Maybe I’m shallow or maybe your primitive thinking leads us to retrogression.
Call me shallow or ‘know-it-all’ silly girl.
But i can post whatever i want in this blog and i would like to write a mini speech or article or whatever you wanna call it, about primitive thinking which revolves around childish discrimination and false hierarchy that is happening in my country Indonesia. Initially i thought this is only a concern for the kids and teenage age group, but it turns out even adults ridiculously practice these ideas too! I feel like this issue is already part of our culture and the unspeakable truth that probably most Indonesian would agree on, it is ethically incorrect but socially acceptable.
Let me tell you several reasons why I’m writing this. First is because the mother of my brother’s friend. She forbid one kid to go with their senior trip just because he isn’t in the same class and made a HUGE deal out of it. I can totally agree with that and would probably be on her side, HOWEVER it turns out that there are other parents bringing their children as well to come on the trip (meaning not in the same class). I met the kid and i felt pity, not to him but instead to the kid who invited him. He was completely isolated. It was ridiculous as the woman claimed that “[she] will not go to the trip if the boy is going” and guess what? HELL i met her yesterday. I’m telling you very briefly but yeah basically its ridiculous, he is just a fucking kid and she is being all nosy as if the fucking trip is her’s. Now i feel pity for the boy, he is a BOY okay, didn’t even reach puberty yet. She is what 80? jokes. 30 something probably, GROW UP MA’AM.
The second reason I’m writing this is because i found out that even in the most well known universities in Indonesia, the hierarchy of seniors and juniors still applies. they have to walk and small bow/nod when they meet their seniors and are discriminated (e.g. needs to wear unnecessary attributes daily). I mean this is completely ridiculous they are in University, adults, shouldn’t they grow up? and when a girl was asked why she agrees on doing this to the juniors she replied “oh we have to teach them to be respectful, cus the hierarchy will still be there later on your career life” !@#$%^&*()*^$#$&* dafaaaq? No wonder its really hard to get good job or make your career cus the idea is still there isn’t it? The old ones know better? and youngsters are seen with ‘half-an-eye’?
Well thats why maybe you can call me a young, silly, “thinks she knows it all” girl. Or i can say your primitive thinking leads to our country’s slow development and even cultural retrogression.
This is what i would like to say to those people.
“Of course to a certain extent or actually, i almost completely believe, that as you grow older you know better but that doesn’t give you the right to suppress the youngster and make them feel inferior to you. I completely agree that they do need to have a certain respect, but once you are an adult, i really think those training or wtv you have is irrelevant. Obviously they know they need to be respectful and not like they would spit on your face. Especially you are in university - top university - indicating that you are an intellectual person and therefore should be more open minded as you are the leaders of future generations. You may not realize but pressuring them will lead to lack of innovation and motivation for the future of our country. Even my self personally, and i know many of my friends here in overseas, do not want to go back as we think the hierarchy is too great and to over come it will be a waste of effort. The original ideas and useful suggestions of youngsters may not even be acknowledge due to the superiority people wants to feel above others.
As for the first case with the lady, i am very upset to finally realize that these ideas are already a part of us. It is the unstated concept but present - almost like a bone - a foundation of our culture. The saddest thing is i have always thought that people found the ideas from their friends or other secondary influences, but no, instead it is implanted by the mother who should be giving good examples. This is a personal disappointment i have to this lady, not all the mothers. I want to ask her why does she have to do such things? poor boy is isolated - to a certain extent -because she made a huge deal out of it and influenced the kids. If this is actually happening all over Indonesia, i am highly convinced it will be one of the major cultural cause that leads us to our country’s slower development. We need to remember that in order to move forward, we need to not only take account of the material matters (financial) but also the social and cultural conditions too.”
My sincere apology if anyone feels offended and the over generalization.
