Sunday, August 20, 2006

Majority Wins?

Many times, when a vote is to be taken, we play by the rule “majority wins”. I like the rule somewhat, as things get done quite swiftly. I mean, the minority has to accept the fact and to also comply with the views of the majority, no matter how much they don’t believe in it.

However, lately I sense a “danger” in this game, if it is not taken in the right spirit.

I ask myself :

Okay, when they say “majority wins”, what did they “win” actually?

Almost along the same line of thought…

Does it mean that when our ideas are voted by the majority, then we are necessarily more correct, more sensible?
We know this is not always the case.

究竟是『志同道合』还是『臭气相投』呢?

When “majority wins”, does it really reflects the view of the majority?
We know quite well, how many people do things. Many people (particularly those who had voted in the majority) may just be following blindly. Or, many people may just be taking the seemingly “safest” path, making the “safest” decision, or they are basically being swayed. As an illustration, not everyone can participate in active, meaningful political discussion, yet everyone needs to vote for his favourite party during an election. Which party will he vote for? Are they “afraid” of the consequence(s) for voting against a certain party? Okay, something even more extreme, I so believe that most (if not all) of the suicide bombers cannot participate in any meaningful religion-related debate effectively, yet they buy in the idea of their leaders and willingly sacrificed themselves.

Never mind let those ideas past. Actually, I am more interested in the following.

Does anyone listen to the views of the minority; understand why they disagree in the first place?
Would we like the situation to be like :
Let’s put this to a vote.
Okay, 9 for, 1 against. Case closed. The decision is taken. Heh..

Have you ever in the shoe of the minority and were suppressed? How you actually felt?

I think I have to learn to at least ask even the only one who had voted against (me). Ask him why he disagrees and would be patient enough to listen to his case. For what I know, he may be more right. This to me, is demonstration of respect for each other
. In other words, we hear each other out and fine-tune the proposal accordingly.



~ ~ Majority are Drinking ~ ~
Yes, majority of them are drinking by the river. Did they notice a few of them who simply refuse to get near the water? Are the miniority being silly? Are the majority blind to the threat of some crocodiles nearby?

Of course, I know getting 100% consensus is near impossible in real life. You know in some ministries, I was told, as long as there are 30% consensus, the plan will be rolled out. Did you recall anything about SAT? It was rolled out rather hastily (amidst plenty non-supporters) and was scrapped even before it was effectively put into its primarily use – University enrolment. Haha..

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有一位圣者这么说:

做一件事情,最怕的是有始无终。

做事
不怕没有经费,只怕没有志向。
不怕没有人才,只怕没有智慧。
不怕没有时间,只怕没有恒心。

世间上最可怜的人,是不想接受他人的劝谏,也没有人会劝谏他,执迷不悟,以苦为乐,自坠陷于陷阱之中,而不知不觉。

你们想做这样的人吗?

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