Appeared in Malaysiakini's Vox Populi: Use OSA against Dr M? Dream on
Shufiyan Shukur: I am sick of this bridge issue. Can we cut it out? Crooked or straight. Lose or win. What does it all mean? It means our neighbour doesn't want to play ball with us, so screw it, let’s not play ball with them. So Mukhriz, Sanusi, Mahathir, Syed Hamid, Kit Siang, and all you others, shut up! I want to get on with my life without reading about this darn bridge.
The World Cup's around the corner. So don't spoil my enjoyment of it because I might not live long enough to experience the next one. Besides why bother with a bridge. It'll only give the Singaporean armed forces a scenic route to Johor when they decide to over-run it. Which isn't such a ridiculous thought when you consider the possibility that reclamation may not be a viable option forever and ever.
And with Israel as its role model, and the US as its big daddy (well at least until US marines start raping its gals), Singapore is a military threat, so don't make it easy for them to cross over. Let their army suffer the current crossings and the wet straits - it gives an opportunity for our pot-bellied and lethargic army to take potshots before being completely overwhelmed.
Did you know that our armed forces rely on everyday citizens to report of encroaches into our sovereign airspace by the Singapore airforce?
We don't seem to have military radars to detect such encroaches so we don't have any means to respond to them.
The Singaporeans on the other hand have AWACS.
And have you read recently that we have air-to-surface missiles that won't fire?
I wonder who is making money at the expense of our security?
Will Singapore be successful in over-runing Johor (if not the entire peninsula)? Damn right they will -- our army's slogan is 'one bullet, one enemy' or something lame and visceral like that. Their recruitment slogan is 'the most powerful warhead is on your shoulders'. -- damn powerful slogan.
That small little dimple of an island will one day rule Johor.
Minang is 'Minangkabau', a clan in Sumatra. The clan has a symbiotic relationship with the buffalo, or 'kerbau' in Malay or 'korobau' or 'kobau' in the Minang dialect. 'Minangkabau' is derived from 'menang kerbau' -- win buffalo. The Sumatran clans pitch their buffalos against each other, and the Minangs have the reputation of having the fastest buffalos in Sumatra. This blog isn't much use to anyone else though. There are no revelations and no discussions -- just a Minang's folly.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
For want of better things to do, I took the 'Tickle Test' for emotional IQ. Pretty interesting stuff and I think the results come very close to my own self-assessment.
Go ahead, try some of the tests at Tickle. http://web.tickle.com/
This is my report:
Perception
You scored 5 out of 10 on the perception scale. Reading people may not be your biggest strength. You are well aware that communication is a dynamic process consisting of at least two people sending and receiving messages between each other. The important thing to remember, however, is that communication is both verbal and non-verbal. For example, if you notice someone glancing at their watch during a conversation, you might miss the full range of underlying messages a signal such as this could be sending. This person could be anxious to end the conversation because they are bored or because they need to make another appointment. This person could also be nervous, and checking their watch is a sign of this. On the other hand, this person could simply just be checking to see what time it is. People who score in your range on the perception scale tend to take things at face value and would interpret the time checker's action as merely wanting to know what time it is.
After all, if they're late, wouldn't they just say so? If they're nervous, wouldn't you see other signs of that? And even if you were looking for further signs, it's possible that the more subtle cues, such as their tone of voice or the type of eye contact they make, might be lost on you. It's not that you wouldn't notice it, it's just that you don't always know how to interpret non-verbal signs collectively.
You have a hard time putting multiple clues together to form a new concept of how a person is relating to you.In the above scenario, there could be numerous reasons a person wouldn't state outright that they are late and have to go. People's motives for their behavior are sometimes complex and inaccessible to you.
In your own situations, try to pay more attention to what is being said and what is not being said. Picking up on the tone of voice, nervous gestures, or facial expressions offers invaluable information on how a person is feeling. In the end, not taking the world so literally will reduce the number of times you are misled by what people say versus what they really do.
Comprehending nonverbal cues will make you a more sensitive person, better able to predict the world around you and make decisions accordingly.
Expression
You scored 7 out of 10 on the expression scale. Your score indicates that you are relatively comfortable in expressing your emotions. However, you are not as open with your emotions as you could be and may even be embarrassed to acknowledge or express them. You are fairly in tune with both your conscious and unconscious feelings and why you are feeling a particular way.
For example, if you'd been working for a promotion at work you might have been confiding in a close co-worker about wanting a certain position. Then, a couple days later you might learn the position you'd wanted has been given to your co-worker! Although rationally you understand she wasn't vying for the position behind your back and it was a matter of circumstance that she got the position over you, you still feel disappointment and anger.
Chances are, because you are someone who is relatively comfortable expressing emotions, you probably won't hide your disappointment because it's not "rational." Instead, you might realize this is a situation that needs to be addressed between the two of you. You know that ignoring this touchy situation could breed resentment further down the road. Simply put, you have a need to clear the air. Whether you do this effectively or sensitively is another story, but the point is you do not waste energy protecting yourself from what you feel.Sometimes people mistakenly equate being self-aware or relying on your emotions for your responses as a sign of weakness.
This may be a problem for you. In the above example, it might be hard for you to express disappointment to your co-worker because it shows you have a vulnerable side, that you felt hurt. However, you are self-aware enough to understand that all the intellectualizing and rationalizing in the world cannot erase your discontent.
