Category: Metaphysics of LifeStyles
-
My Wing Sung Pen
Wing Sung Pen. Fountain pen. Tons of hard work and cherished memories with this friend. I got one in 1975, when I was in 8th class, this same color, and it remained in my use till 1987. All my exams: Matric, Inter (HSC1 and HSC2), Engineering (40 course papers), MBA (20 courses papers) and their…
-
Social History Archival Project of Family Documents and Letters: Heritage Detectives
During the Covid-19 lockdown of 2020, when work from home was imposed and most outdoor activities and social commitments were heavily curtailed, I maximally utilized the available time in structuring and organizing my family letters and documents. During 2020-21 I managed to organize around 5000 handwritten letters and other documents dating back to 1870s: The…
-
Connection with Arabic through Quran Reading from “mushaf” in Taraveeh
It is corona scare. There is a total lockdown. All work is now forcibly online and at home. Going to the mosques is out of the question. I am having a wonderful experience reading the Qur’an in taraveeh with my sons. Yesterday we finished Tilkur Rusul, the third para. As Ramadan approached, I was wondering what…
-
Be Sensitive While Paying for Pizza (expensive meal) through a Domestic Worker
Did you order pizza (or an expensive meal) and asked your doorman (ملازم،چوکیدار) to pay the bill which ran into thousands (typically Rs 3000 or even much more) to the home-delivery rider? Did you realize that you sent a message to your چوکیدار that you are willing to spend one-half or one-third the amount of…
-
Only an Idiot does not take a U-Turn- Proud to be the Prime Minister of U-Turns
“I am proud to be the Prime Minister of U-Turns. Only an idiot does not take a U-Turn.”He has the audacity, impertinence and insensitivity to say this in Moharram when everyone takes inspiration from Hazrat Hussain who sacrificed his life and every thing but did not take the U-Turn offered by Yazid. IK is the…
-
Historical Metaphors and Our Personality
عصائے کلیمی، رسم شبیری، جادو سامری، رسم سلمان و اویس قرنی، در خیبر، کار خلیلی، بحر ظلمات میں گھوڑے، لیلی’ بھی ہم نشیں، پیچ و تاب رازی، غزنوی کی تڑپ، زلف ایاز، طرابلس کے شہید، سوز و ساز رومی، لالہ صحرائی، عطار ہو رومی ہو رازی ہو غزالی ہو، مدار قوت حیدری، وہ غازی وہ…
-
Psychology of Sweeping Generalizations:
Sweeping generalizations are typically false. None, All, Never, Ever are words that indicate tendency for over simplification. Example, all politicians are crooks, all men are untrustworthy, all women are weak, all scots are miserly, etc. For most such assertions especially relating to people and social sciences, it is often easy to find an exception that…
-
Myth of Science and Technology as Panacea for our Backwardness
The mythology that has been sold to the entire Muslim world and especially in Pakistan is that our backwardness is because of our backwardness in Science and Technology. Hence, S n T became the holy grail for progress and development. Everyone is willing to invest in Science and Technology, whether it has been Zia’s government…
-
Traditions of Eid: Reflections of Past Eids and Future
This is a time to reflect on our traditions and culture of Eid. I am wondering how many of Pakistanis are still experiencing these. There are some disturbing posts on facebook and through some of my interactions that tell me that it is not only time to reflect but also to rekindle them through a…
-
How to Deal with Personal Criticism by People
Consider the posts like these running around on social media: “If you’re skinny, you need to gain weight…. If you’re fat, you need to lose weight. If you smoke weed you’re a druggie. If you drink, you’re an alcoholic. If you get dressed up, you are vain, If you dress down you’ve let yourself go.…
-
I’m OK, You’re Not OK: My Government is OK, Your Government is Not OK (Corrupt)
I am OK, You are not OK: I am (my government is) OK, you (opposition) are not OK (corrupt) This refers to Harris’ acclaimed book “I’m OK, You’re OK” (psychology, self help to help people grow out of childhood into adulthood: It discusses the psychology of a child as it grows up to become an adult.…
-
Covey’s First Habit and Depression
Worry about the things that are in your control. Don’t worry about the things that are not in your control. This is Stephen Covey’s First Habit from his highly acclaimed book 7 Habits of highly Effective People. What this means is that we need to have the mental capacity to block worring about the things…
-
Why there is such a widespread epidemic of depression and psychosis in the world?
