Three weeks into ASLC, and I think it is time to reflect on the performance of everyone in the company. Indeed, low morale is hindering the overall performance of everyone. Morale is a scary thing - it can really get your task done quickly if morale is high, or getting everyone annoyed and pissed with the smallest mistake possible made. Most of the time, the morale of everyone is low, regardless of the fact we are in camp or outfield. The fact that we are in ASLC is a bad enough morale depressant. Some attribute the low morale to the incapabilities of the instructors to boost the morale, as well as doing stupid things (deemed by some) we are instructed to do by commanders to "wayang" in front of others. There are, of course, many other reasons that add to the complexity of the issue "Who should be responsible for the low morale.". While one of my section mates believes that instructors are fully responsible for the current state of the company, I believe that we, the trainees, are responsible for the low morale of the whole company.

The main problem with the trainees is their attitude. Without a doubt, we all want to slack, take the easy way out, and sail through this 13 weeks with minimum sweating, saikang, and basically everything related to army we want to do the minimum. However, it is really disheartening to see selfish fellow trainees who want to slack in their bunk, resulting in delaying of our nights out for almost one hour. Worse still, he didn't seem remorseful and thought his action is justified because he is not going for nights off - so he can slack in bunk while the others settle their own administrative work downstairs. So we had a problem with strength, making the whole company fall in again and again to count the number of people present. I am not complaining because it delayed my nights out. Fortunately that night I decided not to go for the break, but it still annoys most of the people who are not booking out because time is wasted - and not to mention those who are booking out for the night off. It is really stupid, do be falling in over and over again to calculate simple things like strength. So some say the instructors are making us do stupid things, so morale is low. However, the person ultimately responsible for the whole delay is one single trainee. So, whose fault is it?

We are not taking pride in whatever we do. We just think individually and we are more concerned with how I can slack the most out of this whole thing rather than how we can work together to get everything done. I can't help but to show this story about Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. It is really apt to describe how some of the selfish lot are thinking.

So why not be the person doing it? Everyone has a share to do. If everyone puts in 5% of effort do complete the job, things could have been done simply and easily. Unfortunately, not everyone will do it because we just want to slack. We think that Somebody will do it.

So why not he be the person doing it?

We are all waiting for things to happen, and things don't get done, get screwed, morale low. Blame the instructors for screwing us ya? We are totally not at fault. It is the intsructors making us do stupid things so the morale is low.

Nevertheless, the instructors really made us do stupid things at times. This is especially so when we have one for all and all for one punishment. A very typical scenario is falling in. When people fall in late, those who are early will be made to hold push up position, hoping that this will induce peer pressure on those who are late to hurry up. However, I must conclude that this method does not work anymore - not when you have self-centred trainees around. The reason why this punishment is stupid because the instructors are punishing the wrong people. They can argue that it is our responsiblity to urge our platoon mates to fall in on time. However, there are just some group of really persistent people who refuse to take that individual responsiblity seriously and sabotage the rest of the platoon. Peer pressure? No... they are too self-centred to feel the peer pressure. Scenario won't change as a result. The same group of people falling in late, and the same early ones will get punished. The end result? People will fall in later to avoid holding there longer, and appointment holders will make everyone fall in by shouting everytime we are late. Morale low? Of course. Whose fault? Instructors are at fault because they fail to adopt the correct punishment so those who are at fault are reprimanded. We are at fault because we don't have that sense of individual responsiblity to do what we are supposed to do.

Seriously, if everyone practises individual responsiblity, I would not be writing this entry anyway.