Human Resources

Originally posted by orangetom1999
Whitewave,

Thanks for this Thread and as the OP you have opened up a big can of worms to those who can see hear and understand beyond the next sound bite in our lives.

I suspect that will be a pretty short list so the can of worms will wriggle out of sight quickly enough to not cause any distress.

As near as I can tell White Wave...one of the names for this kind of selling, trading and bartering of ones soul and even the souls of others... is... "diversity."

Maybe we're working off of different definitions but I wouldn't define it as diversity so much as political correctness. Diversity is not a dirty word but it's undeniable that birds of a feather tend to flock together and ill tolerate that which is different. The differences don't have to be bad or wrong, just not preferred. In the name of "tolerance" we are denied our human right to preference. I have a Chinese restaurant that I frequent, always ordering the lemon fish. It's quite good and because of my restrictive diet, it's one of the only allowable items on the menu for me. The proprietor always asks me if I'll try something that is no doubt equally delicious THIS time and I always tell her the reason for my choice. She shakes her head and "teases" me that I am too narrow and restrictive, afraid to branch out and try new things." Having a preference in anything at all, even Chinese food, it seems, is considered not politically correct. I must sample everything on the menu of life or I am narrow and rigid. It can't be something as simple as shrimp drops my blood sugar, no, it has to be that I'm shrimpaphobic. Maybe I'm a "shrimpist" (unreasonably intolerant of crustaceans). Having a choice in selection means having a choice to say "NO" to all but the one you prefer. Diversity allows us a choice but political correctness denies us the opportunity to exercise a preference; insisting that we sample all whether we want it, like it, or have adverse reactions to it.

I began to sense this years ago ..but never quite let it gel down to what it is...the lowest common denominator in civil conduct while defining ourselves by every cheap transient thing to be merchandised next. All this while claiming the lowest common denominator is a mark of excellence and to be promoted as greatness and honorable.
To me this tack cannot be accidental but deliberate, planned, carefully structured and cultivated. If it is of economics it must be political as well.

I agree that such programming has been intentional but until recently the effects were mainly limited to certain groups like politicians. Now, it seems that everyone has jumped on the bandwagon and is competing with one another to see who can degrade themselves the lowest (who is most marketable), who is able to obtain the highest bidder (Ever watched an episode of 'Girls Gone Wild'?) The more outrageous the behavior, the more valued the outrageous one becomes. I heard some young women (20's) verbally patting each other on the back for having chastised a nemesis. By their rude, disrespectful and vulgar outpourings, they placed themselves on a pedestal they called "courage". Loutish behavior has become the new standard of excellence. If you can belittle, humiliate or insult someone in a spectacularly abrasive manner, you have shown your skills (all skills are marketable) and thereby proven your worth (increased your market value). Those refusing to participate in such behavior are "marked down" in value.

That missing thing or concept never recognized by those who demand the ability to consume...is who will be taking or making the "RISK" for others to consume...or be persons who define themselves by what they consume.
And I know lots of peoples like this.

What is particularly insidious with this concept of risk is that the stakes have become much higher than any of us could have imagined. We are risking our very humanity; our "divinity", if you will. The crowning of creation is being reduced to the rank of mere animal. There was a time when we held human beings to a higher standard than animals but no more. Now animals have the same rights as human beings. I'm all in favor of being a good steward of the planet and it's bountiful blessings and count cruelty to animals as a decidedly "nonhuman" thing to do but we are so much more than animals. If we begin to identify on a personal level with animals then we start to view ourselves and each other as "food on the hoof" or "beasts of burden". There may be a few naturally endowed or gifted ones who will wind up as someone's "pampered pet" but how is that celebrating our humanity?

It is to me a sign of this very rot you are want to describe. It has moved into our leadership...just like Ancient Rome.

We know how Rome fell and America bears a close resemblance to that ancient empire. We were founded on Greek philosophy, Hebrew religion and Roman politics. We are repeating history.

There is a type of very sick circular reasoning in this ability to consume....and ostracize if one cannot consume. It causes something to be missing ..something we are supposed to have as Americans. And that is freedom and liberty to say no...to reject this dogma...this religion if you like.

This is a type of seduction and coercion and it is not of Liberty and Freedom. That is what is missing. It is of feudalism and a royal class.

All the "isms" we argue over are arbitrary divisors. Right wing, left wing. The eagle has flown the coup so it doesn't matter which wing we're on! Fat, skinny, rich, poor, middle class, upper class, youngster, elderly.....we're PEOPLE. First and foremost we are all of the family of man. We're all on the same sinking boat and arguing about who has the better seat or who will be the best dressed corpse makes no sense to me. The very concept that one human being is innately better than another by right of birth is THE GREAT LIE we've all bought into to one degree or another.

