Giovanni Floris

q:it:Giovanni Floris (born 1967), Italian journalist, writer, and television presenter.

Quotes

What is populism? In politics, it is the tendency of a person to appeal directly to an undefined ‘people’, whom they consider to be the bearers of positive values, in contrast to an undefined ‘elite’ (which we might call ‘the caste’, ‘the powers that be’, ‘the left’, sometimes ‘the right’, often ‘the politicians’, etc.), who are the bearers of negative values. From the populist's point of view, the people are obviously those who agree with their ideas, who applaud them and do not question them. Outside the people, and motivated by pernicious intentions, are those who do not follow the leader's ideas, or who in some way oppose or distort them, or simply doubt them.
- Che cosa è il populismo? In politica è la tendenza di un soggetto a rivolgersi direttamente a un non meglio identificato «popolo», da lui considerato portatore di valori positivi in contrasto a una non meglio identificata «élite» (da noi diremmo «la casta», o «i poteri forti», «le sinistre», talvolta «le destre», spesso «i politici»...) portatrice di valori negativi. Dal punto di vista del populista il popolo è ovviamente quello che è d'accordo con le sue idee, che le acclama, che non le discute. Fuori dal popolo, e mosso da intenti perniciosi, è chi alle idee del leader non si accoda, o che comunque in qualche modo le contrasta o falsifica, o delle quali semplicemente dubita.
  - From the Lectio magistralis at the University of Cagliari (November 12, 2010)
With Ballarò, I learned that there will always be someone who will describe what you do in a negative way. They say that video goes to your head. For me, it was a humbling experience.
- Con "Ballarò" ho imparato che ci sarà sempre una voce che descrive quello che fai in modo cattivo. Si dice che il video monta la testa. Per me è stato un bagno di umiltà.
  - As quoted in L'Espresso (October 27, 2005)
Power is not contested, it is conquered.
- Il potere non si contesta, si conquista.
  - At the Democratic Party political school, Cortona, September 23, 2011
Pragmatism helps you achieve your goals, but it also makes you forget them.
- Il pragmatismo ti aiuta a raggiungere gli scopi che ti sei prefisso, però te li fa anche dimenticare.
  - From an interview at Otto e mezzo TV program (April 4, 2013)
Politics on TV can be very easy, even for politicians, or for politicians who pretend not to be politicians: populist politicians.
- La politica in Tv può essere molto facile anche per i politici, o per i politici che fanno finta di non essere tali: i politici populisti.
  - From the Lectio magistralis at the University of Cagliari (November 12, 2010)
The web was born as an attempt to open up the world and everyone's minds, but it has been reduced to a world where each of us seeks confirmation of what we already think.
- La rete era nata come tentativo di aprire il mondo e la testa di tutti, ma si è ridotta al mondo dove ognuno di noi cerca le conferme a quello che pensa.
  - As quoted in Giovanni Floris: «Nel mio talk c’è spazio anche per l’arte», Corriere.it (April 14, 2017)
The truth exists, but we can never know if it is what we are saying.
- La verità esiste, ma non possiamo mai sapere se è quella che stiamo dicendo noi.
  - From an interview at Che tempo che fa (March 5, 2011)
I prepare thoroughly and set myself a goal. And I usually manage to achieve it.
- Mi preparo molto e miro a un obiettivo. E in genere riesco a portarlo a casa.
  - As quoted in L'espresso (October 27, 2005)
I have always believed that being on the right means defending opportunities for everyone, while being on the left means working hard to ensure that everyone has more opportunities.
- Sono sempre stato convinto che essere di destra significhi difendere le opportunità di tutti, mentre essere di sinistra significhi darsi da fare perché tutti abbiano più opportunità.
  - As quoted in Paolo Bonolis, Radio 2 (January 30, 2009)
I am sure that we should not be elitist. But the idea that because those who are in power now are not doing a good job, they can be replaced by anyone else because they are all the same, is a dangerous idea for the construction of a society. The idea that money is seen as a symbol of sin, that any step away from poverty or simplicity is a step away from purity, is a very dangerous idea.
- Sono sicuro che non si debba essere elitari. Ma l'idea che siccome chi c'è ora non sta lavorando bene, sia sostituibile da chiunque perché tanto uno vale l'altro, è un'idea pericola per la costruzione di una Società. L'idea che il denaro venga visto come un simbolo di peccato, come qualsiasi gradino che distacca dalla povertà o dalla semplicità possa essere un gradino che ti allontana dalla purezza, questa è un'idea molto pericolosa.
  - Che tempo che fa (March 23, 2013)
Everything has a future, if you invent something.
- Tutto ha un futuro, se si inventa qualcosa.
  - As quoted in Aldo Cazzullo, Corriere della Sera (September 3, 2017)
The absolute lack of trust we have in the words and power of school to solve problems is condemning this country to decline. We have now shifted our focus from what can be given in terms of skills to what can be spent in terms of money: this is causing infinite damage to society, which is becoming permeated with the certainty that money can solve everything.
- L'assoluta poca fiducia che abbiamo nelle parole e nel potere della scuola di risolvere le cose sta condannando questo Paese al declino. Ormai abbiamo spostato l'interesse da quello che si può dare in termini di competenza, a quello che si può spendere in termini di soldi: un danno infinito per la società, che si sta permeando della certezza che coi quattrini puoi risolvere ogni cosa.
  - At the event in Amatrice for World Communications Day.. As quoted in Giovanni Floris incontra gli operatori della comunicazione: «Siate tenaci, studiate sempre e non cercate scorciatoie», chiesadirieti.it (February 6, 2020)
The religious person proclaims the truth, the journalist seeks it. And if he believes he has found it, he must verify it, not trust it immediately. The thread of truth is a necessity for the journalist who reports: seeking the reason behind things means concentrating, analysing, studying, and giving importance to the words one is using.
- Il religioso annuncia la verità, il giornalista la ricerca. E se crede di averla trovata deve appurarla, non fidarsene subito. Il filo della verità è una necessità per il giornalista che racconta: cercare la ragione delle cose, vuol dire concentrarsi, analizzare, studiare, dare importanza alla parola che si sta usando.
  - At the event in Amatrice for World Communications Day.. As quoted in Giovanni Floris incontra gli operatori della comunicazione: «Siate tenaci, studiate sempre e non cercate scorciatoie», chiesadirieti.it (February 6, 2020)

