OC Yeo says:
June 24, 2013 at 10:16 am
I cannot disagree with many of the things written here, esp the “stop work” calls, which I don’t think people really understand the full implications of such a super serious action. BUT I think what has not been well written up is the MANAGEMENT of public EMOTIONS when crisis hits. Hopefully some experts will chip in soon.
If you know people are calling for “stop work”, how should you engage the public? Just say “Cannot lah.”? How do you think people will react further?
If people blame the PAP for all kinds of bad things, just say “Dumb people.” and ignore what are the underlying factors behind their behaviour? Should you not try to address as best you can, and then you yourself BEHAVE by not ranting about their “dumb” behaviour (re Shanmugam) on your FB wall? And certainly not to “ex-communicate” anyone who writes non-supportive but fairly neutral comments to that rant (like I was).
If people want real-time readings of PSI and you don’t have them because technology is not able to, do you tell them the complete opposite, i.e. to discard the 3hr readings and look at the 24hr ones? Do you understand what goes on in people’s minds at all?? I mean, let me put it in the DUMBEST way. Say I have a chamber of concentrated SO2 or NO2 or PM2.5 stuff. Then I take Vivian and throw him inside for just 0.1 sec, and I assure him that his 24hr exposure to these poison will still be WELL within the international limits. Do you think he will agree? If not, why not? And if you can answer that, you know why people are not comfortable with the 24hr reading when you actually have the 3hr ones.
[BTW, do people not have the right to question Govt claims, which are initially not backed up with verifiable evidence? Is this "dumb" behaviour ... or the product of our "dumb" education system where you are whacked for questioning your teachers?]
And oh, when a fire is burning in your neighbour’s flat and you are right next door getting much of the black smoke, what do you do? Scold your neighbour for not respecting your right to fresh air, and get into a shouting match? Or plunge in to help get the fire out before your own flat burns? So what is the difference when you start making belligerent statements (re Vivina) to our abang neighbour about our inalienable rights to fresh air and well-being?? Is that not a statement of emotion and not rationality, expressed at the highest level?
SO, tell me, WHO is the DUMBEST of the dumbs? Don’t forget one other consideration when you answer this question … WHO supposedly has the higher IQ’s? Who definitely draws the much much higher salaries than the ordinary dumb people?
Sure we ALL have a LOT to learn about emotions in crisis management and crisis behaviour. And unless we sit down to collectively reflect on this aspect, we won’t do better when the PSI crosses 300 next. And tell me, WHO should lead this effort? [Not that we need to depend on the Govt for everything but that is what leadership is all about.]
I don’t think it takes a genius to figure out what is the best way to allay public fears and emotions in the examples above.
No wonder there is little trust between people and Govt in this crisis. And that is bad.