The Culture of imitating the worst [Archives:2007/1108/Opinion]

Mohammed Al-Areqi
Many youths live a state of dissatisfaction in their private and public lives because they aspire to be like others who could have made material gains and spiritual strength, plus influence and fame without exerting any practical or scientific efforts. These youths turned to search for secrets of the shortest way that help them attain their sought goals as soon as possible with the minimum of effort or with no effort at all. They found that connection, favoritism, flattery, courtesy and bribes are standing in their way, which is why they, even though some of them are well-qualified, found themselves forced to re-qualify themselves in search of means for progressing in the wrong way.

The phenomenon of imitating what is wrong is not limited to seeking job opportunities, as we realize that the culture of imitating the worst is broadly prevailing our behaviors, as well as our private and public performance. In the meantime, many people turned to feel that they are missing prosperity and pride, and for them it is impossible to reclaim recognition and fame unless they behave contrarily to the law and order, even when they drive cars or break order while lining up with other people at the doors of water and electricity offices to settle bills.

With regard to job-related rights and duties, some of the workers have their own means and tricks for obtaining a lot of entitlements without expending the required efforts. These workers then constitute a typical example for other employees to imitate in order to obtain similar entitlements even they don't deserve them.

Away from the practical life, the educational field was also affected by the phenomenon of imitating the worst, as cheating at exams is a manifestation of such ill-fated culture. We rarely hear students talking about the long hours, which they spend studying at home in order to prepare themselves well for the exams, as many of them seem to exploit their skills for contriving new means for cheating in the exam rooms. Schoolboys don't feel ashamed while talking about their tricky means for cheating in the exam rooms before their friends, relatives and family members. Instead, they pride themselves for inventing new manners of cheating.

All these are the results produced by the culture of imitating the worst. This kind of culture destroyed all the values of creativity and competition for introducing what is new and profitable to our daily lives.

Source: Al-Thawra State-run Daily.
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