La fabbrica degli ignoranti

Giovanni Floris, La fabbrica degli ignoranti, Rizzoli, Milano, 2008. ISBN 978-88-17-02486-0

Incipit

Why do I look pissed off? – begins the young manager, glaring at his audience as he paces up and down the stage at the company convention – I look pissed off because I sense mistrust, I sense expectation, I sense those critical looks you get when you watch a football match and you can't believe what's happening... everyone's an expert, why?

Quotes

When a colleague mentioned the phenomenon of early graduates during a dinner, we all thought he was referring to young prodigies who had managed to finish their studies in record time. In reality, early graduates are not prodigies, but rather individuals who, thanks to agreements stipulated by the institutions where they work or the professional associations to which they belong, were able to enrol directly in the second or third year of their degree programme. (p. 187)
In Italy, to get something, you don't have to deserve it: ‘if you have to, make them feel sorry for you’. Closed systems are those that, hermetically sealed off from the surrounding reality, end up living a life of their own, based on rules, values and principles that are not shared by anyone other than those who are part of the system. In a closed organisation, we have leaders who would be followers elsewhere, we have performance evaluation criteria that would not be recognised as such in any other environment, we have numbers that would not be classified in other contexts. We have barons who would be squires elsewhere. (p. 195)
Those who get their hands on a professorship never let go and can afford to build their own power system: the privileges and prestige associated with teaching allow them to cultivate interests, and thus being a university professor can become a way to obtain commissions, consultancies, contracts, contacts and jobs useful for private studies. Without any exchange of money, but only through the exchange of favours and kindness, a system of power is consolidated that cuts out those who have no power. (p. 199)

Explicit

The Finnish paradise was born in 1995, the year in which the system was completely reformed. When presenting the reform, the Minister of Public Education said that he dreamed of a school that would stimulate creativity and reflection, entertain and not humiliate. It seems he got what he wanted. What about us?

Mal di merito

Giovanni Floris, Mal di merito. L'epidemia di raccomandazioni che paralizza l'Italia, Rizzoli, Milano, 2007. ISBN 978-88-17-01957-6

Incipit

Who is the genius? asked Philippe Noiret's voiceover as he recounted the exploits of ‘Amici miei’ (My Friends). The genius is the one who invents the unexpected, who creates something that does not exist and resolves a situation in an unexpected way.

Quotes

Are Italian professors in better shape than others? What is the secret to their longevity? After all, being a professor cannot be easy: continuous lectures, updating, theses to supervise, research to coordinate and articles to publish, all without stopping, otherwise the international community will cut you off. It cannot be easy to be a professor, unless you find someone to do all these things for you. (p. 90)
It is difficult to propose a reform of the university system that guarantees results. The idea that competitive examinations ensure excellent professors for all universities certainly does not seem to work. The reality is that if a department wants to hire an incompetent candidate, it will always manage to do so, regardless of the complex rules of public competitions. (p. 163)
But what is stopping meritocracy in Italy? Why has respect for ability and talent, which seems to have developed in the Anglo-Saxon world, not developed here? Giuseppe De Rita blames the education system, particularly state schools, which have levelled everything down, while economist Diorella Kostoris points out that in Italy the dominant idea is to protect those who do not deserve it. Thus, the system guarantees everything to everyone, and the result is that it causes adverse selection, i.e. it penalises the best instead of rewarding them. (p. 169)

Explicit

Italy will recover if it reverses its scale of values: when teachers are proud to reward deserving students and ashamed to recommend incompetent ones, when public administrators have the sense of responsibility, strength and pride to hire deserving people for positions they feel are their own. Investing in people, providing them with knowledge, culture and skills, cultivating their talent and giving them the opportunity to prove their worth means giving ourselves strength, autonomy and freedom. It means breaking the pattern of favours and gratitude, crumbling the power of castes and monopolies, and giving all citizens the opportunity to grow, regardless of their political views, social status or economic status. Because we are all born equal and we all have the right to try.

Bibliography

Giovanni Floris, La fabbrica degli ignoranti, Rizzoli, Milano, 2008. ISBN 978-88-17-02486-0
Giovanni Floris, Mal di merito. L'epidemia di raccomandazioni che paralizza l'Italia, Rizzoli, Milano, 2007. ISBN 978-88-17-01957-6