as well as productivity, we choose instead to make everything as serious and miserable as possible turning the world into one big giant stinking oppressive hell hole?

I can't help but wonder if, there's some kind of conspiracy to keep us all so oppressed that we just stopped caring about life and living? Is keeping us in a constant state of oppressive defeatism really that beneficial to the people in power?

a reply to: Puppylove

This can be summed very succinctly with one picture or in your case a picture is worth 1000's words!

I almost linked the constitution, to my chagrin I discover it doesn't say I have a right to happiness…

are you kidding me? Have they written out the meaning, too?

among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…

The constitution may not specifically use the phrase "pursuit of happiness", but it does use words like liberty. Liberty is the freedom to do what pleases you. And if you are pleased, you are surely happy.

(as long as you aren't hurting anyone)

a reply to: intrptr

Wait the constitution doesn't say "pursuit of happiness"? Wow I feel really ignorant...

a reply to: Puppylove

"...pursuit of happiness." That would be the Declaration of Independence.

On topic: It's done with purpose. You keep the people oppressed, so they don't really know what freedom or happiness is. With too much happiness or freedom, the people becomed accustomed to it. Then when it's threatened, the people are more apt to rebel. Working people have the "crab mentality" and can't seem to get over it. I see it every day. It's ingrained starting from a small age. Anything else is a threat to the control of the populace.

a reply to: EternalSolace

Ahh thank you

originally posted by: Puppylove
a reply to: intrptr

Wait the constitution doesn't say "pursuit of happiness"? Wow I feel really ignorant...

And even then, the pursuit of happiness does not guarantee that you will ever catch it.

Some people could get everything they would think they ever wanted or needed to be happy and still not be happy. That's why I'm actually glad that the Founders were wise enough not to write in a guarantee of happiness.

a reply to: ketsuko

I am most happy spending 3-4 hours a day hitting myself in the head with a brick, thanks founding fathers!

a reply to: Puppylove

In short, the system is designed to break you and mold you into an unthinking slave consumer. You only have to look at the methods used to see what the desired outcome will be.