Dr. Irfan Zafar
(Because the person suffers from feelings of inferiority he compensates it by hanging on to worldly materialistic possessions to impress others without realizing the fact that in the process he or she is degrading his/her identity and exposing the inner hollowness.)
It is generally believed that what we talk is a reflection of what we as human beings are. That in turn depends on our family background, values and how we are raised by our parents. What we see around us are individuals filled with hollowness and extreme complexes which are depicted in a very excruciating way when they open their mouths and spell out their inner self. Surely silence is a virtue for it hides such shabbiness and bizarre display of monetary superiority which manifests in every word which is spelled out.
This curse of ravishing vulgarity is visible in both the genders equally. The male discussions are generally centered on the model of latest car they bought recently and parked by the owner at the most prominent place in the parking area to ensure that everyone has a good look at it. What the person doesn’t realize is that God has given eyes to others who can see your social standing without even mentioning it to others. Plus, does anybody really care? Discussing it simply brings out worst of conceivable human garbage in the form of words.
The next step generally observed is the placing of one’s “smart phone” on the table for everyone to see and admire. The remaining next hour is consumed by comparing different new devices and in a silent way ridiculing the ones who cannot afford it or chose not to buy it for reasons pertaining to choosing a simpler way of life; not a sin in any way. As the Cigars light up while pina colada’s (another status symbol) are gulped, the discussion moves towards golf, a sport oriented more towards getting business deals done rather than playing it for health reasons. The zenith of absurdity is sometimes achieved when someone starts asking questions about one’s earnings to ascertain his or her real “worth”. How pathetic one can be?
On the religious front, the performing of Haj has somehow become a status symbol instead of being taken it as a humble, down-to-earth religious obligation. The club class tickets, opting for high price Haj packages and the talk of Five Star hotel accommodations in the Holy land are considered as essential part of one’s religious rituals. In a recent gathering the author heard two women sharing their experience to the holy land. How much amount of Haj package you opt for? One woman asked. When the other women replied that she spent half a million rupees, the lady walked away saying I paid 1.4 Million. Never saw the two ladies talk again in the function for spending half a million, shows one’s “poor” standing in the society.
The ever touchy subject of designer bags placed on the tables for everyone to look, designer clothes, waving of one’s finger to display the new diamond ring, attending high end parties thrown by “high end” people and opting for exclusive dining places while ridiculing the common public spots are just few examples of people infected with inner lack of self-confidence while relying on material things to impress others.
Ultimately it all ends up to a person suffering from Superiority Complex that develops when a person who suffers from inferiority complex decides to act superior in order to mask his inferiority. Because the person suffers from feelings of inferiority and he compensates it by hanging on to worldly materialistic possessions to impress others without realizing the fact that in the process he or she is degrading his/her identity and exposing the inner hollowness. The problem with such complexes is that even though the person knows that he feels inferior and insecure deep within, still he acts arrogantly.
The choice is ours, either to become a bunch of self-satisfying materialistic selfish people who will always crumble or to live a simpler meaningful spiritual life which is close to nature.
The writer is a PhD in Information Technology, alumni of King’s College London and a social activist. He is life member of the Pakistan Engineering Council and senior international editor for IT Insight Magazine. He has authored two books titled Understanding Telecommunications and Living In The Grave and several research papers.
Blog: drirfanzafar.com
Email: drirfanzafar@gmail.com
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