Thinking 'against the current' doesn't mean you disagree with how everybody feels. It does mean you get a more objective and balanced perspective.
Today I asked about 20 students how they felt about the recent hike in fuel prices. They all said it sucked bad. I then told them to come up with at least five reasons how the recent fuel hike can be a benefit to Malaysian society. They had exactly one minute to do it.
Today I asked about 20 students how they felt about the recent hike in fuel prices. They all said it sucked bad. I then told them to come up with at least five reasons how the recent fuel hike can be a benefit to Malaysian society. They had exactly one minute to do it.
Their answers were:
- Focuses more attention to budgeting and economizing
- Forces us to rethink the way we spend
- Contributes less to global warming
- Spurs interest (and research?) in finding alternative sources of energy
- Reduces traffic jams
- Encourages more people to walk or use a bicycle
- Promotes car-pooling (and, as a result, deepening friendships?)
I then asked them how they felt after they did this exercise in thinking against their own emotionally charged conclusions.
I guess you could say everyone felt slightly better. We didn't end up feeling great, of course. But there was a small noticeable difference in our eyes regarding the issue.
I suppose even a minute's worth of thinking can matter, can't it?
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2 comments:
Good one Alwyn, as much as it hurts, I have to agree with you - the petrol hike really forced me to modify my behaviour. I drive less and when I do, I drive alot slower and I have resolved to not spend more than 50K to upgrade my wife's old car because I expect a greener alternative to be in the market in 3 years - so behaviour modification and innovation is very much alive in Malaysia. I do however think that BN failed the nation because they should have added a more gradual hike, to soften the blow and prepared the public transportation systems before hand.
Ditto on the public transportation bit (though something tells me they've added a few more LRT trains of late...hmm).
My heart does go out to some of the lower-class workers, though, who rely a lot on fuel (e.g. taxi drivers)...i think churches could give these ppl a hand and show that in time of crisis the Body of Christ acts - what do u think?
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