Why there is such a widespread epidemic of depression and psychosis in the world? Too much change, happening too fast and robbing us of the familiar anchors in life; anchors in beliefs, anchors in thoughts, anchors in our habits, anchors in families, anchors in “Old Familiar Faces”, anchors in furniture and household items, anchors in…
-
How to help poor in supporting their marriage costs
I find several NGO initiatives that would like to help the poor in supporting the expenses of the marriages of their daughters. I appreciate their energy and enthusiasm, but feel that there initiative is misplaced and directed not at the cause by the symptom. At best collecting donations for marriage purposes and helping the poor…
-
What is meant by Aala Zarf اعلی ظرف
ظرف = Zarf means capacity to hold As in a jug or a container. Magnanimity It denotes the capacity to hold when Allah gives some person His bounties and blessings. What is the capacity of that person to hold that bounty or blessing without spilling. Zarf is therefore the capacity to hold a blessing…
-
Traditions of Ramadan: Reflections of Past Ramadans for Rekindling
This is a time to reflect on our traditions and culture of Ramazan. I am wondering how many of Pakistanis are still experiencing these. There are some disturbing posts on FB and also through some of my interactions with others that inform me that it is not only time to reflect but also to rekindle…
-
Artificial intelligence vs data science – A Parallel between Chomsky's Cognitive Science vs Skinner’s Behavioral Science
AI is facing the same challenge today from data sciences that was faced by Chomsky’s Cognitive Psychology when it confronted Skinner’s Behavioral Psychology in early 1950s. The basic issue is whether “intelligence” can simply be understood by observing the input-output relations over a black-box representation of the mind? Is the success of Google data science…
-
Problems of Psychometric Labeling (MBTI-DISC) and Imprisoning People in Artificially Constrained Boxes
Psychometric scales in the hands of psychologists and HR professionals are playing havoc with the lives of people. They are misdiagnosing and being used for purposes that were not the objectives of their design. Use of a test to determine the current state of a person’s perception and thinking is one thing and to use…
-
Facebook Encourages Unethical Behavior: Metaphysics of Social life based on Lies, Ignorance, Bigotry
Why social media has become the primary source of fake news. Why people in social media communities are likely to become extremists, bigoted, and unlikely to hear or see content that is against their beliefs. Technology is not value neutral. It comes with its own baggage of values. Facebook, Whatsapp, twitter have enabled the technology…
-
SC Interpretation of Sadiq and Ameen in Disqualification of PM Nawaz Sharif
PM Nawaz Sharif has been disqualified from being the prime minister as per Pakistan’s constitution for not being “honest” using the concepts of Sadiq and Ameen. It is important for the followers of law and constitution to see the debates related to how courts have interpreted these concepts and how they have internalized these concepts…
-
Connecting vs Disconnecting with Relations- Sila e Rahmi vs Qata e Rahmi
Over the last few years, misconceptions regarding disconnecting from the relations (relatives, neighbors, colleagues) seem to be spreading. Disconnecting from relatives and relations is not a part of our culture or tradition. Our guidance has been to mend fences and work towards establishing relationships. Ethical leadership in our tradition requires that we care for those…
-
What does a Child Need? Mother’s Teacher-hood vs Motherhood
I am forced to write this post as I increasingly encounter cases upon cases of children with shattered confidence, broken personality and with severe personality issues and most of them emanating from the tremendous desire of the mother to relinquish her “mamta’ (motherhood) role and assume the role of a teacher for which she is…
-
How to Distort History through Prejudices of Today: Taj Mahal as a Symbol of Love
I often see people looking at history using today’s prejudices and lenses. History can not be seen in the light of our current preferences and current philosophies. History has to be evaluated in the context of the prevalent norms and challenges of that day. See other posts related to HISTORY A case in point is viewing…
-
Cyber Control and Cyber Crime: From Panopticon of 18th Century to Imprisonment in Technology Age
“Cyber Control and Cyber Crime : Big Brother is Watching Us” was presented at FPCCI Seminar on Media Security and Cyber Crime on August 17, 2016 at Federation House, Karachi. Modern Times (1936) CEO monitoring washrooms This presentation focused on the problems introduced by the pervasive cyber world of today at a higher philosophical level where…
-
Edhi, Old Home and our Bari Bi
I first met Maulana Abdul Sattar Edhi in the early 1980s in a deeply emotional context. My mother had read a detailed motivational description of Edhi and his work in Urdu Digest (or was it Sayyara Digest?) and then she also gave that to me to read. Thereafter I was assigned the task to visit…
-
Sharing with Responsibility on Social Networks: Avoid Mass Dissemination of Lies and Ignorance
Reliance on unverified sources and unverified reporting and forwarding on social networks have made them a platform for the mass dissemination of ignorance and lies. See for instance some of the Fake Quotes making rounds on the internet: See quote investigator for the false quotes spreading on the net: See the Fake Buddha Quotes making rounds on social networks…
-
From Lifestyles to Metaphysics
[By Hassaan Hyder] In lay men’s understanding metaphysics is the belief/ theory/ idea or thought which is the point of reference of and for anything. Intention is the purpose/ the “why”/ the driving force behind anything. This intention is derived from the metaphysics. Knowledge is the outcome of the intention which is fueled by the…
-
Parenting Challenges of the 21st Century
Presented at the ERDC Seminar on 23rd March 2016 at Rangoonwala Hall, Karachi. Parenting challenges for the 21st century are growing in intensity and are going to become a major issue for parenting in general and for Muslims in particular. Challenge of Becoming a Role Model of Self Organization and Self Discipline Self organization is…
-
Parenting and Physical/Corporal Punishment
In my experience typical justifications for beating the kids turn out to be flimsy excuses pulled out from scriptures (Hadeeth regarding prayers) and out of context as explained below. A parent typically beats the kid when he is angry and not in his senses. When the parent is irritated, frustrated, or feeling weak due to…
-
Belief in Rising of the Dead on the Day of Judgement- From belief to a scientific possibility
During the early 1970s before my matriculation the most difficult question of belief was how would people who have been dust and gone for centuries would be woken up. Even the pores of the fingers of the dead would be recreated to the exact pattern when they were alive millenia earlier. I used to spend…
-
Eight Disconnectivities induced by Social Networks and Smart Phones – Costs
Internet and social networks promised greater connectivity and greater access to information and greater assimilation of knowledge. The results are extremely discomforting as we are likely to be more disconnected than ever from our family, loved ones, and friends. We are disconnected in offices and public places. We are disconnected with our own self, and…
-
Mass Production of Alims and Alimaas and Teaching of Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi
There seems to be a rush for the mass production of “Aalims” and “Aalimas” which is in conflict with the teaching of Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi: Becoming a good human (ach-ha insaan) is more important than becoming a buzurg because a good human would be a source of benefit to the fellow people, whereas a…