Michael Scott The Office Judgement
Judgement hurts no matter how it is used, whether it be in a positive or negative light. The average lifespan in America is around seventy to eighty years of age, these many years will always contain their fair share of judgement because it is truly impossible to avoid. An episode in The Office masterfully translates this judgement to it’s audience in the form of Michael Scott. Scott is an ignorant man that believes he is doing nice things for people and does not understand boundaries or limits. No one is innocent of judgement because it is a natural human instinct that can actually help us in our daily lives. An example would be judging a person for how they act. If a person seems dangerous or predatory it may be a good idea to stay clear
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but that does not make the person dangerous. The problem comes when judgement is abused and thrown out without warrant lie Scott uses on his employees. An Indian character, Kelly Kapoor, shows her disdain for her judgement when Scott gives her the “Spicy Curry” award. Kapoor asks what it means because Scott has judged her by the color of her skin and has reinforced the serotype she obviously dislikes. Judgement has tainted my personal life in many ways but my least favorite happened when I went into a Circle K. For context, I was wearing a black hoodie and wearing my backpack because I had just come from school. I was with my friend who was wearing a t-shirt and shorts. I had been in that very Circle K on numerous occasions and had never had a problem with the people who worked there. I was picking up some gum and a few others items and placed them in my hand while my other hand slipped into my pocket reach for my hard earned money to purchase said snacks. The moment I did so, a feminine voice came over the loudspeaker and said that if anyone was stealing, they were on camera. I looked at the lady who said it and she was giving me a death stare. I walked up to her and she glared at me the entire time while she rung me up. I assume she saw my jacket, noticed I was a male teenager and immediately thought I would steal. I have been similarly judged before and will be again. On the opposite side of the spectrum, I have been judged in a more positive way but also leading to negativity. I have been thought to be smarter than I truly am. People used to see me, somewhat of a loner, quieter than most, sporting a pair of glasses upon my face and assumed I was a genius. People used to ask me to copy my work and to show them how to do everything and I told them that there is no guarantee that it was correct. I hated it because I did not want people to see my mistakes if I was wrong. I like when people have high opinions of me but not when it puts me on the spot and spikes my anxiety. The first scenario is much worse for me because stealing is a crime and I do not want to get into trouble for something I am not even thinking of. The second scenario is just below the first because it is stressful for someone to see my work. They are more likely to criticize me or belittle my work and I hate that. Dinner Party Dysfunctional relationships are around every corner even when you cannot see them yet.
In The Office, Michael Scott eventually begins to date his superior, Jan Levinson. This relationship starts with a massive red flag when Levinson is embarrassed by dating Scott. This train wreck culminates with a disastrous dinner party hosted by the pair. The two are seen passive aggressively bickering and cleary making their guest horribly uncomfortable. Dysfunctional relationships, whether they be a family, friendship, or a relationship, are extremely common in the current year and have been for a while. Relationships become harmful when one or more personalities collide. Just like Levinson and Scott, everybody argues but it is when nothing is solved that it derails. One of the highest reasons for dysfunction is the item that powers the world, money. Too often have I seen people angry at others because of money. Low income parents forcing children to work at young ages or couples angry because the other does not make enough. Sometimes money does not matter, a person is just cruel. For example, a mother who may abuse her child out of jealousy. How does one avoid a harmful relationship? Levinson and Scott have a somewhat simple answer, break up. They should break up because their personalities are too dangerous when paired together and are obviously beyond help. Another option is therapy or counseling, this could work them through their problems with a third party and they may come to a common ground. Instead of screaming at each other, they would calmly discuss their problems like normal, functioning, happy members of
society. The List Motivation works differently for everyone because everyone is unique in their own likings and consciousness. In the episode The List, Robert California puts the office into two group, winners and losers. Just like most of the “losers”, I would be a bit discouraged because it is hard to be put down in such a manner. I am the type of person that is fueled by positive reinforcement because it tells me I am doing the correct thing. It is a bit complicated because sometimes I shut down when not positively reinforced but there are times that it forces me to strive to be better. It really depends on the situation if I am intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. If I want something very badly then I get my own motivation. I do love getting compliments though, it gives me energy and makes me feel good about what I am doing. I think the reasoning behind this is because when I was younger, I would be bullied and harassed for things like playing sports so it was always a joy when somebody said something nice. I also never quite know if I am impressing someone or not so I feel better when they tell me themselves. Then again, criticism is always helpful when it's constructive because how can a person learn when they are told they are always doing a great job? There is a line in the movie Whiplash that says, “There are no two words in the English language more harmful than “good job” (Chazelle 2014). This line means a lot because feelings should come second to performance.
