One of the characteristics in Taiwanese society is the tendency of its people -- from the president to the social elite to peddlers and servants -- to rely on external judgements to determine their self-worth.
In psychology, constructing self-identity from this kind of dependency on others is like a bottomless pit that can never be filled. It can cause an individual to live in an empty and anxious norm, and create difficulties with relationships because indifference and estrangement are used to defend oneself, or one falls into a cycle of abuse and violence. Such conduct perfectly represents the current phenomenon of Taiwan today, doesn't it?
The social problems caused by people confused between applause and criticism can be seen everywhere. Take gender relations for example. Men's eagerness to be seen as strong in the eyes of women makes Taiwan the biggest consumer of Viagra in the world.
Meanwhile, the superstitious belief that by selecting an auspicious delivery date you can become the mother of an elite child has resulted in Taiwan having almost the world's highest proportion of caesarean sections.
The advances in medical technology which allow men to have optimal sex and women to choose when to give birth, however, cannot make people good lovers, husbands, wives or parents.
What is worse is that overemphasizing technology as a mean to pursue public approbation can engender a less intimate relationship between a couple or among relatives. After all, lacking the element of love, gender or family relations will inevitably be dehumanized, and all sorts of social problems will arise.
When reading the major newspapers, we see exaggerated reports about sex, about gender and about domestic violence. Rape and domestic violence that are the result of vanity and a search for social status are among the gravest social problems today.
Problems in politics and the media are also the result of people clinging to public opinion as a way to guide themselves. Examples of politicians' craziness in pursuing publicity are everywhere, and some politicians aren't even aware of their lack of subjective selves.
As examples, one could cite Diane Lee's (
Given Lu's intolerance of criticism, a once simple issue develops ramifications, and the criticism becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Lu, who is always getting into hot water, may envy Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou's (
Ma's media management techniques can be regarded as a kind of Viagra, which gives men assurance of sexual function, but with a trade-off of losing the passion for love and being enslaved to a little blue pill. Despite Ma's high ratings in opinion polls, he is just an empty shell lacking creativity and cannot stand the test of critical events such as Typhoon Nari and the SARS epidemic.
What is even more pathetic is the media getting swept up in the search for applause and forgetting their primary mission is to monitor and criticize the words and deeds of politicians. From the financial scandal surrounding fugitive tycoon Chen Yu-hao's (陳由豪) to the legitimacy of the chauffeur service provided to to first lady Wu Shu-chen's (吳淑珍) caregiver Lo Shih Li-yun (羅施麗雲) -- the media sensationalizes stories, frequently distorting the facts or just making up stories without a credible source.
As a result, the people must deal with the awkward behavior of politicians and media mesmerized by outside voices. No wonder politicians and media are regarded as major villains for their roles in creating social unrest.
Becoming an eternally virile man, an eternally beautiful woman, or a beloved politician is an impossible mission. But Taiwanese people can always ignore reality by making themselves puppets in the hands of others. This inflicts personal injuries and also causes instability -- the source of Taiwan's social problems nowadays.
This modern tragedy will only end when Taiwanese wake up to the pain of living in this fashion.
Bob Kuo is a professor of Information Systems at National Sun Yat-sen University.
TRANSLATED BY LIN YA-TI
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