|
分享一个知识点： Reader question: In this sentence – EU innovation needs paradigm shift – what does “paradigm shift” mean? My comments: A paradigm is a prototype, an example, a pattern or generally speaking a model. A model, of course, is someone or something for others to model on. In other words, give us a model and we’ll all copy and follow suit. That way, life is all sweet and easy, isn’t it? Unfortunately, life changes and sometimes a model need be changed. That’s where “paradigm shift” comes into play. Paradigm shift originally refers to a radical change in theory developed in new scientific fields wherein old theories no longer seem to apply. In everyday conversation, on the other hand, “paradigm shift” simply represents any fundamental change in our collective thinking. In China prior to the 1980s, for instance, young people looking for jobs were almost always advised to seek what was called an “iron rice bowl”, that is, a position in a government organization where one’s pay is fixed and good for life. Since the 1980s, however, a paradigm shift has occurred. Nowadays, at least some people are looking for higher paying as well as more challenging jobs than the humdrum occupation offered by a government agency. Still others look to start up their own companies, thus seeking to become owners rather than mere employees – something unthinkable, no doubt, to their parents. | 
