Where perception gets precedence over rational thinking

Emotion is one of the most essential elements in the life of a human being. Yet when it crosses a certain limit, it can be disastrous both for an individual as well as a nation. Incidentally, Bagladeshis are well known for being an emotional race. As a matter of fact, we are excessively emotional to the extent we see the reflection of it all in every sphere of our lives. One of the problems of being unduly emotional is that it blurs your vision and sense of judgment. We see the reflection of it in governance of the country, in sports, at family levels etc. Excess of emotions also lead to indiscipline. Due to this high content of emotions in our systems, we come to blows even before we can talk and settle matters through logical digression and discussion. The other serious limitation we have is our misplaced ego. We are ready to stick to wrong move or a decision just to nurture our ego, knowing fully well that it could rebound leading to disastrous consequences. We experience it at state levels every now and then. We suffer from a false sense of honour and dignity. This has led us to licentious behaviour. All you have to do is look at our law makers most of them often behave in such a manner as though they are demi-gods. We were talking about emotions. It is our impression that there are two specific areas where we have been excessively emotional. First our legacy and heritage, second this aspect of celebrating our key events that have influenced our lives and the nation at large in more ways than one. Any nation, having a legacy and heritage like that of Bangladesh, would consider itself to be fortunate. Yet we, as a nation have not been able to understand the essence and significance of it all and relevance to the present-day context. We are more into celebrations than getting into the spirit of it all. Euphoria and ecstasy dominate our society more than anything else -- and mostly for wrong reasons. To us a personal loss is greater than a national loss. No one takes lessons from history but the situation in Bangladesh in this context appears to be rather acute. We are good at committing the same mistake, time and again. To us a personal tragedy often surpasses a national tragedy. Indeed, it is all about our mindset and mentality which at best can be described as mediocre or poor. We do not think, we scheme and conspire. We work more on perceptions rather than scrutiny and investigation. We talk of democracy but our sympathy lies with dictatorship. We have grown extremely intolerant of opposing views. We put our partisan interests, ahead of the nation. We do not congregate, we gang up. Wisdom and sagacity are unknown to us. We have become experts in cheap propaganda. To us the interests and concerns of the common man have no meaning. To us the sick and the old are of no consequence. We do not pray; we simply go through the motions. Not too long ago, it was a beautiful country. It was full of greeneries all around inhabited by simple village folks. There were rivers and their tributaries that once presented a heavenly sight, now almost non-existent. Now it is high-rise buildings of all sizes and dimensions extending right into the villages and its surrounding areas. Our parents and grand parents living there are stressed out, often wishing that they were not alive to see all this. Arrogance dominates our culture. Look at the way our children treat their elders and parents. Many in the positions of authority are more into threatening than advising or instructing. We have for all practical purposes lost our faith in both our Creator and rulers. Our rulers treat the people as subjects just as a king does in his kingdom. What ever really went wrong with our cricket team? I do not know of others but I was sad but not shocked as such. To be honest, our players have a long way to go in attaining the maturity needed to make their mark at the world level. Cricket is a game of the mind as much as of the body. You need to possess extreme mental agility. To be honest, guilt also rests with our organisers of the game and the ruling party at large. Between the two of them, our players, after each game they won, were put on high pedestal of glory as though they have returned from a trip to the moon. And now with the last unexpected defeat, they are the country's most condemned bunch of people and have all too suddenly turned into devils. To me a game is a game; we shall win some and lose some. Cricket is a game of uncertainty. It is often said that the game is not over until the last ball. It is grossly wrong to take on the players to the extent that Shakib's village home was vandalised by an unruly mob. We have a feeling that one of the causes for the debacle of the particular day could be attributed to both complacency and the pressures brought upon them by the organisers and some influential people of the government, indicating that that the only option was to win. Our organisers - Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB -- and the government need to review their overall focus and strategy in the development of the game. It keeps me worried thinking about the misery our workers in Libya are undergoing. Government says it has taken or taking appropriate measures for their return. But the media and returnees so far tell us a different story. Whatever may be the truth, it is amply clear that the measures taken are far from adequate? This matter of bringing back our workers must receive greater emphasis and attention before it turns into a massive tragedy. We have made some progress in certain sectors like the readymade garment (RMG) sector, the construction industry, telecommunications, food processing, so on and so forth. But the fact remains that we are progressively loosing the moral and ethical content of our "character" as a nation. May God give us the wisdom and honesty to distinguish right from the wrong and act accordingly. The writer can be reached at e-mail : chowdhury.shamsher@yahoo.com