Reason for centuries has been suppressed with violence or threat of violence from the powers that be. Ordinary folks were fooled by Bull Shit that's packaged with a highly esoteric language and interpretations by the clergy! And we still have foolishness around!! To ask some one to use their reasoning power might invite threats, sometimes not so subtle!! I am afraid of physical force, for I am a mere mortal. But I would not stop speaking truth! I don't know if what I say to those who live in Blissful ignorance would ever change their thinking or rather help them start thinking at all! It's a shame that those who spread Medieval ideas that reinforce male-chauvinistic, paternalistic and highly irrational ideas use Modern technology that's made by men and women who thrashed old notions and irrationality! Another aspect off it is people who belittle woman talk to respect to woman with the help of religious tools.
A little bit of History might help you folks, it's the questioning of old order that led to the changes - Renaissance, Industrial Revolution and Enlightenment! Had it not been for people who were skeptical of the then existing order and who challenged the existing notions, you and I would not have had Television, Internet etc., to spread your Bull-shit around. Even politically, if it were not for the people who challenged the authority that got it's sanctity by conniving with the priestly class you would not have had the present conditions and would have lived a life of serf while the Royal in the name of GOD feasted and lived in glory! It's not your prayers, your rituals, your stupid concern with purity of blood or your intolerance towards beliefs that are different from yours or anything that's irrational!! Well, at the cost of being ridiculed by all you people, I urge you again to start using your brain in all realms of life and live a life free of the burden imposed by Religion, Caste, regionalism and even patriotism! Well, I know you have no time for my bull-shit because you have your share of Bull-shit to take care of. And reading my bull-shit might incense you all! There's a very little probability of your brain start thinking on these and that would be a strain to your brains! It also needs a great of amount of courage to be skeptical and to renounce your ancient ideas! You would not want to do away with your laziness and cowardice. Well, good luck with it!
Block me (on FB), threaten me and attack me - the most you could do is kill me. As George Bernard Shaw said murder is the highest form of censorship, while milder forms being physical attacks! Having said that I am very frightened at the prospect of being attacked - but I would not want to stop speaking the truth! I would not be incensed if one questions my atheism or views! As Voltaire said, "I disagree with what you have to say but will fight to the death to protect your right to say it." And to be rational is to be tolerant with people who have beliefs different from you. Tolerance doesn't mean acceptance of bull-shit!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Monday, August 30, 2010
Necessity of Rationalism
Necessity of Rationalism
Only two things are infinite: One is the Universe and the other is stupidity and I’m not sure about the former
--- Albert Einstein
When I was in my college this quote would strike my mind so often. My college was in a sub urban area and I stayed in a village during my graduation. I was quite annoyed at my class mates, college mates and co-students believing in Astrology, numerology, “vasthu” magical gems and self professed GOD MEN (Babas). As is my wont I would criticise their beliefs and would urge them to think rationally and have some scientific temper. Naturally they fell on deaf ears. I thought it to be a rural and sub urban phenomenon.
It’s been 15 months in corporate world still I see the same stupidity everywhere. People around still talk of “Vasthu” of their homes affecting their lives; still think that a particular day will be a bad day based on horoscopes, worst still belief in Babas. I, time and again, try to urge them to see the reason and not to be misled by these illogical and irrational things. I come across two responses in these arguments.
1) “Every one cannot be as strong as you (that’s me) and so need some moral support” from these magical gems and astrologers.
2) This is a very interesting and surprising response “You may not believe these things but we believe in it, don’t ask us the logic”
While the first argument is undermining human will and strength and showing lack of self confidence, the second one is intellectual laziness and an insult to their education, for education teaches us to think rationally and question. These may seem to be personal and private affairs and some even say that it should be left to individuals. But by following these irrational practices blindly, we are not only patronizing the modern thieves in disguise viz., the astrologers, vasthu-pandits, numerologists and babas we are also passing on the unscientific thinking to the next generation. Students who are a bridge for one generation to the next, if don’t use their brains and follow unscientific “sciences” (some ironically claim vaasthu, astrology and numerology to be sciences) that will lead to intellectual bankruptcy. The difference between the minority of the well educated and the majority of semi-illiterate and the illiterate lot is:
1. We the educated know how the world originated and the phenomenon of nature.
2. We know that every appliance and instrument we use in our daily life functions on the principle of “cause and effect”
(At least, we ought to know these things not very sure that in this read -a -rot education system - where the essence of education is often missing, one ever learns these things).
3. A semi- illiterate and literate person may not think as logically as the educated can, so he is vulnerable to fall in the trap of vaasthu pandits, astrologers and fake babas.
