We’re products on the shelf

What if I tell you we’re actually a product in the giant hypermarket shelf and we are just sitting over there and wait for someone to pick up, waiting for someone to choose you, value you? Yes, I’m not kidding, the college is the factory that produces us as tools to fit in the society. And the shelf in the hypermarket is the gatekeeper who is the one to evaluate your contribution to society?

And now the variety on the shelf is getting congested than ever before. Because the demand is getting lesser and the products oversupply. And yet, the shelf space is limited to fit you in. Therefore, the gatekeeper only wants the best, the profitable, the cheapest on the shelf. And real soon, you’re eliminated from the shelf space and abandoned by the gatekeeper.

Sounds familiar, right? The whole society is the almighty shelf space. The college is the producer, the factory. And they produce every individual with the same capability, the same mindset, assessing the same test. And they produce it with speed and relentlessly like the GM factory produces the car in the United States.

Of cause, the society (the shelf) only want the best grade students, the top students, the most compliance in your class to fit in this society. So, question, what are you then? We’re nothing but a cog in the giant machine. Because we fit in.

As a manufacturer, they need to pay an immense amount of money just to list in the product on the shelf and get the maximum exposure by placing so much of POSM (point of sales materials) on the shelf to shout how good their products and how can we benefit by using their products. But, people tend to ignore them, because we’re good at it. Because we already had what we wanted in our life. Toothpaste, Hair Shampoo, Detergent, Yogurts, Diary products. We don’t want any more commodity.

But, college is very good at producing the commodity. Instead of cultivating a creative thinking person. They force you to follow all the test and assessment just for you to prepare to fit in society. They produce compliant, obedient people who are good in following instructions from the boss. College is good in commoditizing. And yet, the parents still believe sending their kids to college can change their children live.

In ‘ The Long Tail ‘, Chris Anderson describe the internet are now the market of an infinite shelf that products demand are never-ending in every niche market pool. Therefore, amateur and expert are now connected in every corner of the world. The internet is now the place for us to expose ourselves. We no longer need any gatekeeper to judge or evaluate our contribution to society. We can now do something that can be able to find every prospect audience on the internet. We can now create our artwork without any hassle and criticism of the gatekeeper. We no longer needed to wait for someone to pick up, choose us. We are now the products of our choices. Now, it’s your move to make the choice.

“I’m not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.”

– Stephen Covey

Image source: http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-amazon-and-hachette-explained-20140602-story.html