24/01/2018
Opinions &Perceptions :: Role in Human History
Though very strange but our history is often shaped by general opinions and perceptions rather than mere turn of events as they occur. Events are nothing but the manifestation of opinions/perceptions. This opinion or perception may be held by a particular group of people, whose thoughts get converted into action and preceding an action is a long history of change in thought both at a conscious and sub conscious level.
So what exactly governs these thoughts or effects the changes which cause the action ??
1. Media Propaganda : Our source of information in current age is governed by Media at various levels, whether it be electronic , print or digital media. It is always the story that we hear based on facts ( verified or not) which shapes our opinion in a particular manner. Our awareness of the actual issue is sometimes very limited, but our opinions can be very strong. A recent case in point is so many youths who supported Sh. Anna Hazare in his campaign for Jan Lokpal, were not even aware of the bill or the clauses for which they were fighting, but there belief against the system was very firm. Here the point I would like to make is not that I am developing a case for or against someone/thought/ movement etc. , what I try to highlight here is merely a phenomenon to which not much attention is focused.
2. Education : Education shapes the morality and character of an individual. Education is not just what we have received in school's ,colleges etc. but it also encompasses our learning's in our home, society and also our own experiences. Education is a continuous process. literacy is different, education is different, though both are the arms of the same body, but in essence they mean very different. An illiterate individual can be very civil and dignified and can have noble opinions or thoughts, but the same can not be guaranteed for a literate. In our mythology Ravan is a literate and learned brahmin, but his morality or actions have made him a villain. So our education plays a essential role in deciding our "tilt" in terms of opinion. Our belief system is often a by product of our society or environment in which we live. But this is not necessarily a universal case, there have been marked individuals from time to time who have moved away from convention and effected a realistic change.
3. Mob Physiology : More than being a term it is a phenomenon and a very strong phenomenon when we tread the history of our human race. Every individual feels the need to be associated or bonded socially and as such when a majority is developing in favor of a particular opinion, the individual tends to side with the majority, more out of peer pressure rather than his own opinion. Case in point is Riots, Social Networking, Ragging in colleges,Revolution etc. It takes a few inspired individuals to collectively mold the opinion of many which in terms make many manyother's to join in. It is almost a chain reaction and in such scenario's opinions and perceptions are developed in a rapid manner leading to mass mobilization. Where these inpired individual's develop opinions ?? answer can be found in the first 2 points.
Factoring the above points and also many sub points we might arrive at as to how an opinion or perception gets developed.
Now moving on to our second part : How does opinion / perception effect the course or nature of our history ??
Here in again i would present cases in our history :
Case 1 : Native Red Indians in america were considered a bunch of outlaws and often summarily executed and killed. By whom ??? colonial settlers from UK, Spain etc. The same people who belong to the -"Land of Free" - United States of America.........We ignore all this, and not just this the discrimination based on color or race ( which often is deep rooted in western societies till date). USA has been the only true superpower for more than a decade and the pride they reflect in equality, freedom etc. is what the image maximum people carry, when asked about US. The gulf wars , fight for oil, innocent killings in Iraq etc. all seems washed out of our perceptions and US is considered a good and just world leader. WHY ??? Opinion and perception or the soft power skills that US has so widely employed throughout it's history. Excellent PR !!.
Before going into war with Iraq or Afghanistan a massive campaign to mold the opinion/perception was carried out and suddenly civilized people start accepting the fact a few innocents will be killed here and there ........why ??? because the fight is not in there backyard??? or the price for peace sometimes has to be paid in violence.
Case 2 : French/Russian/American Revolution all have been the products of pragmatic shift in opinions. French revolution initiated and inspired so many other revolutions. while French revolution is totaly a change of opinion as was effected in consciousness of people of that time. This opinion got converted to a revolution that bought about massive social change - the main principle was that of equality, justice & freedom.....yet when these nation states rose in power there colonial objectives were not diminished....the principle of equality to all human beings was not applicable outside Europe, as often these states conquered other nation states and subjugated them for financial purposes or i should say exploited them.....what happened to those high principles of humanity within the public of france at that time ????? Opinion and Perception :::: In the relative superiority of there own thoughts......this is often the major cause of strife when people can not be at peace with thoughts which are different from there's ..... This world is big enough to accommodate multiple thoughts and perceptions a clash is not the option.
Case 3 : Everybody talks about thousands of innocents killed in Gujrat Riots following the Godra Train Massacre.......there are endless stories and opinions voiced all over about thousands of muslims who were killed.....I would like to ask - does anyone know or has heard stories or articles about any of the victims of Godra Train massacre.....why??? these are important questions because what initiated this carnage needs to be addressed. General opinion is that the state government acted in total neglect and infact boosted the situation - completely agreed, but more than being a law & order problem, many of our problems our social in nature and this needs to be understood by our future leaders. We require a visionary to lead India in this changing world scenario were the power shifts from west to asia in the coming century. In this regard I shall back a more determined and decisive leader that has developed in Mr. Modi or Mr. Nitish Kumar, they are some examples amongst our current political class, who have the necessary courage to effect change. I shall prefer them over a non decisive UPA.....it is a cardinal sin to get into that mode of inaction, where you let anything and everything take charge. You make decisions, they can be wrong or right ....but not making one is definitely wrong. Mr. Modi is like the necessary evil in the current scenario who shall drive change and progress, which in turn elevates the standard of our people and education, but he is a limited commodity, to be employed only as long as he serves that purpose, and in future we shall need somebody better to replace him. His morality in terms of religious bend is questionable, but his work for development is what is the need of the hour.......The need of the hour is crucial in determining where we stand in the coming year's vis a vis China, which is definitely the superpower in the coming decades. Here the development done and effected by Modi has changed the perception about him, first in our business class and now in many of our middle class.
The fundamental questions we need to ask ourselves are - what kind of a world order we shall create ?? , what shall be the ethos and beliefs in this new world order ?? , How we will be able to approach a more humane facet of our global society ??? How can we maintain world order and peace ??? Will violence be a major factor to determine the true world order (as has been the history on this planet of ours) ??? How will we be different and evolved in the coming century ??? What is the next phase in our human history ???
And while we try to find our answers for all these questions we need to be cautious of our opinions and perceptions and be more ready and willing to make room for some more, as this shall make our world a much better place to live.
Love & Luck
Mav
P.S.
I have tried to condense the thought process here, to present an abridged version of the whole theory. In case of further questions or debate, all are welcome :-)