I'm beginning to collect a lot of linguistic pet peeves. Fortunately, my ever-declining short-term memory prevents me from recalling them all at once. So at any given moment, like this one, I can only rant about whichever offending idiom is briefly skimming across the surface of my consciousness.
Right now it's "I'm just doing my job" or "He/she is just doing his/her job." It's usually a well-meaning phrase intended to deflect anger away from an employee who is carrying out the odious policy of a larger organization. Take the parking-ticket writers on my campus, for instance. Those who are new to issuing citations and haven't learned to ignore hecklers and complainers probably think "I'm just doing my job" is all that's necessary to defend themselves against the rage of scofflaws who've left class early and found their cars being ticketed.
It's not. Now I love the ticket writers and try to always bid them a good morning when I walk past. If it weren't for them, I'd never have a parking space. But neither they, I, nor anyone else who feels it worth their time to explain to someone else what they're doing should respond with "I'm just doing my job." It's the Nuremberg defense, repackaged and dumbed down. You might as well tell the complaining party you're an android while you're at it.
Using this phrase is an attempt to evade any personal responsibility for job-related actions. And that won't suffice for anyone who thinks accountability is essential for individual and societal health. If you believe in the job, do it in good conscience; if you feel you must, explain the logic behind your work to anyone who resents you. If you don't believe in it, then either quit or be willing to admit that you don't like what you have to do. But to say you're "just doing your job," or to excuse a third party based on the same rationale, is to condone any conduct as long as some higher authority is involved. It's a prescription for disaster. The wise guy, the SS officer, and the Inquisitor were also all "just doing their jobs."
1 comments:
Agreed. This lackadasical behavior has led to societal demise. The acceptance of this behavior permits the aforementioned "type" to merely collect a paycheck. Not good enough. Life has become too easy. Example: the "Easy Button". Please allow me to add to this, only the circumstances and situation are changed. "I'm very sorry. You have cancer." ***as I place the pathology report on the windshield and walk away*** Who would do this? I recently attended a mandatory customer service seminar at my hospital. My director of nursing had everyone say, out loud, "That's not my job". She then proceeded to tell all 130 of us (one of about 15 groups)....."That's the last time you will ever say it". AMEN. ***whew***monkey is off my back now. Thanks.
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