Shut up and listen? I will never!

A common problem with student-led organizations -- and with this I mean clubs or societies headed by students of either the same age as the rest of the members, or senior by a few years, or even (God forbid!) of lesser age than the ordinary members -- is that most leaders lack the maturity and humility required to be a leader.

This is a personal experience I have with one particular club I am affiliated with. Any opinion that differs from that of the President will be very quickly shot down by either the President himself, or any of the other yes men, whose existence is generally to agree and conform, however inappropriate a suggestion.

I have found myself often at loggerheads with the rest of the committee, for the very reason that I prefer to debate and contemplate every issue, so that we'll be prepared for any eventuality. As we know, any project might happen to succeed, or it might even fail despite proper planning.

No project is guaranteed to succeed. And if it fails, the blame does not lie on a single person.

As such, I find 'yes man' attitude without critically re-examining one's opinion and having the humility to recognize that no one person can be all-knowing and perfect, not conducive for development. We need to accept others' suggestions, bounce ideas around.

Not just accept another person's words as unquestionable gospel.

After 50 years of independence, we've already long past that stage.

Many a time, I detect a flaw in the planning and choose to voice out. The President, not used to being questioned, will start being overtly defensive and lay out plenty of red herrings in his rebuttal. The yes men, as if on cue, will spring into action. I'll be made to look like I said the stupidest thing in the planet, and made to feel as if I should have shut up and listened.

"From the moment I could talk
I was ordered to listen
Now there's a way and I know
That I have to go away"
- Cat Stevens, Father and Son

Due to this, nowadays I attend the meetings half-heartedly, and say very little. I don't even bother to smile or look nice to them anymore. There is no more pride, no more satisfaction. There is no more meaning when you no longer feel you can contribute. No more meaning when you feel unappreciated for your skills, but rather subjected to menial tasks.

My eloquence, surprisingly, has become my worst enemy. And this, I will never understand.