I owe no one anything but the humanity I "choose" to share with them. My choice not theirs. Not by guilt politics or default settings to play through on the RISKS of others.

This is the lesson I feel we must all learn or perish. When I hear people scream "Wake Up!", I wonder if this is what they mean because until we wake up to this most basic fact of our humanity; the very defining of humanity, none of us will every truly be "awake". Any progress or forward development must first stem from this basic premise.

[edit on 16-10-2009 by whitewave]

Very interesting thread, Whitewave. It initially caught my eye because that is my profession's "title" - Human Resources. After working in the medical field for many years I decided to switch careers, isolate the management part into one specific field, HR, which I was doing anyway but HR in particular interests me far more.

I admit I never stopped to think about that title in quite the way you're written about, but my job is to solve personality clashes and other issues in the workplace, and I take that work very seriously, it means a great deal to me to help lift people up and potentially turn their way of thinking around so the end result is a more positive work environment.

First of all, to understand what I mean by that you have to understand that I try to live my life under the "golden rule" aka ethic of reciprocity. I believe in treating people how I would wish to be treated, and try to instill this mentality in others, and this is the foundation for how I resolve the majority of the HR situations I have come across. It is such a basic, simple way of turning things around but with rare exceptions it usually works.

So while the term "Human Resources" may seem similar to "you're just a number", bear with me while I explain what my "HR" job entails.

I believe that the majority of people have tremendous potential when given enough positivity. I think that the negative charge the world is facing has been significantly increasing over the years at about the same pace as our technological advances. People are so used to all the latest gadgets that they've forgotten simple kindnesses. Even the gadgets (television, video games, etc.) are full of negativity and inhumanity. I compare my grandparents' reminiscences of "the way things used to be" to the environment my teenage daughter is growing up in and it's like night and day.

I believe, as you do, that one-on-one positive interaction goes a very long way. I believe that if people are exposed to acts of kindness, empathy and simple positive gestures that the negativity can be ultimately turned around, or hopefully at least "switched off" long enough to make them think. People want a spark, they are looking for hope.

Any time I'm asked to consult with a company that's having HR issues the first topic we discuss is the principles behind the "golden rule". (People learned it in kindergarten, but over years of negativity they have let it fall to the wayside.) People want to be reminded of it, most people are inherently good and they want things to be better. Most of us yearn to be positive people but for some that hope is buried deeper than in others.

If I can have a conversation with someone, and get them to realize that they alone are responsible for their own happiness, to attain that happiness, and to consistently encourage them and then promote the "pay it forward" thought process, so to speak, and keep on doing that with person after person then that makes me feel like I've accomplished something significant. If I can compliment someone on a job well done, and encourage them to do the same to other people on the job, and keep on spreading the positive interaction with each other then maybe they'll take it off the work site to their families and friends. I'm not Miss Rainbow Brite ( ) by any means but the truth is we all have it in us to put forth kindness on some level every day, to someone who most likely will appreciate it.

I had a lady I worked with who was initially one of the more selfish and abrupt people I've dealt with. After conversations with her I found out her life had been awful. It was a defense mechanism. Understanding and communication usually works. Most people absolutely do react to positivity, to compliments, to offers of friendly assistance. They just may grumble at first because positivity may have been absent from their life for a long time. It took a while working with this woman and one day I walked in and she initiated a "good morning" to me (something I always had to say first) and complimented me on my dress. She offered to help more often, unsolicited, she changed quite a bit for the better. People have bad moments, we're all human, but it's my opinion that people innately want to be happy. (Really, I didn't drink the Kool-aid. )

Another instance, not work related: My daughter and I went to the grocery store and a lady was behind us in the checkout line, she was disabled in a motorized cart with a bunch of groceries in the basket in front of her. My daughter asked her if she could help her put her groceries onto the conveyor belt and the lady said "my goodness, thank you, it's so rare that anyone offers to help". Why? Why do people not offer to help? It's a basic, simple courtesy that gives the recipient a blast of positivity and good will. It's too bad people can't make it a point to just do or say one nice thing to someone every day. To your family members, friends, strangers, start now. Let's improve the positive consciousness of humanity.

People need to slow down and take the time to see, really see, each other. When you "open your eyes" you'll see that there are people out there, surly or curmudgeonly or seemingly blunt or abrupt or what have you, who are not-so-deep-down great people who just want to see a little of that spark of hope.

reply to post by Orion65


I, too, worked in the healthcare industry for many years and changed careers. Initially, HR was called "personnel" which sounds more personal and less dehumanizing than referring to humans as "resources".

