Why politics is not the answer
Politicians are trained to sell, not to speak the truth. And we, being the emotional consumers that we are, fall for the sales pitch especially when there’s a promotion.
Jonson Chong, TMI
If you think changes in the political arena will bring about changes in our lives, you’re right and wrong. There will certainly be changes but not the real changes that matter.
I’m talking about the things that make our lives meaningful and worth living, not about things becoming more affordable or us having higher incomes. Of course, the latter things help to make our lives easier, but they are not the things that give meaning to our lives.
I am talking about the relationships that we have with others and, most importantly, with ourselves. Our dignity and sense of worth should come from ourselves, not from a position or title, or the number of possessions we have in our storeroom.
Today, I wore three watches on my two wrists. It didn’t make time more meaningful to me. But the laughs I shared with my wife certainly made my day.
Well, if politics is not the answer, what is? Good question. To me, the answer is education. Let me tell you why.
Politicians are trained to sell, not to speak the truth. And we, being the emotional consumers that we are, fall for the sales pitch especially when there’s a promotion.
Why use old technology (BN) when there’s a new one (PR). Believe me, if PR wins this round, we will be complaining about them in a couple of years, if not months.
In contrast, education speaks the truth. Well, at least good education. It’s about equipping us for life, not about propaganda that will make us vote or buy a certain ideology or brand.
Unfortunately, education has also become a business. Indeed, the contents of today’s education perpetuate the mindset in which we are caught.
Alas, we don’t often remember what Albert Einstein said: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
The education system that exists today (to be fair, not only in Malaysia) is a relic of the past. Indeed, it was designed for a previous age. The age of industry.
In the information age, we need a different kind of education. One that equips and prepares our children for the reality of a fast and furious world. It must enable our children to think fast but also to stay calm in the face of speed. In the ferocity of today’s reality, they must also learn to be kind, gentle and patient.
If IQ were all we needed for success, we’d be all very happy beings. Unfortunately, only a very small percentage of us are. And if you investigate what else they have, it’s much more than IQ. It’s EQ plus SQ (spiritual quotient), and God knows what else.
