They say
Jon has long held that my classroom humor is akin to that of Conan O'Brien: nerdy, hyper-reflexive, and self-deprecating. I reckon that it's a defense mechanism; I prefer laughing at myself before others can laugh at me. To be sure, I've always been afraid of public opinion about me. I imagine there would be many great intellectuals who would tell me off for caring too much about it. The list might include:
WOODROW WILSON: who doesn't think much of the public opinion of those that he calls The Great Unwashed
JOSEPH SCHUMPETER: who thinks that public opinion is nothing more than an indeterminate bundle of vague impulses loosely playing about given slogans and mistaken impressions
ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE: who thinks that public opinion only results to a tyranny of the majority
Perhaps, there's a grain of truth to their dismissal of public opinion. After all, there are plenty of instances that prove how unreliable it can be. Examples abound. Like the fact that we voted for Erap. And his son. And then his wife. Or the fact that Americans voted for Bush. Not once, but twice! Inevitably, I've had my fair share of encountering off-the-mark opinions about me. I think the most widely-circulated of these would be the notion that I'm gay. Exhibit A, the mean comment of my ex's aunt on my ex's Facebook account:
Such insensitivity really saddens me on many levels. But, I've grown weary of counter-arguing. I have nothing against being gay, but once and for all, that is not my gender preference. Those who have ears to hear, let them hear!!! So there.
Meanwhile, the worst opinion that my relatives have of me is that t I am the resident spoiled brat (aka coñotic Atenista) of the family. In fact, almost all of them dread picking me during exchange gifts because they think that only expensive, branded stuff will make me happy. Erm...I'm a teacher. I can't afford to be coño! 168 Mall, Greenhills Tiangge, SM Department Store...they're all my friends. Seriously.
However problematic public opinion is though, it is a reaction to something that people actually experience. For instance, we can look at how the highs and lows of public satisfaction of our contemporary presidents roughly correspond to significant political events during their terms:
So, it must be that there are some things about me that mistakenly signal to others that I'm gay. Like the fact that I found myself writing an interview piece for Icon magazine (Jon, I shall never forgive you for this! :p). Or, as my Mom once pointed out, I had a red laptop bag (which, as a result, I never use anymore. Haha!). In the same manner, it might be that I'm still perceived as the family spoiled brat because I actually was one...before I found out how difficult it was to earn a living.
Beyond the question of accuracy though, the reason why I cannot help but be concerned about public opinion is that, whether it is right or wrong, it has real world effects. Because we thought Erap was president material, we gave him the chance to plunder our country. Because Americans thought the same of Bush, they gave him the chance to screw up the whole world. Because people around me misread me, I become more neurotic.
Clearly then, the adage that goes "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" is false. Public opinion matters not because it is right, but because it makes an impact on the lives of people. Which is why we--me included, of course--need to be more ethical in the way we construct social consensus (a la Habermas) and dissensus (a la Mouffe) not only of big public issues, but also of the others around us.
WOODROW WILSON: who doesn't think much of the public opinion of those that he calls The Great Unwashed
JOSEPH SCHUMPETER: who thinks that public opinion is nothing more than an indeterminate bundle of vague impulses loosely playing about given slogans and mistaken impressions
ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE: who thinks that public opinion only results to a tyranny of the majority
Perhaps, there's a grain of truth to their dismissal of public opinion. After all, there are plenty of instances that prove how unreliable it can be. Examples abound. Like the fact that we voted for Erap. And his son. And then his wife. Or the fact that Americans voted for Bush. Not once, but twice! Inevitably, I've had my fair share of encountering off-the-mark opinions about me. I think the most widely-circulated of these would be the notion that I'm gay. Exhibit A, the mean comment of my ex's aunt on my ex's Facebook account:
Such insensitivity really saddens me on many levels. But, I've grown weary of counter-arguing. I have nothing against being gay, but once and for all, that is not my gender preference. Those who have ears to hear, let them hear!!! So there.
Meanwhile, the worst opinion that my relatives have of me is that t I am the resident spoiled brat (aka coñotic Atenista) of the family. In fact, almost all of them dread picking me during exchange gifts because they think that only expensive, branded stuff will make me happy. Erm...I'm a teacher. I can't afford to be coño! 168 Mall, Greenhills Tiangge, SM Department Store...they're all my friends. Seriously.
However problematic public opinion is though, it is a reaction to something that people actually experience. For instance, we can look at how the highs and lows of public satisfaction of our contemporary presidents roughly correspond to significant political events during their terms:
So, it must be that there are some things about me that mistakenly signal to others that I'm gay. Like the fact that I found myself writing an interview piece for Icon magazine (Jon, I shall never forgive you for this! :p). Or, as my Mom once pointed out, I had a red laptop bag (which, as a result, I never use anymore. Haha!). In the same manner, it might be that I'm still perceived as the family spoiled brat because I actually was one...before I found out how difficult it was to earn a living.
Beyond the question of accuracy though, the reason why I cannot help but be concerned about public opinion is that, whether it is right or wrong, it has real world effects. Because we thought Erap was president material, we gave him the chance to plunder our country. Because Americans thought the same of Bush, they gave him the chance to screw up the whole world. Because people around me misread me, I become more neurotic.
Clearly then, the adage that goes "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" is false. Public opinion matters not because it is right, but because it makes an impact on the lives of people. Which is why we--me included, of course--need to be more ethical in the way we construct social consensus (a la Habermas) and dissensus (a la Mouffe) not only of big public issues, but also of the others around us.