By Zahra Bhatti
There is a great saying by the German physicist, Albert Einstein that “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” After all, we all are drowned in this sea of science and technology. Life was much easier when blackberry and apples were just fruits, no? Okay yes I read that somewhere. But still, wasn’t all this innovation and modernization done to bring people closer? The answer is yes, technology did bring people together but failed to make it a long term success. It made our lives so much easier that eventually everyone started to create his own world and got lost into that.
Technology has grown so much that it has become a threat to humanity itself. People are so addicted to technology and all the machinery, that they forgot the true essence and the use of it. It wasn’t made for luxury or exploitation, it was made to ease your life. Never knew man could be that dependent on his own creation.
With all the new fancy gadgets and applications, life seems like a rainbow, well only until our heads and hands are drenched in it. Have we forgotten how to behave in front of elders and other people or we have to do as we like because come on its 21st century, we can do whatever we like and call it freedom. If being so self- absorbed and self-centered called civilized then no, I don’t want to be civilized. So I ask all dear scientists and tech guys, is there any application for respect? Because trust me, we don’t need applications like, check your BP (Prank) or charge your cell (prank as well) I mean come on, get real.
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Thus, I ask myself and you, what is respect to you and how would you define it? Let’s start by the standard definition of respect, that originated in middle English around 1300-50, meaning deference to a right, privilege, the state of being honored or esteemed proper acceptance, courtesy and acknowledgment. Now I would define it as simple as I can, for me respect is not only a privilege to be given to someone but to oneself too. The right to honor oneself and the right to love oneself.
Yes, self-respect comes first but that doesn’t mean you get so egocentric and ill-mannered that you forget the other living entities around you. One learns to respect others by learning to love oneself. The more you learn about yourself, the more you learn about humanity. The way you treat others shows greatly of how you like to be treated, so be fair and be kind. Patience and politeness can take you to the heights of success.
Moreover, Respect is something that can’t be given, it’s earned just like love, friendship and trust. Science and Technology has no doubt revolutionized our lives and has raised our living standards but keeping alive our traditions, values and ethics should be our utmost priority in life. With progress and the hunger for more, we often tend to forget where we started from. Therefore, never forget your roots for once it gets weak, the decay starts and the fall begins.
So get up, look around and observe, see what the world has to offer you. Go on a road trip, explore, discover and reconnect with yourself and the surroundings. Start listening to others, be modest, be tolerant, compliment someone, hug your mother (she’ll be surprised) make a conversation, tell her about your day, your dreams or grab a friend and have a heart-to-heart. No object can give you pleasure or joy or show any inclination other than another human being. Hence, Learn to live without technology for a while, trust me it will make your time worthwhile. Remember, your gadgets don’t hold your life in, you do. After all, man is the master of all his creations, why not live like one.
The author is an aspiring writer and researcher that writes about social, political and global issues along with emotional issues that are not touched otherwise. She is a researcher at the National Defence University and has done her Masters in Social Sciences from Bahria University. Her majors in Research is International Relations.
