I’m back for a second post! So, there are naturally obstacles. Why is this site not appearing on Google search? Why is it secure on the post page but not the home page? I overexerted myself like crazy yesterday and I’m supposed to be resting at home today! Now, all these considerations simply don’t matter at all if you find writing fun! No wallowing in gloom or boredom, and so here I am, typing. Now, let’s begin.
Since going out into society(to work), I’ve observed several different categories of work, along with their respective attitudes towards life. And guess what? It just so happens that they can be classified pretty well in alphabetical order! So, here goes nothing!
A: Ascetic
Some people are naturally drawn to life’s deeper questions. Amongst them, some turn to religion. I met a friend from university last month who is Catholic and in a seminary. Where others from our batch will soon graduate and find jobs related to the capitalist system, he will be training to be a priest. And he has a token $100 allowance every month which he doesn’t actually need and he will serve people and grow old in a priest’s nursing home.
Then there’s someone else I met around 2 weeks ago who also falls under this category. He used to be a hardcore Buddhist and vegetarian for maybe 7? years before he became a Christian. He quit university(I think), found a job as a financial consultant and recently took a student loan to study banking in university…now in his first year, he has decided to quit university and start working for a church. Apparently it’s a different kind of Christianity, so it’s not like becoming a priest, but it seems that there he will be until God comes down and passes judgment on us all…unless he was trolling me, that is. But nah. Jk. Respect.
B: Butler
These people add value to the lives of their ‘masters’ by taking care of their trivial needs for them, freeing them to spend their time more ‘efficiently’. In the case of high-ranking executives you may see secretaries; in the case of self-employed people you may see personal assistants. However, it is not only the super successful for whom this is applicable!
Middle-income people often have domestic helpers at home. And how about babysitters? Someone you call in to clean the house every week? Now, it is important to remember that this is just a privilege you enjoy. In different circumstances, isn’t it possible that you actually would be the butler, and they the master? Think about it this way: If a revolution were to overturn society, it is a sign of success if your butlers are not looting your house with pitchforks, but instead trying to guard it with you.
C: Capitalist
Capitalists are those who just LOVE money. They care a lot about results as opposed to say, the happiness of others. I had the misfortune of speaking to one a couple of days ago – he was trying to talk me into being one of his cronies. As a xxxxxxxx I could only make this amount! As a yyyyyy I’m making this amount! If you have 20 customers and just 5 of them decide to sell too, 5 people become 25 in 2 years, 125 in 3 years, 625 in 4 years! Imagine the commission you get as it stacks up! Do you know how positively genius Shopee and Lazada are?!!! (MLM, it seems)
Hey, shut up about business models already…Obviously, it would be wrong to go all Karl Marx and say that capitalists are the scourge of this earth. To be honest, I would not go so far as to call the guy immoral. It’s just that he was totally coming at me from the wrong angle lol. Isn’t it common knowledge that money has diminishing returns on well-being? If you have no money, you gonna cry. If you have enough money, you can be happy. If you have too much money, why do you even need it? Unless you are really creating value for people and rightfully deserve it, of course.
D: Dreamer
Sparkling. Exuding passion. In my opinion, this is the most enviable category of people there are. They chase their dreams without reservation, aiming for the stars. Where normal people would think them foolish and impractical, they persevere and seek to succeed or fail trying. These people become our idols and we are enraptured by their craft…they say that there are many more who do not succeed, but having once chased your dreams and lived without regrets – now, isn’t that a story to tell for the future? Enough said.
E: Elite
This is the sort of person who thinks that ‘ivory tower’ is a compliment. Immersed in an environment in which they are lauded for their intelligence, they believe that they are special and a cut above the rest. Filled with dreams of grandeur, they may go on to pursue further studies and get that PHD. They associate only with a bunch of intellectuals and sympathise with the common folk whose ‘achievements’ are far lacking as compared to theirs. They are well integrated with the prevailing societal structure and questioning it will likely never cross their minds.
F: Farmer
The category of farmers is a broad one that does not just apply to actual farmers. Basically, it alludes to how our predecessors a long long time ago were all farmers who just ploughed the land yet were content, gaining happiness and fulfilment all the same. You can actually draw parallels with this to some jobs in modern society today – they who work tirelessly behind the scenes without the option to throw their arms in frustration and say ugh, I quit!
Think about the bus driver who drives your bus everyday, the cleaners who clear your tables and wash your toilets. Recently, a colleague mentioned how her father delivers eggs to supermarkets and restaurants and stalls for a living. He does it for 364 days a year with the exception of Chinese New Year. There is no option to stop because were he to do so for just one day, his customer can easily ask the stall next door: Hey, who’s your supplier? Is he good? We seldom think about these people, but hey, remember that they exist.
G: Genius
Do not lump these people together with the elites, because they actually do something. These people are specialised in their own particular fields and they spend years of their life tirelessly working on research and development. Through this, they make discoveries that will benefit society in the long run. Without them, how is progress possible?
Of course, it does not immediately follow that all research is useful, that all developments are good. And also consider this: if someone has spent their entire life deeply invested in something that is ultimately detrimental for society, how can they give it up just like that? “No, thank you very much,” Says the mad scientist, “I’m just gonna hook up with that capitalist/villain who’ll give me my own lab.”
H: Homie
In my experience, most people should fall under this category. We don’t really care about where we work, because the work doesn’t really matter. What matters really is having enough money to sustain our lifestyles and leading relatively stable lives. Seriously, how many of the jobs out there in society really matter, and how many are expendable? Under the capitalist system (oh no here we go again), we need to work to earn money and spend that money to fuel economic growth without end. Another company can easily copy your business model and offer a more competitive price – if they’re rich, you’re screwed. Sadly, isn’t that how the world is right now?
