Malcom Gladwell Revisionist History #2

We can’t deny one fact: We are biased. We are somehow all selfish. As an ardent advocate of human selfishness theory, I believe the main causes of substantive social controversies are the notion that the members of our society recognize themselves all ‘individuals’. When facing our problems, we appeal to others for attention, expecting all other ‘members of the society’ to seriously consider ways to resolve our problems. However, when others do the same, we become ‘individuals’, not the ‘members of the society’, as we lack the ability to empathize. This, is how we face social dilemmas.

To point out the most controversial social issue nowadays, it might be gender equality, feminism problem, which had been longed for quite long centuries, but hadn’t still been yielded satisfactory results. The first episode of the podcast ‘Revisionist History’ by Malcom Gladwell also depicts this status quo as significant notion, by elucidating few points with specific examples. Women didn’t lack efforts to figure out the problems they are facing, even those to resolve some issues. They protested, appealed, shouted, and outcried for changes, however, progresses went slow for every single matter they charged, although subtle. Supporting this, the first major advancement for their rights, the suffrage, franchise, the right to participate to politics as regular social member, in the case of U.S is given in 1920, by 19th amendment. Thinking that the slaves were allowed to vote through 15th amendment, between the civil war and reconstruction period, the society as a whole, for women, is particularly, relatively slower than for others.

Identical, to other problems, this also happens because we keep being ‘individuals’. Those people who didn’t admit the rights of women weren’t women- they haven’t went through the experiences of women. Thus, they do not feel and empathize the needs women insisted, rather, just ignore their loud, loud voices. The ‘veil of ignorance’ thus comes out in this aspect. When people start to expect that it is possible for other’s pain and difficulties come to themselves, they fear, and imagine; they start to “empathize”. I do not totally agree on Rawls’ ideas on this, but it is quite reasonable that the concept of ‘veil of ignorance’ should partly be applied in understanding social issues.

To sum up, what we need to soothe the conflicts in and out of the society, is to include and accept everyone as a member of society, including oneself. We are all individuals, but is still the member of particular society. Totally trying to understand what others would feel, is the key to resolve every enigma, including gender, child labor, immigrants, retirees issues, and even more.