
Life is so unfair. People are so ingrained with what they do for a living it's like nature doesn't get a look in these days: but who needs a natural life when there's a living to be made by following the rules. Human societies are full of rules and when something goes wrong, the first course of action is to check out the rules to see whose side they're on. Yet, rules are unfair and justice in itself is about the fairness of punishment which feels like a win when they're on your side. Today, technological advances have taken the art of discretionary conduct away from people who perform rule enforcement. At one time a little advice from a friendly employee was all that was needed to help you on your way. Today, a simple application for a job in government, education or clinical health for example, is no longer about whether or not you have the wisdom and the foresight to make that job your own, but about whether or not you fit the selection criteria, meet the benchmarks of workplace practice, cost less, multi-task more and are young enough to not question the rules. Cynical I know and all Frederick Winslow Taylor's fault if blame is to be ascribed to any change catalyst. Pisces/Aries cusp born Fred (1856 – 1915) was a mechanical engineer who sought to improve perceived industrial era inefficiencies with his Principles of Scientific Management (1911). Taylor's methods, while popular with extreme capitalists, continues to come under criticism from intellectual socialists who are determine to refute the alienation of humanity. I too, am on the side of humanity and think alienation is a rapidly growing problem in the technological 21st Century, where the focus is increasingly and overtly on constantly increasing the economic goals of a nation, as opposed to how that nation can be sustained through a living in harmony with all that live on earth. It could be argued that the earth IS in harmony with nature, with its' human nature to automate life on earth in order to control it. The fact that human controls over others is unfair, depends on what side of the fence you are on and according to earth, I'd say we're all on the wrong side. However, as a human, and in Fred's defense, it could be argued that he helped to further humanities goals by simply doing a damn good job, no matter whether or not the outcome of his work has helped to make your life feel unfair or not.
The Principles of Scientific Management:https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6435
© Chris Tyne 03/02/2016