Week Three. It is the mid-way point in this Entrepreneurship Quest. Last week, it was an exuberance of ideas and planning, akin to Simba singing “I can’t wait to be king.” Now, execution starts. Rush. Stress, and potentially exploring shortcuts. “Can I bulk purchase products and call it my own?” or even an innocent lie about lunch (to play more), and other possible schemes.
That’s a small sign of Machiavellism. It’s part of the dark triad personality traits. And Uncle Scar has all of the three traits: Machiavellianism (a manipulative attitude), Narcissism (excessive self-love), and Psychopathy (lack of empathy).
Every one of us has some bits of dark triad. It is the hidden shadow, and if unwatched, can potentially lead to disasters. Like the fall of the Pride Rock. Or the birth of Darth Vader. Or the rise of Thanos.
Self-Talk: This is an ActonKL blog; not some Disney-fuelled philosophies (and your narcissism to write such stories). Your job is to share memories of ActonKL! OK, here’s what happened this week (with Eagles taking courage facing dark triad traits). Oh, that Machiavellianism is still slithering…
Start with Self – Yoga
One way against the dark triad is to pay attention to the essential human experiences. Breathing, body, and mind. Enter Yoga with Uncle Ganesh. He started by getting the Eagles to observe their breath, and then introduce postures. Eagles were surprised how long Uncle Ganesh could breathe, and how this one activity relates to every aspect of living. That is just the beginning—awareness of self.
Namaskar Ganesh.
Reflect History. Civilization – Julius Caesar
History provides lessons to the extent of human good and evil. ActonKL’s History is done via Socratic Discussions, where the Eagles faced tough choices. This week, their Civilization discussion was about Julius Caesar.
- Did Caesar deserve to die or not?
- Is assassination ever morally justified? A question was posed, “if we knew the future, like this kid, will be a serial killer, would you kill the kid while he is still an infant?”
- Which provides the best government—aristocracy, democracy or monarchy? Which type of government do we have in Malaysia?
These questions are loaded with a judgment of the dark triad traits. Better narrate it before facing one potentially in real life.
Discuss as a Human. The Lunch Dilemma
We have found the food drives behaviors. Preferably, we (and many parents) want their Eagles to consume clean fuel. Yet, we have to respect individual and family choices. There’s no ending of argument, many children would prefer sugary drinks and fast food as often as they can. Try putting a child (or even an adult) on a top-class buffet—ice creams over salad, chips over quinoa. But clearly, as parents and guardians, we are pursuing long-term well-being, not short-term happiness.
It is hard, especially if you are a child, to be eating clean, vegan diet and your friends are eating McDonald’s. But it’s even harder to enforce food preferences on others. It’s one shortcut to becoming unpopular. Then, there is a question of budget. It’s an endless debate. In ActonKL, we want to cultivate healthy living. Clean fuel makes the body and mind feel light. That makes the job of focused learning and clear thinking easier. The reverse is also true—try dal baati churma or a triple cheeseburger for lunch. The only desirable thing after that is a nap. But we respect different cultures, and that includes food preferences. This puts us in an awkward spot of cultivating well-being and respecting the autonomy of decisions.
We needed more insights into the community. A poll was created. It was clear that most parents expressed healthy eatings, with some moderate fun food (fast food, sugary drinks, treats) for Friday and Special Celebrations. Perhaps, that’s a middle ground. So, we proposed that to the community forward.
Oops, the poll was to the parents. And the Middle School (MS) Eagles wanted to air their opinions. They want the inalienable right to choose what they eat. So, enter the heated townhall discussion on Friday. They recognized and agreed that their order of fast food has resulted in influencing younger Eagles and often resulted to a messy kitchen. There were some suggestions. Each suggestion was debated to ensure it is solid. But time ran out. So, there’s no resolution, and you just had to stay tuned next week!
That’s a mature, level-headed way of dealing with an issue. Do it consciously, not compulsively :))
But they are young. A World without the Dark Traits?
The Elementary School Studio takes their world in a lighter tone. They don’t face these dark traits as much. We often admire them for their attitude to Hakuna Matata. But we are often surprised by their potential (of both brightness and darkness).
ROFL Presentation workshops
They started the week with presentation workshops with Ms. Florence. They played through charades and storytelling about “my friend’s fictional life.” The stories were funny. Many Eagles were ROFL (rolling on the floor).
“Abhi is 32 years old and a superhero with the rest of the Acton Eagles but he still loves playing Minecraft..”
These workshops are part of a broader experience: “We must practice the skills now because we need to speak to the customers to sell more!”
E-Ship Competitions
The E-Ship Quest now entered to Week 3. Eagles explore more about markets and consumers. This Quest is much more intense one versus last year, as takes two forms: the lemonade stand challenge and preparation of Children’s Business Fair (CBF).
The Eagles got involved competitively in the image challenge for the lemonade stand. They discussed in groups, and shared their ideas in the studio.
“You should buy from us because we are organic, we use only recyclable cups, and we are yummy!”
“Better for you, better for the environment.”
“We cannot reveal too much. Come! Be surprised during the exhibition!”
Meanwhile, for the CBF. The Eagles planned ahead using a calendar. A calendar empowers Eagles to be in charge of their business, by seeing what they need to do in the future.
Starting a business can be overwhelming. As the Eagles break down what needs to be done, the problems began to evolve into steps and solutions with a clear goal.
“We only have 3 weeks!!!”
“I need to make sure I get my product prototyping done this weekend.”
“Oh no, I have no time.”
“Yayy I am ready for CBF!”
Ice Skating (Assessments)
It’s been the Eagles’ eighth lesson. The ice skating coach did a short assessment of skills to review where the Eagles are.
“I can do the backward wiggle!!!”
“What!!! OMG, I’ll need to get off the railing!”
As usual, there were sounds of encouragements: “We can do it, guys!!”
Oh, kids are so cute!
It seems apparent that the voice of the children is positive. They are so adorable and innocent!
Really? The dark triad trait is the breeding recipe for malevolence. If you are facing one, you know it—it is traumatic (unless you are a seasoned NAVY Seal with a Good attitude). It exists in the playground of 2 to 3 years old. A 3-year-old playground bully is not uncommon. He is just protecting his turf—his playground. He believes that he is the king of the playground. Being a king means he can do whatever he wants (so long he can get away with it). Possibly supported by an entitled and neglectful parent who makes him think that it’s OK to be the king of the playground. The problem: that belief is where the dark triad trait breeds. And what if the turf is bigger? A neighborhood, an organization, a country, or even the world?
The important question: What do we do about it (when we face malevolence)?
Be aware that you too have that potential of darkness. Acknowledge those motives and feelings; don’t let it control you.
Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.—Master Yoda
Face those fears. Move forward with courage. Stand up with the shoulders straight. Tell the truth. Orientate towards the North Star—the Good. Struggle and then transform. Realize that the only turf that you have full reign over is yourself. Invictus.
That’s the Hero’s Journey. And that is how Simba grew out of Hakuna Matata and faced Scar.
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