Afzal Choudhry
31 December was the last day of the year 2024. Though, I am hopeful but yet saying it with a heavy heart that we as people have become completely intellectually dumb, deaf, and blind. We have been trapped in our own selves and ideas to the extent that we completely ignored speaking the language of wisdom, listening to understand, and observing with reasoning. We have made the shrines of our own choices so high and solid that all the other rational idols except worshiping these shrines appear to us to be stone.
We will talk here about the overall mental distraction and conflict of the nation. Politically, those who love Imran Khan unconditionally see Mian Nawaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto as thieves and corrupt. People of Muslim League Nawaz consider Sharif brothers as messiahs and Tehreek-e-Insaf people as rude and spoiled Pakistanis. The supporters of Bilawal Bhutto take Jialas as the only ideological and intellectual people and consider the supporters of other parties as non-political.
This is the situation with us religiously that we consider our own religious group on the right path and all the rest to hell.
This is the case with our showbiz that we consider our favorite artists heroes and everyone else zero. Just as yesterday, I shared a brief account of my meeting with a leading artist Meera on social media, and some people criticized me. Although film star Meera has not only made her mark in Lollywood for two decades, but has also proved herself as a dynamic actress in Bollywood.
Why are we trapped in the shell of our own ideology and choices to such an extent that we have stopped recognizing other people even on the basis of humanity? Why don’t we understand that one nation’s heroes are another nation’s villains? Why don’t we make our thinking and behavior balanced and positive so that we all feel positive and right.
If someone has a political disagreement with you, it is his own likes or dislikes. But he is as credible as you are. Neither he was born through the mouth nor you. If someone has a different opinion from you religiously, still he has a complete faith in God and the Prophet (PBUH).
The fact is that developing nations mostly suffer from this disease and unless they change their thinking and behavior, no miracle will happen. Rather, we will only do PhD in unjustified criticism, making memes, and witticism.
On the other hand, developed nations are so balanced in their behavior and thinking that even if they don’t accept every new thought, culture, and/or personal likes and dislikes, they at least respect them.
Don’t accept, but respect!
