Huzaima Bukhari<\/p>\n
The only common thread that runs in the fabric of all human societies is the silent voice of conscience within each member<\/p>\n
\u201cWar is so unjust and ugly that all who wage it must try to stifle the voice of conscience within themselves\u201d\u2014Leo Tolstoy
\nIn a myriad of cases, children are constantly rebuked about the many acts they do in their daily lives. From the way they eat, walk, talk, socialise and react, etc. to their cognitive abilities as they pass from one phase of life to another, everything is questioned. During this entire journey, they face frowns, smiles, occasional pats on their backs or sometimes, even punishments for behaving in a manner that could be against the ideals of the persons raising them, or not in conformity with the societal norms. This process usually centres around what others may think and not so much on the ethical development of the children as in the sarcasm expressed by H.L. Mencken, an American journalist: \u201cConscience is the inner voice that warns us somebody may be looking.\u201d
\nThe development of the human consciousness seems both simple and complex, depending on the environment that nurtures it. Thus, where the overall make-up of a social setup is predominantly homogenous, the chances that people will profess a similar outlook would be greater compared to where the heterogeneous makeup of the community gives rise to various conflicting ideas, especially in the absence of tolerance. The only common thread that runs in the fabric of all human societies is that silent voice of conscience within each member.
\nWhile collective consciousness could be disputed the fact that every person is affected by that little voice within is upheld by many. Harper Lee puts it in her novel \u2018Go Set a Watchman\u2019 where a character is made to say: \u201cEvery man\u2019s island, Jean Louise, every man\u2019s watchman, is his conscience. There is no such thing as a collective conscious\u201d.Carl Gustav Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist said: \u201cDeep down, below the surface of the average man\u2019s conscience, he hears a voice whispering, \u201cThere is something not right,\u201d no matter how much his rightness is supported by public opinion or moral code\u201d.
\nAn interesting analogy has been drawn by John Steinbeck in his novel \u2018East of Eden\u2019 in which he strikes a similarity between physical monsters and mental monsters where the face and body may be perfect but if a defective gene or mutated egg can produce physical monsters, there is a possibility that this could cause a malformed soul or mental aptitude. He explains that as a person can be born without a limb, for example, another could be born without kindness. In other words, monsters are variations from the accepted normal to a greater or lesser degree. This argument cannot absolve either the mischief-makers of the world or the evil-doers who leave no stone unturned to promote misery for humanity.
\nWhat happens when the handful in power make decisions that have serious ramifications for humanity at large? Why do the acts of a few become devastating for the physical and emotional health of an overwhelming majority? The answer to these simple questions as given by Edmund Burke is: \u201cAll tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.\u201d When the ones who can see through the darkness and evil in the powerful choose to prefer expediency over outspokenness for whatever justifications they may conjure, the results are in the various forms of wars, terrorism, violence, crime, unrest and brutality.
\nSince the world has shrunk into a global village within the last two centuries, it can be noticed widely that anything occurring in one region has immediate repercussions in others. With fast-moving communications, with people fanning out from their original abodes to making far-out lands their homes, with a massive exchange of information across man-made borders, with the rapid integration of cultural values and languages, with ease of access to knowledge, there is a gradual trend towards unifying the peoples inhabiting this planet. This transformation, taking place at an uncontrollable speed demands that persons of intellect and conscience belonging to each country need to urgently break their silence and perk up the courage to stop those who are bent upon acting in ways that are leading to the path of annihilation. These are ones endeared by the likes of Leonardo da Vinci. \u201cI love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. \u2018Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death\u201d but if only they are willing to step forward.
\nTime has come to discard all forms of biases and the many concocted deceptive tools establishing certain peculiar values that Sabrina Meharally in her Harvard Business Review publication \u201cWhat it means to truly think outside the box\u201d ably refers to as \u201cborn out of colonial, white supremacist, patriarchal and hyper-capitalist values with the intention of upholding power and privilege for a select few, at the expense of everyone else\u201d\u2014although pertaining to the world of economics these are equally applicable to the polity.
\nPeople of conscience will have to emerge from their different hide-outs and affiliate with each other to emphasise world leaders to work towards united humanity to erase the many power conflicts we are witnessing these days. This is vital for the betterment of future generations and the survival of the planet. Perhaps they should pay heed to what Pope John Paul II said: \u201cWhen freedom does not have a purpose, when it does not know anything about the rule of law engraved in the hearts of men and women, when it does not listen to the voice of conscience, it turns against humanity and society\u201d. The problems in today\u2019s world are multiplying despite remarkable technological advancements and at this stage it has become crucial to increase the volume of conscience from mute to loud.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Huzaima Bukhari The only common thread that runs in the fabric of all human societies is the silent voice of conscience within each member \u201cWar is so unjust and ugly that all who wage it must try to stifle the voice of conscience within themselves\u201d\u2014Leo Tolstoy In a myriad of cases, children are constantly rebuked […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[5361,1302,5363,5362],"class_list":{"0":"post-251543","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-article","7":"tag-conscience","8":"tag-huzaima-bukhari","9":"tag-silent-voice","10":"tag-unmute"},"yoast_head":"\n