Societies can only move towards being more civilized, once their key influencers and decision-makers are not only honest but also open-minded. Honest or being truthful is the most valued human trait for centuries. At the same being honest remains one of the most difficult virtues of human beings, since humans are biased and have their own likes and dislikes. Honesty seems a very simple virtue but in essence, it encompasses not only financial and moral clarity but also intellectual, tribal and hereditary biases and partiality. For mere mortals, claiming, to be honest, is suggesting that they are free from all sorts of biases and opinions which becomes an angelic task.
Expecting from an individual to have no opinion or no personal likes or dislikes is probably asking to become an emotionless robot programmed to act in a situation without any prejudice and with complete rationality. The more civilized societies have over the period inculcated virtues wherein they have limited the human biases. These societies have been able to develop deep rooted respect and tolerance for gender, belief systems, opinions and sentiments. These societies have been able to minimize personal likes and dislikes by creating a thought called a conflict of interest.
Read more: Islam and science: the truth about this unexplored relationship
Unfortunately, there is no understanding of conflict of interest in this part of the world
Hardly, anyone has been made accountable due to a conflict of interest. Conflict of interest can be simply defined as a situation in which a person in a position can influence on a decision that can help him or his family members or for his gains must be construed as a conflict of interest. Similarly spinning the facts or speaking half truth or creating a story that is in the interest of a person certainly can not be defined as an Honest or truthful.
There are various terms that are invented to subdue the bitterness of truth. Some call it Politically correct; some call it being pragmatic and some call it national interest or institutional interest. A matter of fact remains;the ill-mannered societies keep trying to put things under the carpet forgetting that history will not forgive them, and all the lies will come before the next generations. These days it is unfortunate that most of the political parties engage “Spin Doctors” to sell their point of view. Spin Doctors in connivance with the mainstream media and social media have perfected the art of creating selective fact and the shaping nuance to promote a particular view of a story. Spin has become an art form, to communicate lies in a way that changes the way people are likely to perceive it.
Lobbyists are engaged to sell narratives that are blatantly against humankind, but which are benefitted to few. Facts are created, molded and published with a specific goal to create doubt in the minds of ordinary people. The honest voice is dismissed and is attacked by building all kinds of notions. Truthful and honest people are termed as burdens and problems, not practical and labeled as idealists who are against modernization and capital value. Sometime its hard to believe that only during last century women were given right to vote, the rights given to people of color etc. Even today, Spin masters have ensured that people having different belief systems or transgenders or people having different sexual orientation remain outcast and should not be amalgamated in the society.
The politicians, business houses and religious merchants have employed these spin doctors to put forward these agendas. The media and now social media take a lot of pride in overthrowing and making governments. While media moguls and their spin masters are spinning the facts, they completely forget how this will impact the society at large and what would be its ramifications. They kill the spirit of tolerance and acceptance. The spin doctors are effective to create distractions and smoke screens, they ensure that the real issues are not discussed rather frivolous and non-issues should remain on the map to have commotions. The uninformed and polarized ordinary men and women are not willing to listen to any logic or rationale rather they are willing to cut each other throat based on the half-baked truths of these spin masters.
Read more: The truth about the ‘indemnity clause’ in CPEC Authority Bill 2020
The way forward
Masses who generally have led their lives with shattered dreams and hopeless future want to believe in a messiah who can change their and their next-generation lives. They want simple things in life, clean water, education, health, housing and justice. It is so unfortunate that inhabitants of the sub-continent have been deprived of such basic things, the masses feel cheated and betrayed. Their despondency and misery can easily be exploited by any person who is seemingly honest and who talks about their issues and give them hope to bring change to their future. While the incumbents keep promising benefits to their status quo elite as the incumbent sattained the art of cracking the code of power and they fully understand the requirements of all the power brokers, the challenger keeps promising hope and change not fully understanding the deep rooted and well-entrenched vested groups and power cliques.
Spin doctors are employed on both sides and all the communication mediums are exploited to put the message across. Truth takes shape of many vessels in which it is being transported to ordinary men. During this power struggle, honesty and truthfulness becomes the biggest casualty. The poor communicators or journalists these days gave way either to their personal biases or make compromises with elite owners of this communication house. Prosecutors, lawyers and judiciary in general also give in to popularism or to the statuesque powers. The dilemma with Judiciary has been that they have not been able to give verdicts which has altered the fate of mankind, rather the radical ideas and verdicts keep coming from the representatives of people primarily.
Read more: The truth behind Indian media’s anti-Chinese hybrid war claims
In this jungle of half-baked and twisted truth, it becomes essential for the youngsters to do their research and should not be taking anything on face value. The youth need to keep asking questions and must study varying opinions. The key to navigating through the forest of lies is to remain open-minded and tolerant. Though it remains a huge challenge to be unbiased and un-prejudiced, youth must keep seeking knowledge and wisdom through various authentic means. Today’s youth need to be far more responsible in consuming information, the youth need to reject more and accept with care. Youth must understand that naked and brut truth is far better than half or baked truth.
Moied Javeed is a senior telecom executive in Pakistan and can be reached at mj@tptglobal.net. The views expressed in the article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Global Village Space.