winners and losers at work
Television shows like Survivor turn Cassidy, 24, cold because they promote conniving, brutal and judgmental people as winners and honest, caring and tolerant people as losers, and carried into the workplace this sort of behavior causes unecessary stress and discord.
"I realize that the promoters of these shows feel that they're only showing what goes on in real life, and in that respect they may think they're helping everyone become a winner," says Cassidy, "but nobody is a real winner in these shows and anyone who thinks that real life is about lying, cheating, backstabbing and making and breaking alliances is really, really stupid."
"In a real life and death survival situation co-operation would be absolutely paramount," says Cassidy, "and in real life, on everyday mundane levels, you can't get by without co-operation either."
"If you want to end up like a solitary Robinson Crusoe on your island," laughs Cassidy, "kicking people off so you can hog all the food and goodies is the way to go. But anyone who has read that wonderful book, or seen the film, knows that what Robinson Crusoe yearned for most on his island wasn't a million dollars."
"He wanted human company, someone to share his thoughts, someone to reflect back at him who he was."
"My parents raised me to be an honest, caring and tolerant person," says Cassidy, "and now that I've left home to make my own way in the world I'm becoming appalled at the many people who are being sucked in by the crass values portrayed in these sort of television shows."
"At work, people are actually following the tactics of the players in Survivor in order to get ahead," laughs Cassidy. "They form alliances and conspire to discredit or get rid of someone they see as a threat."
"I stay completely out of their silly games because they're just that - silly!"
"I'm just new here so I'm no threat to anyone," laughs Cassidy, "but there'll probably come a time when they'll want to get rid of me, too."
"With a game that requires lying, cheating, backstabbing and making and breaking alliances there is absolutely no trust, no real friendship, no sense of camaraderie and no real productivity in this workplace."
"Everyone is watching their backs, wearing two faces and acting like they're on a survival mission rather than enjoying their time together."
"What's smart about this sort of existence?" asks Cassidy.
"What's worse is that management seems to encourage the Survivor game being played out at work. I guess they think that they'll end up with the best workers, but in actuality they'll just end up with the worst workers!"
"There are other television shows besides Survivor that promote ridiculous behavior," says Cassidy, "and I see it all being played out at work and in social situations."
"There's a girl at work who thinks she's a witch and can put spells on people," laughs Cassidy, "and it's so pathetic watching her trying to manipulate people by witchcraft. She's basically a nice girl and if she'd only switch off television and read some decent books she'd be fine."
"I think that my generation was raised in front of a television and not everyone had parents like I did who monitored what we watched and how much time we spent being mesmerized by the small screen."
"When you've grown up with a television as your babysitter and your only source of entertainment and learning," says Cassidy, "I guess your reality is what you absorb through the television. It's more powerful than anything else."
"I don't suppose there's any profit for television producers to screen shows where the winners are honest, caring and tolerant people," sighs Cassidy. "A re-run of Little House on the Prairie is hardly likely to rake in as much money as the so-called reality shows!"
"But these shows are not reality as far as I'm concerned," says Cassidy, "and I resent television producers shaping our society in the irresponsible way they do."
"There are enough conniving, brutal and judgmental people in the world without these shows encouraging more of them," says Cassidy. "The real winners of this world are always going to be honest, caring and tolerant people and if the Survivor show cared to compare the real lives of it's so-called winners and losers it would undoubtedly prove my point."
"No, I'm not a meak, mild Jesus freak or anything like that," laughs Cassidy. "I just hate it when people at work feel a need to cheat and mistreat others in order to get ahead. Shows like Survivor are doing more to divide us than bring us together and not even 9/11 woke us up to how much we to need to cooperate with each other in order to really survive."
Cassidy's story first appeared as tv survivor at work and is reprinted with permission.
"I realize that the promoters of these shows feel that they're only showing what goes on in real life, and in that respect they may think they're helping everyone become a winner," says Cassidy, "but nobody is a real winner in these shows and anyone who thinks that real life is about lying, cheating, backstabbing and making and breaking alliances is really, really stupid."
"In a real life and death survival situation co-operation would be absolutely paramount," says Cassidy, "and in real life, on everyday mundane levels, you can't get by without co-operation either."
"If you want to end up like a solitary Robinson Crusoe on your island," laughs Cassidy, "kicking people off so you can hog all the food and goodies is the way to go. But anyone who has read that wonderful book, or seen the film, knows that what Robinson Crusoe yearned for most on his island wasn't a million dollars."
"He wanted human company, someone to share his thoughts, someone to reflect back at him who he was."
"My parents raised me to be an honest, caring and tolerant person," says Cassidy, "and now that I've left home to make my own way in the world I'm becoming appalled at the many people who are being sucked in by the crass values portrayed in these sort of television shows."
"At work, people are actually following the tactics of the players in Survivor in order to get ahead," laughs Cassidy. "They form alliances and conspire to discredit or get rid of someone they see as a threat."
"I stay completely out of their silly games because they're just that - silly!"
"I'm just new here so I'm no threat to anyone," laughs Cassidy, "but there'll probably come a time when they'll want to get rid of me, too."
"With a game that requires lying, cheating, backstabbing and making and breaking alliances there is absolutely no trust, no real friendship, no sense of camaraderie and no real productivity in this workplace."
"Everyone is watching their backs, wearing two faces and acting like they're on a survival mission rather than enjoying their time together."
"What's smart about this sort of existence?" asks Cassidy.
"What's worse is that management seems to encourage the Survivor game being played out at work. I guess they think that they'll end up with the best workers, but in actuality they'll just end up with the worst workers!"
"There are other television shows besides Survivor that promote ridiculous behavior," says Cassidy, "and I see it all being played out at work and in social situations."
"There's a girl at work who thinks she's a witch and can put spells on people," laughs Cassidy, "and it's so pathetic watching her trying to manipulate people by witchcraft. She's basically a nice girl and if she'd only switch off television and read some decent books she'd be fine."
"I think that my generation was raised in front of a television and not everyone had parents like I did who monitored what we watched and how much time we spent being mesmerized by the small screen."
"When you've grown up with a television as your babysitter and your only source of entertainment and learning," says Cassidy, "I guess your reality is what you absorb through the television. It's more powerful than anything else."
"I don't suppose there's any profit for television producers to screen shows where the winners are honest, caring and tolerant people," sighs Cassidy. "A re-run of Little House on the Prairie is hardly likely to rake in as much money as the so-called reality shows!"
"But these shows are not reality as far as I'm concerned," says Cassidy, "and I resent television producers shaping our society in the irresponsible way they do."
"There are enough conniving, brutal and judgmental people in the world without these shows encouraging more of them," says Cassidy. "The real winners of this world are always going to be honest, caring and tolerant people and if the Survivor show cared to compare the real lives of it's so-called winners and losers it would undoubtedly prove my point."
"No, I'm not a meak, mild Jesus freak or anything like that," laughs Cassidy. "I just hate it when people at work feel a need to cheat and mistreat others in order to get ahead. Shows like Survivor are doing more to divide us than bring us together and not even 9/11 woke us up to how much we to need to cooperate with each other in order to really survive."
Cassidy's story first appeared as tv survivor at work and is reprinted with permission.
<< Home