More thought and less talk

Professor Tan Sri Dato' Dzulkifli Abdul Razak
My View - The Sun Daily
January 6, 2016

"THE wise speak because they have something to say," said the Greek philosopher, Plato. But he also noted: "Fools speak because they have to say something."

Last year, we had a fair share of people making statements without thinking and becoming the butt of jokes.

They later claimed to be misquoted and struggled to make sense of what was intended, exposing their follies even more.

The "(un)quotable quotes" can be entertaining but when it is done at the expense of public interest it often sounds silly especially if it came from those elected to speak on behalf of the public.

Juxtapose this against the expectations from an increasingly educated and sophisticated thinking public, the mismatch is obvious.

It makes it more difficult to persuade the public not to resort to alternative media for information when they have been served with a mediocre, low-quality diet of information, often sugar-coated for momentary feel-good sensations.

The reality on the ground is far from what has been made out to be, reinforcing the impression that people are not being treated seriously in coming up with lasting solutions to issues they are facing.

In fact, when it borders on the ridiculous, the trust-deficit becomes even more entrenched.

So can we start the new year by being a little wiser and more thoughtful, if not responsible.

After all 2016 has already been labelled as "disappointing" by the IMF with "a higher risk of economic vulnerability worldwide".

Reading this alongside an earlier forecast by Oxfam that 1% of the world's richest will own more than 50% of the world's assets in 2016, the feeling of despair is unavoidable.

Here is where a tinge of wisdom can go a long way in making the difference.

Failing which, it is better to observe yet another wise saying: "Silence is golden" – instead of spewing something silly out of habit.

Wisdom at its most fundamental is about the convergence of knowledge, backed by experience, and a deep understanding of reality.

For example, it is "foolish" to suggest that people need to hold more than one job when respectable jobs are scarce.

The statement is out-of-sync with reality, especially when the writing on the wall has been stark.

This is where the description of "fools" fits in because it clearly demonstrates that there is either a lack of knowledge or experience or being oblivious to the real situation given all the uncertainties.

Worst still, if it is a combination of these it not only reflects a lack of judgment, but also insensitive myopic views and questionable egocentricity.

That being the case, it seems foolhardy to have such people holding important portfolios where the interests of the nation and its sovereignty are concerned.

They seem like a huge liability that we cannot afford. More so when wisdom is not exclusive or beyond the reach of those who yearn for it.

All religious beliefs, and notably eastern traditions place wisdom as central to human life and dignity.

The Quranic verses (2:269) for example say: "He gives wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given much good. And none will remember except those of understanding".

To put it simply, everyone who is prepared to "understand" can be among the "wise".

This again is true of every religion where wisdom is a virtue that hinges on humility as an inherent part of it, a hallmark of all virtuous leaders.

Humility is a bond that brings knowledge, experience and reality together, and "blossoms" into wisdom once the three elements are internalised.

Thus, while "knowing others is intelligence, knowing oneself is true wisdom", goes a Taoist saying, which is rooted on the adherence of humility and simplicity.

Given the unpredictability of 2016, all is not lost if we wise-up by first restraining comment on matters that we are not sure about and only uttering something of substantive value in order to make a difference in upholding public interest.

With four decades of experience in education, the writer believes that "another world is possible".