After all, you recognize you will be compromising your happiness if don't tend to your emotional needs.
Empathy
You scored a 8 out of 10 on the empathy scale. You respond to others with your heart and soul.
Most of the time, people sense your genuineness and commitment to being a compassionate person. You tend to not only observe other people's situations, but also understand the importance of empathizing instead of criticizing.
And in general, you are not one to put down others simply to boost your own self-esteem because you are better at putting yourself in other people's shoes than some.
You are astute enough to know that sometimes you won't have all the information about another person you need to make a fair judgment of them or their actions. You won't know their background, their personal or financial situation, or another key element that might be driving them to do something a certain way.
But even armed with this awareness, you may need to put effort into refraining from easy criticism. Too often people put down others to boost their own self-esteem. It's important to keep in mind that sometimes we can't see all of the situational pressures that influence how other people act. Before deciding that someone's behavior is due to a flawed personality, ask yourself: is there anything about the person's situation that may have led to this? It's wise to understand that you're not perfect and someday you might need others to cut you some slack, too. All of us need people in our lives who honor our individuality and imperfections.
My score was 118 out of 145 (if I'm not mistaken). And the results go on to advise on things one can do to improve the score.
Go ahead, try some of the tests at Tickle. http://web.tickle.com/
This is my report:
Perception
You scored 5 out of 10 on the perception scale. Reading people may not be your biggest strength. You are well aware that communication is a dynamic process consisting of at least two people sending and receiving messages between each other. The important thing to remember, however, is that communication is both verbal and non-verbal. For example, if you notice someone glancing at their watch during a conversation, you might miss the full range of underlying messages a signal such as this could be sending. This person could be anxious to end the conversation because they are bored or because they need to make another appointment. This person could also be nervous, and checking their watch is a sign of this. On the other hand, this person could simply just be checking to see what time it is. People who score in your range on the perception scale tend to take things at face value and would interpret the time checker's action as merely wanting to know what time it is.
After all, if they're late, wouldn't they just say so? If they're nervous, wouldn't you see other signs of that? And even if you were looking for further signs, it's possible that the more subtle cues, such as their tone of voice or the type of eye contact they make, might be lost on you. It's not that you wouldn't notice it, it's just that you don't always know how to interpret non-verbal signs collectively.
You have a hard time putting multiple clues together to form a new concept of how a person is relating to you.In the above scenario, there could be numerous reasons a person wouldn't state outright that they are late and have to go. People's motives for their behavior are sometimes complex and inaccessible to you.
In your own situations, try to pay more attention to what is being said and what is not being said. Picking up on the tone of voice, nervous gestures, or facial expressions offers invaluable information on how a person is feeling. In the end, not taking the world so literally will reduce the number of times you are misled by what people say versus what they really do.
Comprehending nonverbal cues will make you a more sensitive person, better able to predict the world around you and make decisions accordingly.
Expression
You scored 7 out of 10 on the expression scale. Your score indicates that you are relatively comfortable in expressing your emotions. However, you are not as open with your emotions as you could be and may even be embarrassed to acknowledge or express them. You are fairly in tune with both your conscious and unconscious feelings and why you are feeling a particular way.
For example, if you'd been working for a promotion at work you might have been confiding in a close co-worker about wanting a certain position. Then, a couple days later you might learn the position you'd wanted has been given to your co-worker! Although rationally you understand she wasn't vying for the position behind your back and it was a matter of circumstance that she got the position over you, you still feel disappointment and anger.
Chances are, because you are someone who is relatively comfortable expressing emotions, you probably won't hide your disappointment because it's not "rational." Instead, you might realize this is a situation that needs to be addressed between the two of you. You know that ignoring this touchy situation could breed resentment further down the road. Simply put, you have a need to clear the air. Whether you do this effectively or sensitively is another story, but the point is you do not waste energy protecting yourself from what you feel.Sometimes people mistakenly equate being self-aware or relying on your emotions for your responses as a sign of weakness.
This may be a problem for you. In the above example, it might be hard for you to express disappointment to your co-worker because it shows you have a vulnerable side, that you felt hurt. However, you are self-aware enough to understand that all the intellectualizing and rationalizing in the world cannot erase your discontent.
After all, you recognize you will be compromising your happiness if don't tend to your emotional needs.
Empathy
You scored a 8 out of 10 on the empathy scale. You respond to others with your heart and soul.
Most of the time, people sense your genuineness and commitment to being a compassionate person. You tend to not only observe other people's situations, but also understand the importance of empathizing instead of criticizing.
And in general, you are not one to put down others simply to boost your own self-esteem because you are better at putting yourself in other people's shoes than some.
You are astute enough to know that sometimes you won't have all the information about another person you need to make a fair judgment of them or their actions. You won't know their background, their personal or financial situation, or another key element that might be driving them to do something a certain way.
But even armed with this awareness, you may need to put effort into refraining from easy criticism. Too often people put down others to boost their own self-esteem. It's important to keep in mind that sometimes we can't see all of the situational pressures that influence how other people act. Before deciding that someone's behavior is due to a flawed personality, ask yourself: is there anything about the person's situation that may have led to this? It's wise to understand that you're not perfect and someday you might need others to cut you some slack, too. All of us need people in our lives who honor our individuality and imperfections.
My score was 118 out of 145 (if I'm not mistaken). And the results go on to advise on things one can do to improve the score.
