Portrait of a young PSCian
I’ve always known this but after talking to Claire and glancing at Gerri’s blog, felt had to finally articulate this thought, 3 years after it first crystallized in my head. There is a kind of person whom I used to term (mentally of course) “scarily Rafflesian”. That term later evolved to become “scarily GEPish” but I have given up trying to find an accurate nomenclature and now simply use “scarily PSCian” as non-Rafflesians & GEPpers also fit the description. I must emphasise the character sketch that follows is not based solely on anyone, because no-one is totally PSCian (no-one is totally anything). Being PSCian is non-gender specific, even if I use the masculine pronoun (for convenience only). Lastly, even though the name suggests otherwise, the PSCian need not be a scholar--as I said I have given up looking for an accurate name and thus have settled on "PSCian" since such people make up the majority of the PSC candidature.
Someone who is scarily PSCian is pretty smart (if not downright brilliant) but opinionated and talkative—especially if talking about his own area of interest/expertise. He has an unconscious arrogance and belief in the weight of his own opinion. After years of being brought up in a “you can do anything if you try” environment, he becomes a passionate goal-getter, with a subconscious attitude that nothing in the world is too great for him to handle. This attitude is all very laudable, but all too often gets mistaken for arrogance and over-confidence, and thus earns him the covert hate of those who instinctively label themselves as his “inferiors”, reasoning that that must be how the PSCian thinks of them. (It is important to note here that the PSCian rarely labels others as his “inferiors”—not in the derogatory sense at least, for any Management-Associate-to-be knows every human resource makes a difference and must be nurtured for the good of the nation.)
PSCians are, as a general rule, not too thin-skinned or likely to take offence. Thus I post this in total confidence that PSCian friends who read this will either laugh or nod their heads in wry acknowledgement, much the same way I saw DPM Lee nod when told his government was too economics-ruled, and asked what he would do about it.
As a superior intellect (again this is never ever explicitly broadcast but somehow interpreted as so by his “inferiors”), the PSCian takes a subconsciously and subtly condescending attitude when “correcting” other people’s flawed views. His earnestness in making his (non-PSCian) compatriots see the error of their illogical train of thought irritates them, and hence they brand him a “stickler” for the rigid rules of logic and immediately (if somewhat ungraciously) concede the point whenever the PSCian opens his mouth to explain things. Also, during discussions, the PSCian’s intellectual abstractions may escalate to such a lofty and obscure level that any sense of perspective tends to be irretrievably lost. An interesting point to note is that most people would say of a PSCian that he is smart, but just doesn’t “get it”—much like how people say our government is efficient, but just doesn’t “get it”. It appears his incisive mind is able to comprehend everything except the truth about himself—kind of like a mental blind spot or (if you’ve read Douglas Adams) a Somebody Else’s Problem which the brain reflexively avoids registering consciously.
Still, as someone who was formerly like that, and still a bit like that to this day, I know PSCians don’t really mean to be like that. We are all products of the system we go through, so it is not entirely the PSCian’s fault that he becomes so, especially as he ascends into the increasingly rarified atmosphere of the higher echelons, far removed from the mud-spattered streets and nitty-gritty concerns.
Lastly, I must conclude by saying that the PSCian is “scary” not because of any fault of his own. He never intends to appear the least bit threatening (I hope), but as I have noted above, his self-labeled inferiors sense a gulf between them and him, and this sensation becomes reality. His self-styled "inferiors" camp comfortably on their side of the gulf, and the PSCian, believing (or wanting to believe) that his excellent EQ and PR skills have made him “part of the gang”, does not see the gulf.
Ok, that’s enough I guess. Someone flame me now. =p
I’ve always known this but after talking to Claire and glancing at Gerri’s blog, felt had to finally articulate this thought, 3 years after it first crystallized in my head. There is a kind of person whom I used to term (mentally of course) “scarily Rafflesian”. That term later evolved to become “scarily GEPish” but I have given up trying to find an accurate nomenclature and now simply use “scarily PSCian” as non-Rafflesians & GEPpers also fit the description. I must emphasise the character sketch that follows is not based solely on anyone, because no-one is totally PSCian (no-one is totally anything). Being PSCian is non-gender specific, even if I use the masculine pronoun (for convenience only). Lastly, even though the name suggests otherwise, the PSCian need not be a scholar--as I said I have given up looking for an accurate name and thus have settled on "PSCian" since such people make up the majority of the PSC candidature.
Someone who is scarily PSCian is pretty smart (if not downright brilliant) but opinionated and talkative—especially if talking about his own area of interest/expertise. He has an unconscious arrogance and belief in the weight of his own opinion. After years of being brought up in a “you can do anything if you try” environment, he becomes a passionate goal-getter, with a subconscious attitude that nothing in the world is too great for him to handle. This attitude is all very laudable, but all too often gets mistaken for arrogance and over-confidence, and thus earns him the covert hate of those who instinctively label themselves as his “inferiors”, reasoning that that must be how the PSCian thinks of them. (It is important to note here that the PSCian rarely labels others as his “inferiors”—not in the derogatory sense at least, for any Management-Associate-to-be knows every human resource makes a difference and must be nurtured for the good of the nation.)
PSCians are, as a general rule, not too thin-skinned or likely to take offence. Thus I post this in total confidence that PSCian friends who read this will either laugh or nod their heads in wry acknowledgement, much the same way I saw DPM Lee nod when told his government was too economics-ruled, and asked what he would do about it.
As a superior intellect (again this is never ever explicitly broadcast but somehow interpreted as so by his “inferiors”), the PSCian takes a subconsciously and subtly condescending attitude when “correcting” other people’s flawed views. His earnestness in making his (non-PSCian) compatriots see the error of their illogical train of thought irritates them, and hence they brand him a “stickler” for the rigid rules of logic and immediately (if somewhat ungraciously) concede the point whenever the PSCian opens his mouth to explain things. Also, during discussions, the PSCian’s intellectual abstractions may escalate to such a lofty and obscure level that any sense of perspective tends to be irretrievably lost. An interesting point to note is that most people would say of a PSCian that he is smart, but just doesn’t “get it”—much like how people say our government is efficient, but just doesn’t “get it”. It appears his incisive mind is able to comprehend everything except the truth about himself—kind of like a mental blind spot or (if you’ve read Douglas Adams) a Somebody Else’s Problem which the brain reflexively avoids registering consciously.
Still, as someone who was formerly like that, and still a bit like that to this day, I know PSCians don’t really mean to be like that. We are all products of the system we go through, so it is not entirely the PSCian’s fault that he becomes so, especially as he ascends into the increasingly rarified atmosphere of the higher echelons, far removed from the mud-spattered streets and nitty-gritty concerns.
Lastly, I must conclude by saying that the PSCian is “scary” not because of any fault of his own. He never intends to appear the least bit threatening (I hope), but as I have noted above, his self-labeled inferiors sense a gulf between them and him, and this sensation becomes reality. His self-styled "inferiors" camp comfortably on their side of the gulf, and the PSCian, believing (or wanting to believe) that his excellent EQ and PR skills have made him “part of the gang”, does not see the gulf.
Ok, that’s enough I guess. Someone flame me now. =p
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