Once in a while, homies will feel the urge to actually do something. However, more often than not, we’ll end up procrastinating and eventually forget about the whole idea. Hey, where got time? Seriously, let’s all just be passive consumers of media bruh!
I: Idealist
Idealists are visionaries. They see how the world, currently lacking in some aspect, can be a better place. They work towards these goals to bring them to realisation. Some form of innovation is always involved here, and it always, always adds value to people and the world. Saving the environment? Space exploration? Their words are not platitudes unlike the many capitalists out there as they truly seek to make a positive difference in the world. Look out for them, and never be so quick to dismiss them as mere capitalists. Your loss.
Additionally, there are also idealists who are not out there doing great things. Instead, they are being oppressed by the system, unable to show their worth. For example, a neighbour of mine works as an accountant. She spoke of how companies do not actually try to improve. Instead of making use of what you have learnt in your specialisations to better the system, you can only survive in the company by ignoring all the glaring faults and inefficiencies and ‘going with the flow’. If you point out what is so obviously flawed, you will only meet with the fate of being ostracised. For idealists, who cannot compromise on their values, a society where work is simply there for the sake of being there is a very sad thing indeed.
J: Joker
Nope, I’m not referring to internet trolls when I say joker. I’m referring to more like the joker in a poker deck – a wildcard. Jokers are living proofs of the phrase ‘with great power comes great responsibility’. They have great potential to change your life for the better. Yet, at the same time, there is the propensity for many of them to be corrupt, mercenary, cronies of the capitalists! Some examples: Politicians, lawyers, property agents, financial consultants.
A trait of the joker is that we may instinctively distrust them. ‘Huh? A politician that’s not crooked? How can that even exist?’, ’99 percent of property agents are dishonest’ and so on and so forth. These are words that we may utter with some degree of conviction. The bad apples of the crop turn the entire batch morally questionable! A person should ideally probe out these people with questions to see if they are as shallow as capitalists or actually have beliefs and values. Remember, at times, you may really need their help in your lives. Keeping your eyes open, with your own judgment, do yourself justice.
K: Knight
Knight in shining armour, saving the damsel in distress? Nah. Nothing as flashy as that. More like unsung heroes putting their lives on the line for us, never to be glorified, their names likely destined to fade away into nothingness. I am not referring to ‘soldiers’ wet behind their ears who have never seen an actual fight and may will turn tail and flee at the first sign of a war. I see not much reason to take pride in that. Rather, those who actually put themselves at risk for the sake of the greater good, cliched as it may sound, are really worthy of respect.
At a recruitment drive event this year, I had the fortune to encounter an actual spy (albeit no longer in the field). His whole family believes that he is working in some other industry while in actual fact, he was a covert operative who assumed different identities for the sake of gathering intelligence for the country. Now, this is so far removed from the average person, but I was reminded/enlightened that such people do exist in society, reliably protecting us. Okay! Time to move on before I sound like I’m preaching.
L: Lord
While I have never actually met any before (at least, I don’t think so), one of my colleagues has recounted some of his experiences to me. This guy is a rich second gen who owns many cars and works at his parents’ company. What does he do in his parents’ company? Well, he runs errands for people. He doesn’t really have any actual skills, you see. All he has to do is show his face for a bit every day. Well, great that he can feel/make himself useful by dropping off a cheque at the bank. Why is life so lacking in fulfilment for him? Well, if he stops working at his parents’ company, they will not give him any money. He will also have to find a spouse in the future who is ‘befitting of his status’. Anyhow, all his life can consist of now is probably hedonistic stuff and “Grandma? Can I have some money?”
Here, I must emphasise that it is not good to be jealous of other people. Firstly, it brings you nowhere. Secondly, other people have their own problems too! Huh, what? You wouldn’t mind having such problems? Well, sucks to be you! Jk. Anyway, in all seriousness, don’t immediately think of all rich people as distasteful people, because they can be normal nice people as well. Seriously, one could be undercover amongst you lol…
M: Missionary
The classic missionary in history books is one who sails to foreign lands to convert others to his religion. Needless to say, times have changed because of globalisation and all. Nowadays, the religion of ‘missionaries’ travelling to foreign lands is no longer Christianity and such but – wait for it – money lol. People are posted overseas by their companies to help their overseas branches make more money. When overseas, they may face language, cultural barriers etcetera. And let’s not forget our foreign workers who travel over here to make a living. In our capitalistic society today where money is God – facepalm not again – people are displaced from their hometown, families and friends and forced to survive outside.
Yeah, yeah, some people want to leave their home countries and work overseas. I get it. I’m not discounting you! Still, some people would rather not, okay. Hmm…personally, the foreign affairs ministry here emailed me a few times asking me if I would like to work for them. However, the thought of being stuck in a foreign embassy… nah. It just didn’t really seem very attractive to me. Oh… I talked to this Japanese man on this app who said he’s coming to work here this year…it sounded like he was really hyped about it. And I did actually apply for an overseas job just that I didn’t get it. So what I’m saying is – like many other things in this world, to each his own – for those who have a choice.
N: Nomad
And finally, nomad! These are the crazy – not in a bad way – people who move around from city to city, working their way as they go. They live off the land and never stay in a fixed location. Sounds rather crazy, doesn’t it? Well, I’ve never personally met one before, but the internet says they exist. Wanderlust personified? Looking to settle down eventually? Who knows, but the romanticist in me surely finds it kinda crazy cool! Like kinda unattainable, but awesome!!!!!!
O: OMG it’s been like 5 hours haha I’m gonna stop here…
Ok final addition: Operators. These people patiently stay on the phone and tell you what you wanna know!
Thanks for reading this post and I hope that this new blog and the material on it makes it onto Google search someday. Soon. And finally here’s a link to my first post that is kind of like an intro!
That’s all for now!