What a wonderful opportunity you have to positively affect your co-workers lives. I think we all have opportunities throughout our day whether we exercise them or not. Unfortunately, without a basic understanding of why we respond to situations and people the way we do and how we are being manipulated to degrade our view of ourselves and others, some of us will constantly need to remind others to "behave".

Years ago I noticed this trend in people that I dubbed "energy vampires". They instinctively gravitated toward people with kind hearts and generous natures and sucked them dry until their victims were burned out shells of bitterness and regret. These were people who took no responsibility for their own actions and expected that there would always be some kind person to bail them out. By such actions, they unwittingly make converts to their cause and create another energy vampire who will see the benefit in using others as human resources.

In my grandmother's time it was unheard of to EXPECT help from any source. There were crippled and disabled persons back then, elderly that were taken care of by their families and communities (churches) and resorting to begging was the absolute lowest a person could sink. If you saw someone in need you discreetly gave to them or provided an opportunity for them to earn their upkeep so as to not insult their human dignity. If some charitable person gave a less fortunate neighbor help with the intention of showing how "good" they were, it was a horrible embarrassment to the one receiving the help. People were reduced to tears to think they would be treated so "charitably". Many were actually insulted to consider that their kind hearted neighbor had been reduced to becoming a human resource on their behalf.

My! How things have changed! Now, we expect not only the goods and labors of our neighbors but their very souls. We are all endowed with a certain amount of inner fortitude in which we draw strength to face our days and even this is being extracted. We require people to "tell all", show all, expose their every emotion for our scrutiny and often our criticism. If we keep to ourselves, mind our own business then we're viewed as "secretive", "loners", "probably a terrorist or up to no good". My business, my thoughts, my reasons for doing things are not for public consumption.

Nothing is considered "sacred". I hear men and women speaking openly in public about their sex lives. Sometimes to total strangers. This is astounding to me. Have they sold or given away so much of their character that they would even auction off the memories of their highest values? Since there can be no possible benefit to the person telling or the one being told, I can only assume it is to display all of one's "wares" in order to attract "buyers". I don't think these people realize that they have become a human resource and automatically assume that everyone else is too.

Such an attitude affects every decision we make, everything we do, every belief we embrace. To step down from our lofty position as human beings into the cesspool of human resources corrupts everything touched by such a violation of our humanity.

Even what humanity and values we have left are being manipulated for the benefit of someone else's greed. When I see recruitment posters encouraging men of honor to "fight for their country" I feel a brief surge of pride to think that it is appealing to men of honor and courage who would indeed stand firm against oppression and tyranny of their fellow men. The brief moment passes and I'm reminded that our country is a corporation and the human commodity of honor and courage is being exploited to increase the profits of the corporation. A noble thing has been turned into something very unpalatable.

Women seem particularly prone to this type of seduction. We are constantly bombarded with advertisements telling us we're not quite adequate as human beings and need to re-invent ourselves as something completely different in order to be acceptable. Our apparel is out of date, our skin is bland, we smell bad; we have dust bunnies accusing us of inadequacy as homemakers. Other women reinforce the condemnation and the individual woman must conform to the group of brainwashed women in order to even survive in the workplace. Men, too have become "true believers" in the notion that women are inadequate unless conforming to the
ever changing "norm". If women want to remain marketable to the male "buyers" they must enter the fierce fray of vicious competition.

Men are not immune to the tricks of the advertising guru. In order to become a competitive buyer in this vast market of available "goods" (women), they must be the highest bidder. They must produce, labor, spend, spend, spend.

Those of us stepping off the hamster wheel stand in amazement at the actions that bear no resemblance to one human being interacting with another. Dating and interpersonal relationships have taken on the look and feel of a corporate merger with contracts, early withdrawal penalties, loss of assets, hostile take-overs, etc.

Where is the "oneness"; the mutuality; the respect; the building up together? It's been eradicated because there is no "group" profit in it, only profit to the involved individuals as human beings. Such behavior benefits and exalts their individual human status. Strong family units do indirectly benefit the community but the community has a blood lust for instant gratification.

We WANT to see the neighbors fighting on the lawn. It's better than pay-per-view. We WANT to see that 9 car pile up on the highway. It's better than ring-side seats at the circus. We WANT the dark side of human nature to show through at every opportunity so that we can lower our own personal bar a little because being a decent human being takes work. It's just easier if we're all reduced to the lowest common denominator and quit trying to achieve our full potential as human beings.

