Recent headlines:
World: Food industry warns Gove on Brexit ‘crisis‘ (I’m sure this will age well)
Gaming: Titanfall Battle Royale Apex Legends hits 10 million players in just 72 hours (Yeah, I’m one of ’em)
All views expressed in this blog post, on this blog, or anywhere else on the internet by me are my own and do not reflect that of my employer. Though I’d be a little concerned if you took the time to figure out who that was.
My boss sat us down the other day and discussed the possible (see: impending) job cuts that another sector of the business is facing. For reference, my boss is – from what I can tell – an empathetic man who legitimately cares about his employees, and actually loves his job. He spoke at length about the initial resentment that many will feel, but that by making this decision the company is sparing the jobs of a larger majority by continuing to make money, as opposed to struggling by with the current system. It’s a cold-hearted choice that treats people as figures, but it’s one that ensures the majority of people keep their jobs.
It’s left a bad taste in my mouth. It’s that old moral dilemma which asks you whether you’d kill a thousand to save a million, one of those questions that has no correct answer. On one hand, I understand where management are coming from, as employment of pragmatism suggests that their logic makes sense. On the other hand, the people who make these decisions have never worked with the people they’re treating as simple numbers before; they’ve likely never faced the threat of redundancy and sudden financial insecurity, with little opportunity ahead of them. They probably can’t be trusted to treat this decision with the weight it deserves and to prioritise this as a final option, before all else. And besides, I’m not one of the people who’s jobs is on the line, so whenever I entertain the pragmatic line of thought I’m reminded that I have the privilege of doing so, and that undoubtedly skews that side of this internal debate I’m having.
At the end of the day, though, I don’t have a say in the matter, as I’m as powerless in the corporation’s decision-making as I am in my government’s; more so, as I don’t get my one drop-in-the-bucket vote. It’s just another reminder that as an everyday Joe, I’m subjected to the wills and whims of people who wield powers of office or wealth in this society. I’m not about to preach communism or some other failed idea, or claim I have another answer, but today’s democracy sure isn’t as final a solution as history makes it out to be. I doubt the world that future Kristian lives in is any farther along with that problem.
It’s not all politics and business this week, though. I’ve left room for some concerns of vanity!
This past week I got a haircut. Anyone who knows me knows that my usual status quo regarding my cranial mop is to let it grow far too long, and then chop it all off and start from grade 3. At least, I thought they knew that, but for the first time in my life I’ve been met with constant – constant comments about this apparently startling difference. None of these comments have harmful intent, and while they initially bothered me I have come to accept that they’re going to happen. But everyone has their insecurities, and mine is my hair… something I’m certainly not going to regret revealing online! I’m now caught in this awkward middle ground where I don’t want to try out a new hairstyle because it might look stupid, but clearly I can’t get away with my usual grade 3 every few months anymore. So hey, maybe at the time of publication I’ve sucked up my neuroses and finally tried something different. Given the current rate of change in my life, though, future Kristian is probably sat here reading this and wincing as he considers how he has once again repeated past mistakes.
Don’t worry, future Kristian. Whether you’re powerless to change your country or your workplace, you’re never powerless to change your own way of life.
Further reading:
The Weekly Deathmatch #42 – Destiny 2 – There’s Too Much Videogame
Perpetually Perturbed 