Education, technology, and philosophy have changed the basic world as we know it. As with any change there have been casualties. In this case, the sheer simplicity of life. If invasive media had stepped on privacy, technology is treading on our minds, shrinking the space of free thought. If there was worry about advertising and the media eye being so in-the-face, the concern now is about traces of information bombardment chipping away at sensibility.
“Expert” advice on social media has furthered the pernicious thought that only a few -- those that lead in exploitation -- know it all. Half-baked theories propounded without essential closure add to the confusion. It’s almost as if knowledge and practices of centuries are suddenly so “yesterday.”
On the one hand, corruption is an evil yet to be addressed. On the other hand, state policies are crafted to leave loopholes to be prised open for further misdemeanours. When it all becomes unmanageable, there’s the lukewarm response of “there will be slippages in the context of bigger benefits.” From social institutions through business to education and religion, corruption -- whether financial or intellectual -- isn’t anything new.
From the coffers of the Vatican, through the never-declared Swiss bank accounts, to the profits made by educational institutions, the questions remain the same. As always, the answers aren’t there. In Africa the superiority quotient of tribes pervades clouding rational thinking for all the advances of education made. Colonial powers did their best to impose learning modules and cultures that were foreign, which were never truly acceptable except in a portion of populations, and yet have achieved their intended goals.
The resultant confusion and, to a large extent, merging of local and foreign thoughts and practices, have produced a complicated mix. Oil and water never truly get along -- that’s a lesson deliberately overlooked. For all the entreaties of poets, writers, and philosophers the inexorable march towards white space excluding the grey continues.
It’s about food on the table, not food for thought. Food for the soul has long since been consigned to the back-burner. Bigoted espousing of religion and social norms are in close competition with over-glorified nationalism. The difference between right and wrong has become so blurred that the definitions are being questioned. It doesn’t have to be.
A decided backtrack on evolution of society may well provide the answers. The age-old, proven barter was successful till greed and ambition, fuelled by promotions, took over. Co-existence, promoted by all religions, has been thrown asunder bringing about the confrontations of today. Those that can control the madness choose not to, either for personal motives or simply fear of going against the tide. This is the battle that must be won; propagating that which was meant to be and continued. If lies can be repeated till they become truths ,truth itself should prevail sooner.
There are those among true thinkers that bemoan their lack of sales of books, blaming this for not allowing meaningful discourses on writing. Trace back the lives of the majority of the doyens. Their lives were rarely awash with plenty. The little café where Wolfgang Mozart spent time over coffee was no five-star outlet. Kazi Nazrul found inspiration from the battle trenches. Ludwig van Beethoven found inspiration in long walks.
They were created because of an inner desire to not make a living. Humayun Ahmed’s best work came before commercialism bit deep -- platforms are required yet however. Think of Fyodor Dostoevsky and his view that patriotism fuels wars. Or Swami Vivekananda’s view that it was “sheer nonsense to desire the abolition of caste.” These were views to be balanced and judged from individual perspectives. Merely following such or, for that matter, any “-ism” would be an affront to human intelligence.
Mahmudur Rahman is a writer, columnist, broadcaster, and communications specialist.
