Over the last month or so I have been reading on print and social media, and also watching on television debates and discussions about two important happenings – one, students in JNU and the debate about nationalism, sedition etc., and the other, the World Cultural event of The Art of Living Foundation.
What astonishes and pains me is that the so called educated and otherwise intelligent people taking sides on the basis of their religious or political ideologies or just likes and dislikes, and not basing their judgement on facts or evidence or analysis. Long back, when I was doing my management program, I read Phillip Kotler, the marketing Guru, write about selective attention, selective retention and selective absorption. Today we have a society that largely appears to be afflicted with selectivity. If I like someone, he is the best, and even if he is doing something stupid, I will give it a spin so as to portray him as the best! On the flip side, if I don’t like someone, even if that person is making good moves or doing something better, I will give it a spin to portray his achievements to look bad.
On the events at JNU, I feel that the so called hero has had several better options to choose than to pursue a PhD there. He is just a pawn in the hands of his handlers to be used against those who they don’t like. Anyone with even some basic intellect, would have done far better things in life than what this “media” hero has accomplished, for himself and his family. You don’t have to be a genius to figure this out. But because you don’t like the current PM and his government, some people have chosen to prop him up as the hero. Everything connected with this incident is suspect !!
On the AOL event, despite the Delhi CM singing his praise during the event, supporting the event pre event, some people still don’t like the event because of the same reason. They don’t like the current PM and the government. You just raise the bogey of environmental damage to belittle the event. If one had adopted the same level of consistency in opposing other such events basis facts, I am fine.
There is a certain level of bias in all of us. Agree. Bias can be driven by culture, tradition, religion, caste, parentage, environment and other factors. But nothing stops you from getting to the depth of an issue before reaching your conclusions. There is so much of content and so many different perspectives available if you are willing to dig further on any subject, if you really wish to. But your leanings make you so blind that you refuse to see or believe anything other than what you like or whom you follow. Sad but true. True, but is it right ? Please do your homework thoroughly and wait for sometime before you take sides. Just don’t jump in to take sides, selectively. It’s very easy.
To all those out there who have eyes but choose to be blind, you may remain biased but don’t be blind!!!
