How should we judge a government?

In Malaysia, if you don't watch television or read newspapers, you are uninformed; but if you do, you are misinformed!

"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." - Malcolm X

Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience - Mark Twain

Why we should be against censorship in a court of law: Publicity is the very soul of justice … it keeps the judge himself, while trying, under trial. - Jeremy Bentham

"Our government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no
responsibility at the other. " - Ronald Reagan

Government fed by the people

Government fed by the people

Career options

Career options
I suggest government... because nobody has ever been caught.

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?
Corruption is so prevalent it affects English language?

When there's too much dirt...

When there's too much dirt...
We need better tools... to cover up mega corruptions.

Prevent bullying now!

Prevent bullying now!
If you're not going to speak up, how is the world supposed to know you exist? “Orang boleh pandai setinggi langit, tapi selama ia tidak menulis, ia akan hilang di dalam masyarakat dan dari sejarah.” - Ananta Prameodya Toer (Your intellect may soar to the sky but if you do not write, you will be lost from society and to history.)

Monday, September 20, 2010

Think out of the Box

Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a female village moneylender. The female village moneylender was old, fat and ugly, fancied the farmer's handsome son, Cliff.

So she proposed a bargain. She said she would forgo the farmer's debt if she could marry his son. Both the farmer and his son were horrified by the proposal.

The cunning female moneylender suggested that they let Providence decide the matter. She told them that she would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty moneybag. Then the son would have to pick one pebble from the bag.

If he picked the black pebble he would become her husband and his father's debt would be forgiven. If he picked the white pebble he need not marry her and his father's debt would still be forgiven. But if he refused to pick a pebble, his father would be thrown into jail.

They were standing on a pebble-strewn path in the farmer's field. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As she picked them up, the sharp-eyed son noticed that she had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. She then asked the son to pick a pebble from the bag.

What would you have done if you were the son? If you were to advise him, what would you have told him?

Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

The son should refuse to take a pebble.
The son should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the moneylender as a lying, backstabbing female cheat.
The son should pick a black pebble and sacrifice himself in order to save his father from his debt and imprisonment.

Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking.

The son's dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if he chooses the above logical answers.

Well, here is what he did...

The son put his hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, he fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.

"Oh, how clumsy of me," he said. "But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left. you will be able to tell which pebble I picked."

Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that he had picked the white one. And since the moneylender dared not admit her dishonesty, the son changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.

Moral of the story:

Most complex problems do have solutions. It is only that we don't attempt to think. A man is but a product of his thoughts.

(Story by M.K. Gandhi)

I have heard of local moneylenders who prefer to waive debts lent to pretty women for sex. Just one of many unscrupulous practices by people who tasted the power of money.
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