Dear friends, one should not draw conclusions about anything without being completely sure, and not make definite judgments about the observed, experienced and repeating life events. Claims that are not tested in real life should not be presented as absolute truth using mathematics, therefore one should try to be sceptical at all times.
Those who embrace the principle above are those who are set out to find the truth, not those who are trying to prove that they are right. Unfortunately, there are only a few people who think that finding the truth is more glorious than being right. The light of truth is not blinding, but we are living blind in a world ruled by those who impose their truth on others because they are powerful, rich, and famous or simply tyrants.
Turkey has become a country inhabited by those who see only the realities of their own rather than the realities of the world. “The rich are always right,” said an acquaintance of mine years ago. Because the rich or the powerful are always praised and applauded by those who think they will go places by acting obsequiously towards them. Not even a single person is courageous enough to come out and say that he or she has been wrong.
No one admits his or her failure. There are also those who try to pass their failure as success. The loser never agrees to leave power, therefore erasing the difference between them and the winners. “It will be worse if I go away”, they believe or “Things will always be better as long as I am in power”. Employers who love the type of employee who ingratiates oneself with their boss through obsequious behaviour are inevitably doomed to mediocrity. No technology or pageantry can hide this mediocrity. Organisations are not improving, merely growing. Sadly, most people in Turkey care about size, not quality.
“In Turkey, you can be anything, except disgraced…”
Speaking of quality, we don’t know how to describe it exactly. Are we looking for durability, aesthetics, affordable price, good design, stability, hygiene, popularity? We don’t have any idea. So, we decide in the moment and put a label on it. In fact, we do not have full knowledge about anything, which interestingly allows us to generate ideas about everything. If we don’t like the person speaking, whatever he says sounds “unfair or wrong”. But the person we love makes a mistake, we know there is always a reason as to why they did what they did.
Most people in Turkey are unreasonably obstinate, but they are never clear about the opinion they side with. Therefore, they can cooperate with anyone who agrees with their ideas. Or if they had a quarrel with someone yesterday, they can reconcile today. They seem to be ready to support anyone or anything that can help them gain personal advantage. Some act upon the opinion of the last person to leave their office, and some get used to do nothing without first consulting with those who make them feel sure that their idea or belief is right or true.
In a country where people believe that “those who are unsuccessful as businesspeople should be sent to school,” post-truth behaviours are not only displayed by people on the street, but also by those who fancy themselves intellectuals. Because in this country anyone can be anything, except disgraced.