This planet needs good stewards. It will degrade into chaos without us. Human beings give meaning to the entire world. If we degrade ourselves into the level of mere animal status we'll still need stewards but we will no longer be in control of our own fate. Those who know how to masterfully manipulate us into degrading our own humanity will be in control.

Let us take back our birthright! Let us stand and shout, "I AM A HUMAN BEING!, I am NOT a number or piece of merchandise! I will NOT be counted among the king's assets! I am sovereign! I serve NO man!"

reply to post by whitewave


White Wave,

Maybe we're working off of different definitions but I wouldn't define it as diversity so much as political correctness.

Diversity is morphing into political correctness..first you have to get people by guilt and victimization conditioning to believe in diversity before you switch to the real agenda of political correctness and all the baggage which will accompany....which is what we see happening around us and the main content of this thread.

E pluribus unum..Out of many one

The problem of which we are speaking is that someone seems to want diversity while not tolerating the many or the individual/one. Only the authorized paradigm is tolerated. Mob mentality..as long as it is the controlled mob mentality.

I was taught, when coming up, that the purpose of government is to protect the rights of the individual against the many. Individual liberty.
We now have government dividing the people, both in the body politic and in the public school system, against the individual unless they fit the authorized template.

Diversity and political correctness..neither template/paradigm speak about the RISKS to accomplish this. Who will RISK for it.

Diversity has become division...by entitlement thinking and politics. Victimization and guilt politics. It is not become inner development to unify a people spiritually. I for one ...question the spirit behind it...along with its motives.

Now, it seems that everyone has jumped on the bandwagon and is competing with one another to see who can degrade themselves the lowest (who is most marketable), who is able to obtain the highest bidder (Ever watched an episode of 'Girls Gone Wild'?) The more outrageous the behavior, the more valued the outrageous one becomes.

Who is the most marketable...Wow!! Agree here. "As to girls gone wild" agree again White Wave.

I enjoy the female form as much as the next male out here but prefer it in privacy and not plastered across the big screen or out in public as a symbol of greatness or marketability. I am very dubious about any standard which comes out of hollywood or the music industry to be mimicked by those who dont think outside of their own ego and or consumption needs. Hence I am not keen on MTV or VH1 and much of what they are marketing. Even the country video circuit is following much of the same pattern/template today.

I heard some young women (20's) verbally patting each other on the back for having chastised a nemesis. By their rude, disrespectful and vulgar outpourings, they placed themselves on a pedestal they called "courage".

I know Whitewave. I remember seeing this poster everywhere I went called "Hanna Montanna." So one evening I turned on the boob tube and out of curiosity when running across this program I decided to watch it. It lasted about ten minutes. What was disappointing about it is that it seemed to follow the template of which I quoteed you above. I then used the remote to go elsewhere. The self promoting I mean. Not so much vulgar..though I consider certain self promotion done in a certain manner to be vulgar as well. I certainly dont consider it to be excellence.

Loutish behavior has become the new standard of excellence. If you can belittle, humiliate or insult someone in a spectacularly abrasive manner, you have shown your skills (all skills are marketable) and thereby proven your worth (increased your market value). Those refusing to participate in such behavior are "marked down" in value.

Agree here again. This is why I dont watch sitcoms. Nor this cartoon process called "Simpsons" or is it called "Family Guy" or are they the same program? They must be as I find them unpalatable. Nonetheless I dont watch them. Once again I tried to watch one evening and quickly used my remote to find something I considered to be of more substance.

Monkey see monkey do!! Perhapsed the olde folks were not that far off the mark.

What is particularly insidious with this concept of risk is that the stakes have become much higher than any of us could have imagined. We are risking our very humanity; our "divinity", if you will. The crowning of creation is being reduced to the rank of mere animal.

Most definitely agree here Whitewave. However I would like to enter here a proviso to this. I do not agree with a social engiineer, educator, or politician dictating to me the terms of my humanity...especially by Guilt/Victim Dictum or political correctness/diversity religious dogmas. I wil decide this for myself thank you. I am not interested in this kind of mob mentality.

[/]There was a time when we held human beings to a higher standard than animals but no more.

Indeed ..indeed Whitewave. As I am often quoting about...."Wildlife in its natural habitat." This is what many of us have become and try to pass this off as excellence or the moral high ground.

arguing about who has the better seat or who will be the best dressed corpse makes no sense to me.

Noted Whitewave. Agree once again. Well said...Well said.

Gotta go now..things to do and get done here.

Thanks,
Orangetom