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Models
in our life and society We've all had our eyes on
that model in our group of friends only to be categorically told that our
grass will never be green enough for them! Ok; now that the cocky stuff
is out of the way let's consider some real issues regarding
role models. An important issue is that
of leadership. We look up to our role
models for leadership and guidance. We expect them to show us how to live the
better life or do the right things. We certainly want our role model to take
us to lush meadows, but we don't want to be led up the garden path. Leadership implies a
relationship; so what is the nature of this relationship? This question
depends in turn on who we are talking about. If it is someone prominent in
society then surely the obligations of social decency ought to apply. What
if, on the other hand, it were someone much closer
to us? Say a relative or even someone at work? Let's take a step backwards
and ask what is a role model? Apart from leadership, we
can think of a role model as someone we can relate to. For example, someone
whose politics, or maybe just life style, we admire. We might even harbour a
secret wish to be that role model we so much admire. Is this the result of
envy, jealousy or just harmless day dreaming? Leadership and admiration
ought to suffice as reasons to have role models, but there is always the
other side of the coin in these matters. To begin with by having a
role model we are saying that I identify myself with and belong to a group:
big, small or exclusive. Moreover, these groups are self excluding because we
choose to belong or choose to be excluded for all that matter. No application
forms are involved. Hence, the role model gives us a sense and identity of
belonging at a safe distance if we also want anonymity. Something, which, at face value, seems quite
innocent and reasonable. We can exercise this sense
of belonging by either going for the majority group, "I'm an Aristotelian,"
or exclusivist, "I'm a Pythagorean." Presumably, in real life language,
we call those who go for the big group models as 'me too,' advocates and
those who follow the small group models as elitists. Did I hear someone say
snobs? Here is a question, are philosophers 'me too' advocates? In many cases, having a role
model also happens to be a cheap way of belonging to an exclusive club. I
mean, having a philosopher as a role model is much cheaper than say having an
internationally famous footballer. Once we've bought the books of our role
model philosopher our capital outlay is over. And thanks to the internet
today, we don't even need the books. We can just download a pdf from our local p2p site. Can you imagine having to
spend hard earned cash for the tee shirt, then the socks and the special
edition watches. I mean, fancy making our role model
mega rich, this will give our model, the one we've had our eye on, a good
reason to think that our grass is not all that green. In real life language
we call this a spoil sport. Role models also provide us
with a sense of security in numbers. If a lot of people are interested in the
same role model, then surely there must be something good about him or her.
Why would anyone be interested in someone unless they had something to offer. Something to offer, that is, within our agenda. In
real life language we call this herd mentality. One benefit of having role
models is that we leave the thinking to someone else. In this case we are
justified in the sense that we can always find someone else who is a much
better thinker than us. And as a side bonus we do not run the risk of humiliation,
should our role model get it wrong. But of course they won't get it wrong, they are our role models after all! In ordinary
language we call this..... d*@#...I wish someone
would come up with these good expressions......intellectual laziness? Let me try and crawl out of
this morass of cynicism. Role models do sometimes help us shape our morality,
our behaviour and our outlook in life. Society itself recognises
the importance of role models. Countries recognise role models in the form of
international awards, states in the form of titles or medals and
organisations in the form of accolades. But what better group of people
are there to look for role models than those who are around us? Those with
whom we can actually interact and have a relationship with. In other words
what better role models could there be than our families, relatives, parents,
siblings and the pussy cat. This brings us back to the
matter of what responsibilities do role models have. The issue is very clear
here: not only is there a duty to care, in the legal sense, but also a duty
to care about, in the moral sense. This means that at home we all wear a
number 7 tee shirt. There is also another group
of people with whom we form relationships and interact who are good
candidates as role models. Our peers and close friends also influence our lives,
our way of thinking and behaviour. The bonds and the consequences of this
group of people in our lives are well known and even well experienced. We might not call peers and friends role
models, but that's the function some of them have in our lives. Next time there is a role
model in your group, it may be worth keeping an eye on them. I'll certainly
make a bid for that freckle faced kid. take care |