Networking

Definitely an activity that I utterly detest, not because I am totally adverse towards all social activities that require interaction with participants numbering more than two although that statement is not untrue. Nay, rather its for what the common usage of this word has degenerated into. In its original form, network wherein relates to human relationship is defined as a supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common interest.

In other words, networking is an event where people come together to make acquaintances for the sole purpose of uncovering how they may make use of each other. Not even with some cursory attempt to disguise the true intent. No doubt the vast majority of working adults' small talk do not breech the subject of one's occupation within three questions, but when people get together or proudly proclaim that its their main purpose for expanding their social circle, it does sound offensive, at least to me.

You want to come for a networking session? a colleague asked me. Oh you mean one of those events where you go around distributing and collecting name cards after which you file them all to be retrieved on the day you might possibly realise the value of association with that person? No thanks, I would much rather spend my time analysing the fascinating patterns on my ceiling.

Facebook also has the description of networking as an option for the types of relationships they are searching. Oh, how astoundingly candid: I am looking for people who might be of value to me, if I ever contact you it is probably because there is something in it for me, don't contact me, I will contact you. This is almost as irritating as "It's complicated" for your status which I had previously blogged about.

The guise of meeting people for the sole purpose of making friends seems like a totally alien concept, is it not? Are we in a culture that celebrates material gains and personal advancement openly and gratituously? Not that I am an advocate for hypocrisy but subtlety is not without merits. Yet increasingly the transparency with which we embrace networking is shocking, as though there it is the most natural thing to do.

In simplicity, historically speaking there are a few classes of people, the merchant class, the scholars/artists class, the civil government and the clergy/monks. In an affluent society like Singapore, it seems the merchant class is the most dominant and its influence has permeated to all other classes. If you look at the state of modern literature for example, much of it has been prostituted. The civil government while maintaining its reputation of incorruptability has to dangle a huge monetary carrot to attract talents into their ranks. Most disturbingly, the clergy is increasingly secularised that it smacks of commercialism and church harvest events are managed and marketed not unlike the latest products.

With the degeneration of society into one big merchant guild, it is little surprise that people are so candid about networking. Long live the merchants!