Glorified Sycophancy - Ridiculing Intelligence to a Crime

I have been observing with great interest, the sparkling conformity, and the lack of common sense that is parading in the form of erudite crystal clear analysis of political situations. However, I hope to keep my blog sanitized and will avoid bringing politics here.

Our country saw much turbulence over the past few months where crime and misdemeanors happening around the states in the country were solely attributed to have the blessings of the central government.

I will now make a paradoxical statement – many know the truth and still no one knows the truth.  When I say that many know the truth, I mean that if the government got cracking down as to who did it, it would not take long before the truth is out.  When I say that no one knows the truth, I mean that the governments (state or central) have not yet got cracking down on the issue, and as such, no one knows the truth.

We now have a situation where the truth is far out and yet near.  Here comes in the media – the first institution that glorifies sycophancy.  Media houses depend on advertising for their revenue, and this takes them to the dark areas of connections, corporations, and government blessings.   Certain Media houses have their political inclinations and thus receive a diktat about how to malign a government in power.  Another section of media houses do the opposite and paint the government in a better shade.  This is routine all over our planet, with the possibility of some exceptions.

What amazes me, is the reaction of the public at large.  I have noticed many people, near and far, on social media or otherwise, react to the media and absorb either large chunks of negativity or go about chest thumping for the government in power.  I consider both these behaviors as aberrant as they stem not from an application of mind.  The singular statement that these people propound is that all opinions are given by “these few so called intellectuals”.

Intellectuals give opinions.  Does one want an opinion that smells of the absence of intelligence?  Why will an intellectual not give opinions?  Here is a person who value his/her opinion and expresses it.  Why is an intellectual’s opinion so threatening?  Here are some answers.

1.  Society.  A society is a group of people who interact with each other, largely because they have similar cultural interactions, or have a common political or geographical environment.  People in societies have a civil bond that binds them.  A society has members.  Members are individuals who have merged themselves to form a group (society).  So now what exactly will shake a society? Well, a member that differs from the society.  How does a member differ? – Well, on account of actions and thoughts.

This is it – it’s the individual who has chosen to value his own thoughts and actions, over the society, who threatens society.  This is an intelligent person.  Now if this person goes the wrong way with his thoughts and actions, the law and other penal provisions will catch up.  However, if this person has great thoughts and commendable actions, we now have an intelligent person who is capable of transforming a society and thus society’s fears of such individuals.

A society, by definition, is not capable of high intelligence, as it’s too busy ensuring its membership, existence and maintaining a status quo.  Only an intelligence person can instill some form of stimulus to a stagnant society and reform it to a higher level of consciousness.

2.  The need to remain in the good graces of other people.  An intelligent person abhors such a need and rarely feeds this fear.  However, followers and sheep alike are so scared of standing apart on account of their thoughts that they find safety in the thoughts held by society.  Their self esteem is now under question and so the only intellectual response they have is to ridicule the opinions of the intelligent.

There is this variety of people who have to remain loyal either to the government in power or to the opposition.   These people have a tearing need to demonstrate their loyal to either of the sides and thus form a “society” of like minded people and then rampage the streets. Here too we have a group that is devoid of any dissenting superior voice and thus will fight back any spark of intelligence that threatens to change society.

3.  The desire to be right.  This is a possible subconscious, but overarching, drive that turns people into rigid beings where they insulate themselves against any point of view that could assist them in evolving.  The people are actually afraid that they may learn something!

Here is my statement to the sheep of the world – look around you; the world has changed only on account of intelligence.  Society has a need to preserve itself and is thus not as likely to shine as pure productive intelligence.

© Nitesh Kotecha