21–30 of 51 posts
The confidence with which the author generalizes various groups of people in the article makes me quite uneasy. We know that this is not permitted if we are attributing negative qualities to a group of people. Why is it then permissible to generalize when we are praising the same groups? In doing so the author is sort of admitting that it is at times logical to generalize groups of people and that there is no risk of…
The confidence with which the author generalizes various groups of people in the article makes me quite uneasy. We know that this is not permitted if we are attributing negative qualities to a group of people. Why is it then permissible to generalize when we are praising the same groups? In doing so the author is sort of admitting that it is at times logical to generalize groups of people and that there is no risk of…
Growing up in India, I was told that owning your business was the only path to success. In 1990, my dad borrowed a ZX Spectrum from a friend so I could play video games and he was genuinely confused when he found out that I spent all day typing (I was learning BASIC) instead of beating his hi-score in Jetpac. Thankfully, as I learned programming, I got a tremendous amount of support from his Gujarati friends, all of whom wanted me to write DBase III+ / FoxPro software for their businesses. But whenever I came up with non-business ideas, my people just didn't get it. I don't think anyone outright discouraged me when I wanted to write software for fun but they just didn't understand why I would write freeware when I could easily sell it. Half of my years between 15-20 were spent being lectured by successful businessmen on why/how I should market my music player or transliteration software.
This article resonated with me because I finally get just how ingrained business is to my culture. I always knew I was the odd one out and came to terms with that a decade ago but now I realize how others in my community must think of me. Time and again I have chosen to not make money even after I made a finished product. For me, once the product is built, I completely lose interest and want to make something else. For them, I already did the hard part of making the product and am bailing out at the fun part of making money from it.
To any Gujaratis reading this who love hacking for the sake of hacking, I'd say there are dozens of us! Let's keep talking business with family and friends of family during the day and quietly watch Numberphile after everyone is asleep.
The author made it sound like every and each Gujarati person is destined to entrepreneurial success and failing and losing are unexpected outcomes in their cases.
Nothing against Gujaratis or Indians in general. I really like entrepreneurial and trailblazing people provided they earned their wealth through legitimate means not questionable or unethical ones but I preferred to read a more impartial analysis or critique of this anthropological topic than this nauseating self-congratulatory Economist article.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your argument is basically slippery slope. The article merely documents the entrepreneurial genius of the Gujarati community which is worth lauding. Gujarati is not a race.
The article itself contains formulations like "Like the Jews, Chinese, English, Scots and Lebanese, they have come to form an impressive global commercial network.", suggesting that this about more than just the community. At the very least, it must be the values that matter. And once you acknowledge that some sets of values are preferable to others, and that different religions come with different values, you are al…
English people as merchants or commercial folks on an individual level, I haven't heard of that. Maybe from Europe the Italians or Greeks to some extent, that's true but English people, I don't think that his/her observation is correct.
I know that this is intended to be a puff peace about the perceived entrepreneurial spirit of the Guajarati community as a whole but I would have appreciated more if the author took the time and effort to shed some light on the usual failure stories that some members of this community endured and didn't make it abroad. The author made it sound like every and each Gujarati person is destined to entrepreneurial success…
The confidence with which the author generalizes various groups of people in the article makes me quite uneasy. We know that this is not permitted if we are attributing negative qualities to a group of people. Why is it then permissible to generalize when we are praising the same groups? In doing so the author is sort of admitting that it is at times logical to generalize groups of people and that there is no risk of…
I agree with you that this article makes too many sweeping generalizations but nevertheless it struck a chord with me. I am a Gujarati programmer and have never fit in with any of my family or community members in the realm of career or goals. I have no problems with nurturing personal relationships with other Gujaratis but I just can't connect with them on any STEM topics (except medicine). I closely know probably 1…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
That is a very rosy view of Gujaratis. A lot of non-Gujarati folks think of them as ruthlessly miserly and capable of going to any lengths to make money. Surely an attribute that helps in a business, but not one that endears them to the 'host' society.
Be careful listening to that kind of stereotype. It's often promoted by natives who are outperformed economically by immigrants. That builds resentment and can have horrific consequences. Finding moral fault in others is often just a way to explain their own lack of accomplishment. Not always, of course. But something to be very careful of.
It's good to celebrate success but not good to determine the worth of individuals or social groups solely on the basis of financial assets or business holdings.
This is the real slippery slope you don't wanna step on.
I know that this is intended to be a puff peace about the perceived entrepreneurial spirit of the Guajarati community as a whole but I would have appreciated more if the author took the time and effort to shed some light on the usual failure stories that some members of this community endured and didn't make it abroad. The author made it sound like every and each Gujarati person is destined to entrepreneurial success…
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patidar_reservation_agitation
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The article itself contains formulations like "Like the Jews, Chinese, English, Scots and Lebanese, they have come to form an impressive global commercial network.", suggesting that this about more than just the community. At the very least, it must be the values that matter. And once you acknowledge that some sets of values are preferable to others, and that different religions come with different values, you are al…
> "Like the Jews, Chinese, English, Scots and Lebanese, they have come to form an impressive global commercial network." English people as merchants or commercial folks on an individual level, I haven't heard of that. Maybe from Europe the Italians or Greeks to some extent, that's true but English people, I don't think that his/her observation is correct.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The article itself contains formulations like "Like the Jews, Chinese, English, Scots and Lebanese, they have come to form an impressive global commercial network.", suggesting that this about more than just the community. At the very least, it must be the values that matter. And once you acknowledge that some sets of values are preferable to others, and that different religions come with different values, you are al…
> "Like the Jews, Chinese, English, Scots and Lebanese, they have come to form an impressive global commercial network." English people as merchants or commercial folks on an individual level, I haven't heard of that. Maybe from Europe the Italians or Greeks to some extent, that's true but English people, I don't think that his/her observation is correct.