There's a fine line between the two. It is often easier to criticize than to accept criticism. But there's also another fine line between accepting criticism and standing one's ground. I welcome criticism, although being a mere mortal, and a female one at that, I admit that sometimes I find it hard to accept criticism with a smiling face, but I do try to keep an open mind. I take in the comments that will make me a better person, but for the rest, well...what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, they say.
I believe that the world can easily be a much better place if the leaders were to accept criticism and evaluate the truth in it. Yes sometimes criticism can be the mere rantings of a bitter individual, but more often than not, they're worth listening to. Leaders should realize that they are in that position of power because they were elected by the people (in a democracy state, at least). And when you have been elected by the people, that means you should listen to the people. A government that is self-serving will get a nation nowhere. It is funny when you think about these leaders, pre-election. They can promise you the world on a silver platter, but when they get elected, they fail to deliver. What happened? Does the glory of being in office eliminate the obligation to serve the nation and its people? Why do people forget so easily? In an attempt to not make this writing sound technical and removed from everyday life, allow me to enhance my explanation with a more human metaphor. A husband and a wife who have been married for twenty years. Neither are as affectionate or as thoughtful as they were when they were courting or newly-weds. Why is this so? Does love wither with the years? From my understanding, it can only grow stronger. Which means you should be more affectionate now, than you were twenty years ago. Am I being unrealistically idealistic? Is this idea too far-fetched? Perhaps it's like when Galileo first suggested that the earth is infact not flat...
Which is better? An idealist or a burned out politician? Politicians are generally idealists when they first start out. They dream of a better tomorrow. They aspire to bring changes. They hope to make a difference. But at the end of the day, most of them end up complacent and start to take their responsibilities for granted. I am not attacking any one politician here. I am talking to all of you, all of us. Everyone who has the power to exact change, the power to make a difference, the power to make the world a better place. We all have that power. We all need to realize that complacency breeds mediocrity, hence reducing a nation that has great possibilities to one that goes with the flow, coasting along at a snail's pace, blissfully ignorant of the greatness that it can achieve, unaware of the regression that is taking place.
We live in a democratic country, or so our rukun negara suggests. Perhaps we are not fully aware of what democracy is. Allow me to enlighten you on that particular matter:
Democracy (literally "rule by the people", from the Greek demos, "people", and kratos, "rule") is a form of government in which political power is held either by the people, or by their elected representatives (definition taken from wikipedia.com). When a government has been elected by the people, then the government automatically becomes the voice of the people. The government is then duty-bound to rule in the best interest of the people. This is not to say that the government cannot make any judgment of their own, but whatever judgment they make must not be self-serving. Leaders and government officials must realize that it is vital for them to listen to the people. Constructive criticism is only meant for the betterment of mankind at large. That is why it is absolutely important for them to listen, instead of going about as they please.
If our leaders won't hear us, then that doesn't mean our voices should die, it only means we should scream louder. This is not in any way a blatant protest against the current administration. I am talking to everyone, everywhere in the world, to cry out loud when injustice is being done. If the current administration is doing something wrong, then it is up to the people to point it out. What is the point of practicing democracy when the people's voices won't be heard? We might as well give in to anarchy. Injustice is the disease that slowly kills a society. Look at what happened to the Arabs in the Jahilliyyah era.
Greed and injustice will corrupt and the effects are either instantaneous or damaging in the long run. Either way, we still lose. People need to start thinking about the long-term effect instead of focusing on the gains right now.
As I said, a democratic state will only work if the people start to take their stand. And when the government starts to listen, not just hear. We are all inhabitants of our nation and we all want our nations to develop and prosper. But let this not happen at the expense of the well-being of others and at the expense of our own ethics and morality.
Let people call us idealists, but as long as there are idealists in this world, we can all work towards achieving that utopian state. Far-fetched? Perhaps... But hope takes men to heights that he never thought was possible before. Hope gives life meaning. Hope makes waking up in the morning worthwhile. Hope gets us through the rough spots in life. It is with hope that greatness is obtained.
I believe that the world can easily be a much better place if the leaders were to accept criticism and evaluate the truth in it. Yes sometimes criticism can be the mere rantings of a bitter individual, but more often than not, they're worth listening to. Leaders should realize that they are in that position of power because they were elected by the people (in a democracy state, at least). And when you have been elected by the people, that means you should listen to the people. A government that is self-serving will get a nation nowhere. It is funny when you think about these leaders, pre-election. They can promise you the world on a silver platter, but when they get elected, they fail to deliver. What happened? Does the glory of being in office eliminate the obligation to serve the nation and its people? Why do people forget so easily? In an attempt to not make this writing sound technical and removed from everyday life, allow me to enhance my explanation with a more human metaphor. A husband and a wife who have been married for twenty years. Neither are as affectionate or as thoughtful as they were when they were courting or newly-weds. Why is this so? Does love wither with the years? From my understanding, it can only grow stronger. Which means you should be more affectionate now, than you were twenty years ago. Am I being unrealistically idealistic? Is this idea too far-fetched? Perhaps it's like when Galileo first suggested that the earth is infact not flat...
Which is better? An idealist or a burned out politician? Politicians are generally idealists when they first start out. They dream of a better tomorrow. They aspire to bring changes. They hope to make a difference. But at the end of the day, most of them end up complacent and start to take their responsibilities for granted. I am not attacking any one politician here. I am talking to all of you, all of us. Everyone who has the power to exact change, the power to make a difference, the power to make the world a better place. We all have that power. We all need to realize that complacency breeds mediocrity, hence reducing a nation that has great possibilities to one that goes with the flow, coasting along at a snail's pace, blissfully ignorant of the greatness that it can achieve, unaware of the regression that is taking place.
We live in a democratic country, or so our rukun negara suggests. Perhaps we are not fully aware of what democracy is. Allow me to enlighten you on that particular matter:
Democracy (literally "rule by the people", from the Greek demos, "people", and kratos, "rule") is a form of government in which political power is held either by the people, or by their elected representatives (definition taken from wikipedia.com). When a government has been elected by the people, then the government automatically becomes the voice of the people. The government is then duty-bound to rule in the best interest of the people. This is not to say that the government cannot make any judgment of their own, but whatever judgment they make must not be self-serving. Leaders and government officials must realize that it is vital for them to listen to the people. Constructive criticism is only meant for the betterment of mankind at large. That is why it is absolutely important for them to listen, instead of going about as they please.
If our leaders won't hear us, then that doesn't mean our voices should die, it only means we should scream louder. This is not in any way a blatant protest against the current administration. I am talking to everyone, everywhere in the world, to cry out loud when injustice is being done. If the current administration is doing something wrong, then it is up to the people to point it out. What is the point of practicing democracy when the people's voices won't be heard? We might as well give in to anarchy. Injustice is the disease that slowly kills a society. Look at what happened to the Arabs in the Jahilliyyah era.
Greed and injustice will corrupt and the effects are either instantaneous or damaging in the long run. Either way, we still lose. People need to start thinking about the long-term effect instead of focusing on the gains right now.
As I said, a democratic state will only work if the people start to take their stand. And when the government starts to listen, not just hear. We are all inhabitants of our nation and we all want our nations to develop and prosper. But let this not happen at the expense of the well-being of others and at the expense of our own ethics and morality.
Let people call us idealists, but as long as there are idealists in this world, we can all work towards achieving that utopian state. Far-fetched? Perhaps... But hope takes men to heights that he never thought was possible before. Hope gives life meaning. Hope makes waking up in the morning worthwhile. Hope gets us through the rough spots in life. It is with hope that greatness is obtained.
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