Being an autonomous and authentic person and at the same time be part of something larger. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? So why do the Dutch treat this as a contradiction? Why does it seem impossible to us to have independent thoughts that make us genuine people while combining that with caring for one or more bigger pictures together with others? I am talking about everyday life here, not about charitable institutions like the World Wildlife Fund or the people who go from door to door to help fight cancer. Why does fitting in in everyday life mean sacrificing much of our independent thought?
I am exaggerating to make a point and thinking out loud here, but I think that Dutch culture has reduced everyday life to following rules. All the written rules you need to adhere to when rebuilding your house, the rules for being an employee, the rules for setting up a new company, build a house, etc. All the unwritten ones, where you need to ‘act normal’, be politically correct and above all to not stick your head above the corn unless you want to get it chopped off. Being part of something larger in this (Dutch) context means following rules, it does not mean independent thought or authenticity. Worse, though we rationally understand that independent thought and authenticity could very well lead to excellence, we Dutch think in problems associated with breaking the rules linked to the possibility of failure, not in opportunities associated with excellence. Who wants to be associated with failure? It’s safer to maintain the status quo and follow the rules! I can screw up as much as I please, as long as I can demonstrate I did it by following the rules! Hey, it's not my fault, it's the system!
After the fact, most people say they didn’t know they didn’t want to do the things they did. Why? Because they were not being authentic, they were just following the explicit and implicit rules without thought, or at least no more thought than that of the ‘here we go again’ kind. They may have been beaten by the system for so long, that they couldn't even conceive of doing things differently and break the rules. I am not talking about the law here. Our legal system is not at issue as it is the basis for our democracy, but rules are not laws and as the saying goes; most of them are meant to be broken! And should be broken, because all the while, a win-win solution has been staring people in the face and they felt they could do nothing. No wonder we have such a high burn out rate! What does it take for people to realize that the only way they can create lasting value is by being autonomous, authentic and be part of a diverse group of people with the same goal in mind and the tools and methodologies to get there?
If you believe in karma, we (the Dutch) are currently getting what we deserve; a political elite that hasn’t got a clue about its constituency, a slow economy, little or no innovation and an increasing part of our population that is growing up without a future. Our educational system is turning out students who haven’t been taught to think for themselves and are only taught how to follow rules, academic, scientific or societal ones. FIT IN OR ELSE! I won’t go into the emigration issues here, it would be too easy. We are going nowhere collectively, because we wear straight jackets of rules that limit the expression of our independent thought. Thereby limiting the means to find kindred spirits and create value together instead of alone. That’s what individualism at its extreme means, being alone. I don’t believe in that kind of individualism. Nobody wants to be alone and nobody wants to be so much part of a community that the self becomes indistinguishable from the group. We want to enjoy the freedom to participate as ourselves! Freedom is also a state were we work without unwanted restrictions. That doesn't mean without rules or restrictions! Just ones we've chosen to accept as an individual and as a group!
So, what are we to do? Are we going to look karma in the eye and change the rules, or wait for it to sneak up on us and bite us in the ass? Do we have the 'oomph' to do things we are afraid will tempt karma to get back at us, while believing that in effect karma will reward us for creating value for each other? What do you think? Let us know and share your thoughts!
