From March 20, 1990.
This morning on National Public Radio (NPR), I heard a piece centered on industrial phsychology and its attempt to identify the strengths and weaknesses of individual employees, and to match the employee to the job to enhance productivity.
The admission has been made that certain people are good at one thing but not at another. This is in contradistinction to the 70's and 80's claim that "you can be what you want to be.' Probably, this reaches even into the 50's and 60's for in my own memory the truism is what guided many of us into our chosen paths and certainly kept us to them - once begun. This new attitude is a window in a larger screen. For example, "We can tame and control nature to our own ends." This, a familiar cry from decades past, has been abandoned. For women in the 80's, "You can have it all," have realized that choices must be made. Having it all is not possible.
The new attitude (actually ancient) is: "All things in moderation." We can do what we can but not what we can't. It is possible this is the process of global human maturing. Even Marxism has been declared dead - though not really. Marxism, a form of Utopianism, is the opium of youth. A new political philosophy, no matter how beautifully it resonances, cannot work by strength of will alone.
In twenty years since, we see the resurgence of Marxism, the diminution of Capitalism, and wide beliefs that government can be the caretaker of all. Well, you want a caretaker, then you must obey caretaker rules - for the greater good or bad. The call to tame the world has been replaced by "maybe we've tamed too much."
This morning on National Public Radio (NPR), I heard a piece centered on industrial phsychology and its attempt to identify the strengths and weaknesses of individual employees, and to match the employee to the job to enhance productivity.
The admission has been made that certain people are good at one thing but not at another. This is in contradistinction to the 70's and 80's claim that "you can be what you want to be.' Probably, this reaches even into the 50's and 60's for in my own memory the truism is what guided many of us into our chosen paths and certainly kept us to them - once begun. This new attitude is a window in a larger screen. For example, "We can tame and control nature to our own ends." This, a familiar cry from decades past, has been abandoned. For women in the 80's, "You can have it all," have realized that choices must be made. Having it all is not possible.
The new attitude (actually ancient) is: "All things in moderation." We can do what we can but not what we can't. It is possible this is the process of global human maturing. Even Marxism has been declared dead - though not really. Marxism, a form of Utopianism, is the opium of youth. A new political philosophy, no matter how beautifully it resonances, cannot work by strength of will alone.
In twenty years since, we see the resurgence of Marxism, the diminution of Capitalism, and wide beliefs that government can be the caretaker of all. Well, you want a caretaker, then you must obey caretaker rules - for the greater good or bad. The call to tame the world has been replaced by "maybe we've tamed too much."
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