My only defense in writing most of my blogs is that I am a teacher. I want to support the causes of my students which I think are all worthwhile. These students are of variety. However, all of them have one goal in common: to live as one nation, with no differences whatsoever.
It is refreshing to find a generation who is willing to discuss issues which are at the very core of our society and the base of its construct. Without any qualms involved, these students calmly raise issues and discuss them even if it means touching matters considered society sensitive. They willingly question one another’s views and maturely reply to these questions with a broad mind. A heated argument did occur once but they manage to resolve it amongst themselves. Religion, politics, you name it and these students have attempted discussing them as thoroughly as they can. Some even go to the extent of researching the matters beforehand and also after the fact so that they have an accurate view and broad scope on what our discussions are.
From these discussions and my daily interactions with these students, meaning 24/7, I observe the changes in mindsets from one batch to the next. I perceive changes in their thinking which is quicker than lightning. In them, realize our country is led by a generation whose mindset is miles behind that of the generation it is leading. These students are thinking way beyond what our leaders are and they can foresee the mishaps as well as the advantages their leaders are capable of. In my opinion, it is high time, the current leaders gave the younger generation a chance to rule the country. Our leaders are living the past and we younger generation do not even know how to relate to the past, let alone follow what our leaders are aspiring! The world is as we see it and we should try to cope with it in its current state, not return to the past and relive it to understand how to rule the country. The present generation just wants to live in peace, why bother them with issues which can be buried by now. Time to start afresh.
Globalisation is one of the causes for this emergence of new ideas and outlooks amongst most of our youths. The average ones are in a transition phase between old ideas and new ones, while the more advanced ones are those who can foresee how the country should be led to avoid future mishaps but these are still a minute minority; a minority nonetheless sufficient to cause an upheaval to society’s old schools of thoughts when challenged.
One of the disadvantages of globalization is that it demands societies around the world to be in uniform to one another. If one country has Starbucks than so should others around the world. This is an example of a globalised mentality where to be in on par with one another, countries should have the same things. This has also influenced the thinking of societies around the world, having them compromise the very cultures, beliefs and customs their societies were built on in the first place. It is ironic though when we look at our country in this light. Malaysia would do anything to be on par with other countries but in its practice of democracy?
There are times, I wonder if society should have a leader but we do need a certain form and function. Martin Luther King brought changes without having to be at the top and that is the kind of leader one should respect; an individual whose main concern is the society one is part of. Work from the bottom to the top would be the ultimate success in reforming a society and its thoughts. To extend change to a bigger audience, it has to begin from the individual first. The beliefs each culture and society holds need to be reformed because they oppress the oppressed even more in this current age. Everything has to reform to time.
True. What I write here are all idealistic, impossible to be achieved by a mere a human. However, ideas are not to be taken word for word. They are to be adapted to time and place as well as in relation to other ideas. I may believe in Marxism but to a certain extent that I realize there is a flaw in his idea, and that flaw may be overcome using ideas from another great thinker/philosopher. Whatever it is, they are just ideas which can never fail – unlike men. The core of an individual, is a free spirit which will do as it pleases as long as they conform to society and in doing so, they fail. And it is because of this flaw that I don’t believe in men/women entirely. I will trust them but I will give allowances for a brief period of weakness which I, too, experience. So therefore, I will have no faith whatsoever in anyone ruling the country. Nonetheless, being the balanced individual that I am, I dare to have faith that at least one person will make a difference in all his/her righteousness. It is never always about doing the right thing but always about saving the lives of the people in your hands.
Anyhow, being a teacher, I want to see things from my students’ points of view, learn from them their take on the world as it is, I want to understand them and I want to give them the opportunity to have the authority over their thoughts and actions, help them be heard regardless what their views are because I believe as long as they are not afraid to voice, they will not be afraid to be criticized and to rethink their thoughts as well as ideas. An individual has to be balanced; one cannot take the stand of an extremist, one has to allow for contradictions to be balanced. If my students can do this, they will acquire what they wish to achieve.
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