"Highly Effective" my arse
I got this in the email, and it made me sick in the stomach. It not only brought back bad memories (of when i was teaching), but also reminded me of the "kiasu" culture in Singapore. And also the fact that i've said to some of my (then) colleagues and friends, that if i ever have a child/children, i would be reluctant to let him/her be educated in Singapore.
The words "Highly Effective", "empower", and "success- driven" make me cringe. i blame this on the ex-job. but this sort of marketing strategy just makes me nauseous. You are not supposed to (God forbid!) ignore anything that claims to make you "Highly Effective". Especially if it is something that will "empower" your child/children and make them "success- driven"!
But what is really wrong with this ad? Let's see. How do you "Nurture" a "Natural Genius"? And do you still need a "Success Formula" for teens who are already "Highly Successful" anyway?
Oh, and the one that irritates me the most. "The Five Emotions that Drives your Children". Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong here... i hate to admit it, but it's the teacher in me reacting here.
Imagine when your child delivers your eulogy, " my mother... she was highly effective..." WTF?? i think i would rather be remembered as a loving, encouraging, caring, or even fair parent. But "Highly Effective"? No thanks. And so what if my child is "success- driven", i would rather he be successful! Haha!
i was talking to my mum the other day about the retirement age in Singapore going up. Then she said that she felt bad for all those old aunties and uncles who have to work at the food courts and hawker centres collecting the dirty plates and bowls. I think she felt a sense of embarrassment and shame that they are the ones cleaning up after us when they are supposed to be enjoying their retirement. i guess in Singapore, where the support network for old people isn't all that great, behind people's preoccupation with success is the fear of ending up like them in one's old age. And you are well and truly screwed if you have "success- driven" kids who do not have the decency to return the favour and take care of you when you're old.
posted by 儒 @ 00:28
1 Comments:
i sympathize, to say the least.
have a look at this. it had a huge impact on me, and changed everything about the girls' lives.
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