Factually, this is not true. The central message of Forrest Gump (FG) is that one can succeed in life without understanding or appreciating the circumstances one is in.

Examples:
- FG (in spite of low 75 IQ) gets into university through football, and that is because he is lucky to be spotted for his running ability which in turn is because he runs from those who throw things at him, and from accidental running, he also becomes independent of his leg braces;

- He becomes war hero not because of bravery but because he is oblivious of danger and just unwilling to abandon his friend who later helps him in shrimp business;

- He succeeds in shrimp business not because he has business acumen but because his boat miraculously survives a hurricane and becomes the monopolist in harvest of shrimps;

- He becomes a champion ping-pong player simply by not taking his eye off the ball, and then as it happens PingPong US-China diplomacy sees him representing the nation in China!

The central message is that he succeeds by not taking his eye off the ball, the “ball” here meaning something he happens to be focusing on at any time without being aware of circumstances and implications. It means if you focus on “A” (which has nothing good about it by itself for you) “A” may lead to “B” and “B” may lead to “C” that makes you famous and rich! You’d never know, and this why FG’s mother tells him, son, . “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”

To an extent, it is true you’d get never plan your life. FG’s girl friend Jenny, in contrast plans, analyses, questions, plans and experiments with fancy-free lifestyles, smokes dope, protests against war, screws and gets AIDs. FG on the other hand follows what he has been told, does not challenge authority, worships God, honors his mother, joins the army, fights the bullshit Vietnam war (ie embrace mainstream values equivalent to our Rukunegara) and succeeds because by focusing on “A” somehow he can get lucky to reap “B” that flows unplanned from “A”.

Make no mistake about it, I enjoy the film tremendously and its central character. And even if I agree with the maxim “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get”, one cannot get by in life by just depending on what it inside the chocolate box!

The message is against analyzing and planning of one’s life, just keep focus simple, follow blindly what we have been thought about homely virtues (belief in God, honor parents, fight for country, loyalty to friends) and presto great things might happen – that’s the message!

The message is therefore subversive of the human spirit to try to manage, plan, grapple and control events and circumstances thrown at us in a wicked world. So I don’t know what “some trainers” are trying to do to use “Forrest Gump” in their motivational programmes. You motivate people to apply effort to fight against destiny; there’s nothing to motivate if like FG, one just sits back and keep things simple by keeping your eye on the ball! Trainers use FG because they keep their eye on the ball of money that they get best paid from the wide customer base of average and not particularly talented people who dream of success, who have been told that like FG, they can also can make it in a life if they focus on simple homilies – do what is immediately in front of them energetically – and the rest will take care of itself for Life is a box of chocolates, you’d never know what you’re going to get. That’s preaching like a Charlatan!

This is what Barisan National will tell you. If youi believe that, then, by the same standard, Pak Lah – with his “tak tahu” and simple homilies – may well stumble, like FG, to become the best FG PM bringing great prosperity, harmony and democracy to this country!

Thought you might wish to know, as well. :)

Thought you might wish to know.

But the guy was intelligent enough, despite his 74 or 75 IQ, to understand and appreciate his circumstances, tried very hard and did make some progress to improve his life despite his handicap. Give him some credit. Ligh hearted the picture may be but try to see some other (positive) perspectives.

And for good measure, see Peter Sellers in “Being There.”

Looks like she is guilty for being Filipino.

Ha ha, is that why they are harping on development of human capital – that we’re Forest Gump?

But Forrest Gump is supposed to be not only simplistic in thinking but also not intelligent. He wafts through life without choosing or believing in anything and his responses (unpredictable) are dictated by coincidences, happenstance and fortuitous events over which he has neither engineered nor have control. He is a success ultimately because he is an accidental hero in right place and right time where stupid actions turn out to be the best course, given the circumstances.

So maybe we don’t have to do anything to expose corrupt politicians. Left on their own, they would entangle themselves in all kinds of contradictions and implode. Happy Forrest Gump endings. :)

Is there no way for action to be taken against those who go well beyond their jurisdiction in enforcing the law? Surely there must be some recourse. If there is none at present, can something be done?

Most of the patron and i was to follow them to the balai police,I ask the officer why the two white ladies was not question ,His reply was ” TAK KAN MEREKE NAK PERLACUR DI SINI” To the PDRM you are guilty till proven innocent ,Until that day i had high regards for the man in blue ,now they are just a bunch of thugs paid by us tax payers.

Sad to say my girl friend and i will never step into a local pub ever again.Can i sue the PDRM for that.

A bailout is actually a “soft loan” given in the “national interest”. The minister did no wrong in issuing “Letters of Support” and not guarantees. And Nat’s high-handed and maybe Gestapo-style detention was done following “normal police procedures”. And yes, the government can even justify and prove that pigs can fly if need be.

Man, the PM and his goons must think the public have IQs equivalent to Forrest Gump but they forget that Forrest Gump wasn’t that stupid after all. Will the populace have happy endings?

The Star prostituted itself by perpetrating this myth of the unruly Opposition in order to raise the sceptre of riots – the only hope MCA has of retaining any of its seats. BN still can only hope to thrive if Malaysian society is divided….Now they are seeking to polarise and alienate the Opposition from the people, and harden the battle lines.

The whole situation is almost irreversible. The rot has really gotton to the core. The way we are continuing we will end up the real losers…economically. By doing nothing, we perpetuate the situation. We should all really think about our future by using our votes wisely. Its better to do something than to do nothing!