I think the two words 'Role Model' are over-rated.
The problem is not so much in the idea of having one as much as the risk someone runs into when they discover that their so called role model was not so model after all. Perhaps that word has come to signify almost god like status of the model to the worshipee, where cracks in the armor lead to tremendous devestation of faith.
Many a role models are and continue to be celebrities in their sphere of influence. From political leaders to star athletes to brilliant music personalities and art exemplaries these individuals have acheived fantastic heights in their space seemingly impossible for a human. Yet they did that through perseverance or hard work or mix of luck and moxie (I am thrilled to use this word moxie for the first time).
So when they realize that they too are human and err and erred big they see that they create a storm of publicity of the negative kind and depending on their journalistic connections either are quickly forgotten or berated till they cease to exist (entirely).
Examples abound on all continents in all colors and all religions - from a President of the most powerful country to a large management consulting business to a wealthy wall street house to Hollywood and the world of sports. Most recently a police inspector in India who fought corruption was deemed to be in cahoots with some nefarious characters and eliminating some other rotten characters for the money. Oh well - sometimes you use a crook to catch a crook people.
I think bottom line is that people are gullible and invest too much in one particular thing - in doing so they do that at their own peril. I know this sounds rather harsh and not very trusting but you got to count the two sides (cost benefit) of any transaction and decide for yourself. Whether buying that flat screen TV at a retail outlet or booking that airline ticket with an airline that was awarded the best in the business - you should remember CAVEAT EMPTOR!
Faith can crack even with the common man as amplified by the success of Jerry Springer on paid television - there is an audience that relates to what he shows.
I almost want to vote for a new FAITH INDEX. Screw the Dow Jones and the Standardly Poor and other mumbo jumbo like GPA, GMAT and Corruption Index.
Just define a metric like IQ that would rank a person on a scale that shows how reliable they are - the low end can be LOWLY BASTARD to the high end being AMAZING ALIEN (you think you will find this item on earth - you are smoking). Job interviews to credit worthiness to marriage material analysis all pegged to this one standard - how reliable is this bloke (or blokette)?
Match maker websites (run by some desi/IIT created algorithms) are tying the knots worldwide (talk about digitizing our relationships) so why not just crank one for identifying the true IDOL? Now that is a real gem coming from an IDLE mind.
This autumn the weather gods cooperated as we took a family trip in the northeast to see six states that qualify or makeup what is known colloquially in America as New England. Mass, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island (tiniest state in the union). The outing helped tally up the states we either lived in, visited or have worked in to 47. Guess which three have eluded this intrepid traveling family. Any rate the drive was all in about 1,800 miles and included some memorable geographic wonders or points of interest. Easternmost part of state of Massachusetts being one. Furthest drivable road east in Mass being another. Visit to all Ivy League schools (term harkens to a collegiate athletics conference and generally regarded as elite academic institutes of some repute worldwide) is another random bucket list item of which this trip afforded the chance to knock two more of the list. Dartmouth in Hanover, NH and Brown (and its sister institute the RISD - school f
Brilliant analysis and recommendation, if I may say so. I would certainly like to see the Reliable Bloke/Blokette index (should have a span of at least 15 years)or RB Index for short. Patent it.
ReplyDeleteha ha RBI - will get on it as soon as I am done exposing another myth called 'Equal Opportunity'... not sure equal to what and which opportunity exactly but sounds cute on TV
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