Despite being educated it’s pathetic that a majority in the minority of well educated believe these superstitions things without questioning their validity. Right from the dawn of civilization to the present, the driving force of human development is the criticism of the old order and questioning of the rationale behind the superstitious practices, then in vogue. Ironically, these unscientific retrogressive things are being propagated by technology (mobiles, Internet, and Television) -which are products of intellect and human endeavour but not as a result of rotation of stars or by wearing magical gems.
If astrology were a science then banks would hired people whose horoscope show bright economic prospects rather than their CVs.
Is Vaasthu a Science why is not included in Civil Engineering curriculum, why people in other countries though don’t follow vaasthu are happy and prosperous.
Why Babas cannot even make their lives happy if they are incrarnations of GODs are angels of GOD.
Why don’t NASA and other big organizations buy the magical gems and their employee wear to perfprm better in their jobs.
Students are a bridge from one generation to other. They are vehicles of transformation. If students, still worse science students, themselves are unscientific then where will be the progress in masses and where will we head. We major evils such as casteism, communalism will grow unbated. I urge every educated with a functioning brain to question how a thing works, not to be misled by anecdotal evidence quoted by elders and others. Finally, keep these words of Jawahar Lal Nehru in mind: Those who refuse to use their brains hardly deserve to be called human beings.
Only two things are infinite: One is the Universe and the other is stupidity and I’m not sure about the former
--- Albert Einstein
When I was in my college this quote would strike my mind so often. My college was in a sub urban area and I stayed in a village during my graduation. I was quite annoyed at my class mates, college mates and co-students believing in Astrology, numerology, “vasthu” magical gems and self professed GOD MEN (Babas). As is my wont I would criticise their beliefs and would urge them to think rationally and have some scientific temper. Naturally they fell on deaf ears. I thought it to be a rural and sub urban phenomenon.
It’s been 15 months in corporate world still I see the same stupidity everywhere. People around still talk of “Vasthu” of their homes affecting their lives; still think that a particular day will be a bad day based on horoscopes, worst still belief in Babas. I, time and again, try to urge them to see the reason and not to be misled by these illogical and irrational things. I come across two responses in these arguments.
1) “Every one cannot be as strong as you (that’s me) and so need some moral support” from these magical gems and astrologers.
2) This is a very interesting and surprising response “You may not believe these things but we believe in it, don’t ask us the logic”
While the first argument is undermining human will and strength and showing lack of self confidence, the second one is intellectual laziness and an insult to their education, for education teaches us to think rationally and question. These may seem to be personal and private affairs and some even say that it should be left to individuals. But by following these irrational practices blindly, we are not only patronizing the modern thieves in disguise viz., the astrologers, vasthu-pandits, numerologists and babas we are also passing on the unscientific thinking to the next generation. Students who are a bridge for one generation to the next, if don’t use their brains and follow unscientific “sciences” (some ironically claim vaasthu, astrology and numerology to be sciences) that will lead to intellectual bankruptcy. The difference between the minority of the well educated and the majority of semi-illiterate and the illiterate lot is:
1. We the educated know how the world originated and the phenomenon of nature.
2. We know that every appliance and instrument we use in our daily life functions on the principle of “cause and effect”
(At least, we ought to know these things not very sure that in this read -a -rot education system - where the essence of education is often missing, one ever learns these things).
3. A semi- illiterate and literate person may not think as logically as the educated can, so he is vulnerable to fall in the trap of vaasthu pandits, astrologers and fake babas.
Despite being educated it’s pathetic that a majority in the minority of well educated believe these superstitions things without questioning their validity. Right from the dawn of civilization to the present, the driving force of human development is the criticism of the old order and questioning of the rationale behind the superstitious practices, then in vogue. Ironically, these unscientific retrogressive things are being propagated by technology (mobiles, Internet, and Television) -which are products of intellect and human endeavour but not as a result of rotation of stars or by wearing magical gems.
If astrology were a science then banks would hired people whose horoscope show bright economic prospects rather than their CVs.
Is Vaasthu a Science why is not included in Civil Engineering curriculum, why people in other countries though don’t follow vaasthu are happy and prosperous.
Why Babas cannot even make their lives happy if they are incrarnations of GODs are angels of GOD.
Why don’t NASA and other big organizations buy the magical gems and their employee wear to perfprm better in their jobs.
Students are a bridge from one generation to other. They are vehicles of transformation. If students, still worse science students, themselves are unscientific then where will be the progress in masses and where will we head. We major evils such as casteism, communalism will grow unbated. I urge every educated with a functioning brain to question how a thing works, not to be misled by anecdotal evidence quoted by elders and others. Finally, keep these words of Jawahar Lal Nehru in mind: Those who refuse to use their brains hardly deserve to be called human beings.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)