There are only two methods of influencing people (i.e getting them to do stuff or to want to do stuff): control or inspiration. There is no other way. Very simply, everybody has a will. That’s what allows us to choose. Either I am going to exercise that will or someone else will (pun intended). In the end, the body must do something.
When you empower people to exercise their will (a weak will cant get much done). – that’s called inspiration.
When you manipulate the will of another- (by threat of pleasure or lure of pain…..I may not be as confused as you think) that’s control.
Do a sociological survey to assess the social institutions in your space. How many are built upon the ability and means to control? School, church, government, law, education, media, marriage, parenting etc.
As a society with colonial roots, Jamaican thought systems and traditions are predicated upon ways and means to control. There is no quick way to dismiss that baggage. If God had a Jamaican man or woman write a book in the Bible , it would be 1 and 2nd Jezebel.
We are experts, whether as Henry Morgan or Anancy, in tha art of control and the bulk of our identity has been founded on those premises. Americans may have mastered the art of the deal. But Jamaicans are master controllers. (You ever wondered why we are so dominant in everything?)
Even in the way we talk about values and attitudes we reveal our disposition. How do we get them to change? (Notice the us/them divide). Inspiration is for many of us unchartered territory. Inspiration is the sharing of spirit (the creation of ‘we’ness).
At some point, the fruit of our lives must confront us. The chickens must come home to roost. The thing about the domination of the human spirit, is that it is by definition a temporary condition. That’s why those who play dominoes must eventually lose the game no matter what their skills. No matter how long your string of six loves, one day, the numbers will be stacked against you and you will lose. And when the dominoes are stacked and crumble, you know the domino effect, it all comes crashing down.
Have you ever been inspired? Do you know how to inspire? Write and tell me your stories of inspiration. Who inspired you? Who have you inspired?. Write me. yekengale@yahoo.com
I want to hear your stories.
YeKengalé 
Agree yekengale.
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Hi, Yekengale. I hope readers will post their stories of inspiration to you; do share some of those with us when received.
A number of questions arose in my mind as I read “On being and becoming”.
Firstly, the assertion that there are only two methods of influencing people: “control them and inspire them”. Where does payment or reward fall in the scheme of things? On occasion, an employee will go beyond the call of duty or beyond the terms of his contract because he gets paid at the end of the day. You may reason the employment contact is the means of control, but the monetary reward is a strong motivator.
Secondly, other than church and the media, I don’t know that many of those “social institutions are built upon the ability and means to control”. Ironically, work is not mentioned in your list and it, I feelmore than any other, is built upon the ability and means to control: power and authority of the boss/supervisor; definite hours of work (arrival and departure times); established tasks to be performed within the designated hours, and, conferring or withholding of financial reward directly related to alignment of the three preceding criteria. All the other social institutions exist, not for control nor inspiration, but simply for good order and proper functioning of society.
With respect to the dominant persona of Jamaicans, I would suggest that is the natural outcome of the blending of the multitude of cultures that have coalesced into making us Jamaicans, fired by the heat of 350 years of plantation enslavement, and, toughened by what you alluded to: an indomitable spirit.
If there is a shortage of inspiration in our Jamaican persona and culture, I humbly suggest it is largely due to our lack of advanced education (and we are catching up fast), as well as the convenience of the historically big influencers of our society, the two major political parties (to have a cadre of impressionable, hungry followers to be used to do their bidding as and when they deem necessary).
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Yes Peter….both reward and punishment are means of control. Control of others is not necessarily immoral, indeed it is sometimes not only moral but imperative….as in self defense or potty training a child. Nothing in life is pure. Because, since from your answer you seem to be conceding, that marriage is mostly built upon the ability and means to control, doesnt imply that it need be less enjoyable and uplifting than one’s engagement with church for instance. Both church and media can be and often are inspirational…..ok one moreso than the other……..I’ll leave it to you to decide which.
Also, the work experience, which is yes perhaps the greatest arena of control in a capitalist economy, yet look at how modern HR has invested in the motivation and self development of employees.
The ‘agressive’ gene in the Jamaican DNA is accepted myth and self fulfilling. Again being dominant is certainly not necessarily ‘bad’ even though I am aware of the moral sentiments evoked by my employ of loaded icons like Jezebel, Anancy and Henry Morgan. (Another arguably typical Jamaican trait – the tendency to think in polarized binary with regards to judgment). The point is how balanced and self aware are we? We can get so stuck in left brain manipulation that we never get to exert or experience right brain creativty.
Education, advanced or basic, can be both highly creative as well as tedious and constrictive. Some hardly can tell the difference between training and educating in facilitating learning.
We have produced icons of inspiration in poltics, religion and media. So if the point is dont ‘cuss’ or write off the Jamaican personality, I agree.
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