Pooka is the "old bird" (a hokkien phrase used commonly by locals to describe an experienced and senior individual) of the household ("the workplace"). She knows the people and environment. She is also the character that is typically respected and well-loved. In this case, she is also the favorite. Pooka is the uptight sort, often stressed by a slight purturbation in her environment.
Now comes a rookie, albeit new, he asserts his arrival with a resounding bark. Pooka observes Waffle suspiciously. As much as she "reigns" in the household now, she fears being taken over. She sniffs him out, hoping to get a sense of his intention and capability. Her anxiety only worsens when the boss seems to spend alot of time and effort in introducing and incorporating Waffle into the new environment. He even told the colleagues about Waffle's awesome resume over lunch.
Waffle, in contrast, is the easy-going and sociable character. He effortlessly wins everyone over with his well-mannered demeanor. In no time, the new kid on the block is the focus of the household. However, being a master at managing relations, he quickly senses Pooka's unease.
What should Waffle do now? Has the boss overdone the welcome? Has Pooka over-reacted?
I am not stereotyping humans, dogs or cats. Ultimately, it all boils down to each individual's personality which nurture and nature both play a role in shaping. Some, like Pooka, simply do not trust people easily. She often lets negative emotions control her behavior. Others, like Waffle, just seem to have the natural skill in maneuvering the complex web of relationships. For the sake of illustration, the characters may have been exaggerated to the extremes. Nevertheless, it is representative of real-life situations. Is it not a common sight in offices where cliques huddle over lunch discussing about the newcomer? It was certainly so, for me, during my short stint at my scholarship company. Here's a more personal (and real life) variation of the abovementioned scenario.
Being an intern at a certain government-related body was not a smooth-sailing experience, especially when you are a scholar. Due to certain ideas that have been deeply entrenched in most local's minds, government scholars are believed to be favored and promoted faster than regular employees. Unfortunately for me and many others, I am caught in a highly disadvantageous position. I am not entitled to such privileges and yet, people around me believe that I am. Therefore, some people give me a certain "look" - the sort of look that immediately tells you that they are forming a judgement about you even before they know you. They approach you in a wary manner and avoid you if possible, just like a "Pooka". At a distance, they are waiting for you to fall. And I did fall. That fateful semester, I failed to meet the grades. I had the "honor" of meeting the Chairman and news went round. Comments like "I thought you scholars should do better than this" reached my ears. This only ascertain my earlier suspicion and assumptions about their attitudes towards me. If you were me, how would you approach the situation? Were they right to judge? Then again, don't we all?
Was I overthinking the whole situation? I have suddenly become a wary "Pooka" too. No wonder people can often be classified into a cat or dog person. And I wonder why the phrase "dog-eat-dog world" is used when in fact, it should be a "cat-eat-cat" one. In my "cat-eat-cat" world, suspicions and assumptions can overrule simple logic and let emotions run wild (no pun intended). If you need further convincing that we are all mere animal beings, here is a link that is worth a read. And yes, I really am a cat person. Unlike dogs, my trust needs to be earned.
P/S: I apologise for the long post (800+ words) but I really wanted to share about my cat and dog. (:
Pei En commented at
August 30, 2009 at 8:36 AM
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Hi Gwen,
Wow, I really liked how you linked animal behaviour to the way we behave around new people. Yes, indeed, we are still inately animalistic (in some ways).
I think people do judge and to say that it's wrong and we can't do it...it's just impossible. Instead, we shouldn't let our first impressions or our judgement affect the way we treat different people or the way we do things.
Of course, that is just my opinion. What do you think?
Jason Mak Yan Kit commented at
August 30, 2009 at 9:50 AM
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Dear Gwen,
Haha~ your dog and cat are just so cute! Especially the posture that photo was taken, the dog staring at the wall, while the cat is sitting outside the cage... =)
Cats and dogs can believe together if they are raised up together for they are still young and do not differentiate each other. ^^
Cheers,
Jason
Brad Blackstone commented at
August 30, 2009 at 11:25 PM
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Dear Gwen,
I like the way you've discussed your pets' relationship and, in a parallel format, reflected on your own experience. Very creative. It is very clear to me, and it should be to anyone studying science, that humans are animals and that our behaviors are grounded in our animal make up. Your story brings this basic animal structure to the foreground. Thank you for this!
Now I look forward to reading your classmates' comments.
g. commented at
August 31, 2009 at 8:05 AM
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Hello all!
Thank you for your comments. (:
In response to Pei En's comment, yes, I agree that we should never let our first impressions cloud our judgement of an individual's character. However, that is really an ideal we can only HOPE to achieve. Forming judgements about someone you have just met is a response that enables us to anticipate and react more quickly to another individual. I believe that you would agree that it is only human nature and we can only try to avoid it at best. A continuous and conscious effort is required to avoid being judgmental.
Cheers
Gwen
Joel Chin commented at
August 31, 2009 at 11:15 AM
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It's probably utopic to believe that everyone around us will have the kind of impressions we want them to have of us. Ultimately I believe that it's not up to you to change their impressions, you should rather focus on realizing that you probably can't please everyone. If they affect you, let them affect you in the good way. Spur you on to prove them wrong and do well, rather than letting negativity set in. It's about controlling your emotions and not letting them control you?
Cheers!
