I have never really talked about cooperative efforts like working together. "All must work together for the common good". "Everyone needs to get along" is different. Working together or cooperatively is an overrated,big giant pile of camel dung. Everything does work together for an uncommon outcome. Who are we to judge any pre actions from a resultant outcome. Maybe the final event is not about you. Maybe your part was ten minutes before the end of the world. Is it possible that ten years from now there will be peace in the valley?
One single person's opinion can scuttle a cruise ship on to the reef so ten people working together can sink that tub in an hour. Cooperation can and usual does lead to crowd mentality. Working together usually means that one person is sweating, smashing fingers and twisting that wrench and at least three others are commenting, watching and judging the final connection.
I am not talking about authoritarianism or bullies or fascists. If everyone is doing the "correct" thing as dictated by the rules and the conventions of normality, each individual can do whatever the hell he/she wants. If Charlie wants to have sex with a pit bull and he survives then he can still be part of the club as long and he can do his job. His behavior would not be appropriate for sure if he was a veterinarian or a FedEx delivery guy. He just would not get anything done. I am not just talking about individualism as a tenant of a healthy society. I am saying "Mostly, at work, I want to be told what to do and everywhere else please ask me what to do and then leave me the freak alone". I know what to do and how to do it. I have learned how to ask for help at the appropriate time and to report any delays. Some would say this is working together or cooperating. I laugh and say, "Shut your mouth and that sucking sound with stop." Does that sound like a cooperative effort? I did not think so either.
I have worked alone or more accurately independently for most of my life. My older brother was "sensitive" and a thinker while my little brother was just little. My sisters did not like me much so most projects I did on my own. Dad would say, "Ok, we have to clean the house. Girls, get the mops, Boys, you wash the windows and Matt (he used my name to distinguish me from boys I guess), you go cut the grass with a pair of scissors and watch out for the neighbor's pit bull, it seems a little testy since the vet visit." At work the boss would say, one of the vice president of keeping you employed wants a tour, Bruce, you and Marc show him the Exploration Station, Liz, you and Nancy show him the labs, Matt you stay in your office with the door close so he does not ask you any questions. If you have nothing to do, go home early!" I am very used to working independently.
In most countries, people of differences work independently and accomplish great communal goals without anyone telling them to do so. I wish I had a bagel for ever time I have attended a "diversity workshop" celebrating Native American Indian diversity. I get to the conference and everyone but me has red skin and black hair. I attended an IRA/Chechnya/Arabian Cooperative mixer. Not only was I the only blond haired guy in there, I was the only one that did not bring a serious explosive device. In spite of that, the dancing and the finger food was terrific. I used to work with a guy that I was not allowed to talk to. I would just leave him messages on a 3 inch by 5 inch card and he would do it. I actually slipped them under the door some times. Funny thing about him, he ran the beer booth at the Catholic Fair every year. I gave him a 3X5 card that said, "three beers please". He gave me free beer for the next several years. I think he is dead now He was not very cooperative and worked in solitude. He taught me a bunch of stuff. He had a great saying about history and things that happened in the past. "So What? You can still do what you want". People would say, "Joe, you can not do it that way. Safety will not approve it." He would say, "So what, I am doing it." He would do it and sometimes but not very often, those "no people" would come and dismantle or turn off his contraptions. He would change the locks on his office door and put up his "fumigation in progress" sign. I would just slip my card requests under his door. I tear up when I think of him.
If we want to be a great people, we must be as individual as we can non violently be individual.
One single person's opinion can scuttle a cruise ship on to the reef so ten people working together can sink that tub in an hour. Cooperation can and usual does lead to crowd mentality. Working together usually means that one person is sweating, smashing fingers and twisting that wrench and at least three others are commenting, watching and judging the final connection.
I am not talking about authoritarianism or bullies or fascists. If everyone is doing the "correct" thing as dictated by the rules and the conventions of normality, each individual can do whatever the hell he/she wants. If Charlie wants to have sex with a pit bull and he survives then he can still be part of the club as long and he can do his job. His behavior would not be appropriate for sure if he was a veterinarian or a FedEx delivery guy. He just would not get anything done. I am not just talking about individualism as a tenant of a healthy society. I am saying "Mostly, at work, I want to be told what to do and everywhere else please ask me what to do and then leave me the freak alone". I know what to do and how to do it. I have learned how to ask for help at the appropriate time and to report any delays. Some would say this is working together or cooperating. I laugh and say, "Shut your mouth and that sucking sound with stop." Does that sound like a cooperative effort? I did not think so either.
I have worked alone or more accurately independently for most of my life. My older brother was "sensitive" and a thinker while my little brother was just little. My sisters did not like me much so most projects I did on my own. Dad would say, "Ok, we have to clean the house. Girls, get the mops, Boys, you wash the windows and Matt (he used my name to distinguish me from boys I guess), you go cut the grass with a pair of scissors and watch out for the neighbor's pit bull, it seems a little testy since the vet visit." At work the boss would say, one of the vice president of keeping you employed wants a tour, Bruce, you and Marc show him the Exploration Station, Liz, you and Nancy show him the labs, Matt you stay in your office with the door close so he does not ask you any questions. If you have nothing to do, go home early!" I am very used to working independently.
In most countries, people of differences work independently and accomplish great communal goals without anyone telling them to do so. I wish I had a bagel for ever time I have attended a "diversity workshop" celebrating Native American Indian diversity. I get to the conference and everyone but me has red skin and black hair. I attended an IRA/Chechnya/Arabian Cooperative mixer. Not only was I the only blond haired guy in there, I was the only one that did not bring a serious explosive device. In spite of that, the dancing and the finger food was terrific. I used to work with a guy that I was not allowed to talk to. I would just leave him messages on a 3 inch by 5 inch card and he would do it. I actually slipped them under the door some times. Funny thing about him, he ran the beer booth at the Catholic Fair every year. I gave him a 3X5 card that said, "three beers please". He gave me free beer for the next several years. I think he is dead now He was not very cooperative and worked in solitude. He taught me a bunch of stuff. He had a great saying about history and things that happened in the past. "So What? You can still do what you want". People would say, "Joe, you can not do it that way. Safety will not approve it." He would say, "So what, I am doing it." He would do it and sometimes but not very often, those "no people" would come and dismantle or turn off his contraptions. He would change the locks on his office door and put up his "fumigation in progress" sign. I would just slip my card requests under his door. I tear up when I think of him.
If we want to be a great people, we must be as individual as we can non violently be individual.
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