but that does not make the person dangerous. The problem comes when judgement is abused and thrown out without warrant lie Scott uses on his employees. An Indian character, Kelly Kapoor, shows her disdain for her judgement when Scott gives her the “Spicy Curry” award. Kapoor asks what it means because Scott has judged her by the color of her skin and has reinforced the serotype she obviously dislikes. Judgement has tainted my personal life in many ways but my least favorite happened when I went into a Circle K. For context, I was wearing a black hoodie and wearing my backpack because I had just come from school. I was with my friend who was wearing a t-shirt and shorts. I had been in that very Circle K on numerous occasions and had never had a problem with the people who worked there. I was picking up some gum and a few others items and placed them in my hand while my other hand slipped into my pocket reach for my hard earned money to purchase said snacks. The moment I did so, a feminine voice came over the loudspeaker and said that if anyone was stealing, they were on camera. I looked at the lady who said it and she was giving me a death stare. I walked up to her and she glared at me the entire time while she rung me up. I assume she saw my jacket, noticed I was a male teenager and immediately thought I would steal. I have been similarly judged before and will be again. On the opposite side of the spectrum, I have been judged in a more positive way but also leading to negativity. I have been thought to be smarter than I truly am. People used to see me, somewhat of a loner, quieter than most, sporting a pair of glasses upon my face and assumed I was a genius. People used to ask me to copy my work and to show them how to do everything and I told them that there is no guarantee that it was correct. I hated it because I did not want people to see my mistakes if I was wrong. I like when people have high opinions of me but not when it puts me on the spot and spikes my anxiety. The first scenario is much worse for me because stealing is a crime and I do not want to get into trouble for something I am not even thinking of. The second scenario is just below the first because it is stressful for someone to see my work. They are more likely to criticize me or belittle my work and I hate that. Dinner Party Dysfunctional relationships are around every corner even when you cannot see them yet.
In The Office, Michael Scott eventually begins to date his superior, Jan Levinson. This relationship starts with a massive red flag when Levinson is embarrassed by dating Scott. This train wreck culminates with a disastrous dinner party hosted by the pair. The two are seen passive aggressively bickering and cleary making their guest horribly uncomfortable. Dysfunctional relationships, whether they be a family, friendship, or a relationship, are extremely common in the current year and have been for a while. Relationships become harmful when one or more personalities collide. Just like Levinson and Scott, everybody argues but it is when nothing is solved that it derails. One of the highest reasons for dysfunction is the item that powers the world, money. Too often have I seen people angry at others because of money. Low income parents forcing children to work at young ages or couples angry because the other does not make enough. Sometimes money does not matter, a person is just cruel. For example, a mother who may abuse her child out of jealousy. How does one avoid a harmful relationship? Levinson and Scott have a somewhat simple answer, break up. They should break up because their personalities are too dangerous when paired together and are obviously beyond help. Another option is therapy or counseling, this could work them through their problems with a third party and they may come to a common ground. Instead of screaming at each other, they would calmly discuss their problems like normal, functioning, happy members of
society. The List Motivation works differently for everyone because everyone is unique in their own likings and consciousness. In the episode The List, Robert California puts the office into two group, winners and losers. Just like most of the “losers”, I would be a bit discouraged because it is hard to be put down in such a manner. I am the type of person that is fueled by positive reinforcement because it tells me I am doing the correct thing. It is a bit complicated because sometimes I shut down when not positively reinforced but there are times that it forces me to strive to be better. It really depends on the situation if I am intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. If I want something very badly then I get my own motivation. I do love getting compliments though, it gives me energy and makes me feel good about what I am doing. I think the reasoning behind this is because when I was younger, I would be bullied and harassed for things like playing sports so it was always a joy when somebody said something nice. I also never quite know if I am impressing someone or not so I feel better when they tell me themselves. Then again, criticism is always helpful when it's constructive because how can a person learn when they are told they are always doing a great job? There is a line in the movie Whiplash that says, “There are no two words in the English language more harmful than “good job” (Chazelle 2014). This line means a lot because feelings should come second to performance.