Recently, I sat with someone who is endowed with a considerable amount of power and who told me straight into my face that South Africa is a dysfunctional country.
I guess dysfunctionality starts at a personal level. As society becomes more egocentric, so it also becomes less functional. More singles, more headphones, more ego-shooters, more screen time - why join a choir when you can sing under the shower? :) The less we communicate the more dysfunctional we become and society with us. Males, as the less sociable gender, seem more susceptible to the above behaviours (ask my wife) but not exclusively so.
Very good point, Paul. This would go to the point of caring less. I ask myself though, are these really symptoms of egocentricism or are people just checking out mentally, because they are overwhelmed in this, that or the other way. If that is a factor, what overwhelms them? And yes, ineffective communication at various levels plays a major role there and contributes to becoming overwhelmed. I am not sure, however, if it is really the amount of communication that is the problem or rather the the quality of it. Though it is a well established fact, of course, that men just have fewer words available per unit of time (((-: . I look very much forward to a chat with Monika on that matter...(-:
Thank you so much, Pamela. I am happy you enjoyed it.
I am always sceptical about such coefficients, though. It is true that the 2025 number for SA is right at the top at 63. If you go through the list, though, you will find Zimbabwe at 50,3, South Sudan at 44,1, Yemen at 36,7, South Korea at 32,9 and Germany at 32,4. I have never lived in these countries other than Germany, so I have never experienced if they are really more or less functional than SA, but I have my doubts as to whether a war-torn country such as Yemen, for example, can really be more functional. But even if you do assume that the Gini coefficient is a valid measure, I would still ask, what the causes for the inequality are, and if there is a sequence: does inequality come first or a lack of functionality? Questions upon questions...((-:
I guess dysfunctionality starts at a personal level. As society becomes more egocentric, so it also becomes less functional. More singles, more headphones, more ego-shooters, more screen time - why join a choir when you can sing under the shower? :) The less we communicate the more dysfunctional we become and society with us. Males, as the less sociable gender, seem more susceptible to the above behaviours (ask my wife) but not exclusively so.
Very good point, Paul. This would go to the point of caring less. I ask myself though, are these really symptoms of egocentricism or are people just checking out mentally, because they are overwhelmed in this, that or the other way. If that is a factor, what overwhelms them? And yes, ineffective communication at various levels plays a major role there and contributes to becoming overwhelmed. I am not sure, however, if it is really the amount of communication that is the problem or rather the the quality of it. Though it is a well established fact, of course, that men just have fewer words available per unit of time (((-: . I look very much forward to a chat with Monika on that matter...(-:
Thank you for a riveting read. It’s very simple we have highest Gini coefficient therefore SA has become dysfunctional.
Thank you so much, Pamela. I am happy you enjoyed it.
I am always sceptical about such coefficients, though. It is true that the 2025 number for SA is right at the top at 63. If you go through the list, though, you will find Zimbabwe at 50,3, South Sudan at 44,1, Yemen at 36,7, South Korea at 32,9 and Germany at 32,4. I have never lived in these countries other than Germany, so I have never experienced if they are really more or less functional than SA, but I have my doubts as to whether a war-torn country such as Yemen, for example, can really be more functional. But even if you do assume that the Gini coefficient is a valid measure, I would still ask, what the causes for the inequality are, and if there is a sequence: does inequality come first or a lack of functionality? Questions upon questions...((-: