Economists mostly believe that whenever one engages in any action, one is doing it for their own gain (think Economics 101). Do we, as human beings, *ever* do anything that is *not* for our own gain/comfort/benefit? Even as Muslims, when we give charity, how often are we doing it for the sake of the person we’re helping? Do many muslims not do it to gain reward and so they feel good about themselves? Are not human beings, at the end of the day, just plain selfish?
Articles of Relevance:
“if you’re bored, it’s because you’re boring.”*
Who defines who is boring and who is interesting? Are some individuals interesting to all persons? Are some individuals boring to all people? Are you - with reference to the quote above – bored only because you are a boring person?
*Courtesy of Mufti.
Do the laws of human relationships state that if one befriends – or is befriended – by a stranger and instantly connects with them, one should attempt to stay in touch with them as a matter of courtesy? As a traveler, one may forget the many one meets, but remain in the minds of those one has left behind. In this globalized and more-than-ever inter-connected world, and with various mechanims of staying in touch at our fingertips, including cell phones, email, mailing address and instant messaging - what are some valid excuses accepted by all of “not remaining in touch”?
Quotes of relevance:
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. -Maya Angelou
People are never static – they are always growing, or even in some cases, regressing. Do people ever change though? Does one incident, one interaction, one moment have the ability to completely change a person entirely? Or is that when one says “so and so has completely changed as a person,” they really just mean that one now sees characteristics or personality traits that were never visible to one before, but perhaps had always been present?
Nothing more profound, perhaps, is when one comes across converts, or reverts, who have accepted Islam, and they share that Islam changed their lives. Is it, instead, that perhaps Islam brought out what was already within that person, not necessarily changing the person, but instead bringing him/her closer to what was already within them from before?
At what point does monitoring press and all forms of media become unfair censorship? What if what is censored is publically acceptable to the masses ? Who should be allowed to determine what is appropriate in the press/media?
More specifically, if it is not okay for our children to watch/see something in media, should it be shown at all to the general public? On a related note, should certain books be banned for children?
Articles of relevance:
Iran bans newspaper over photos
Pakistan to show Bollywood film
Nepalese court lifts FM news ban
Should one be part of something or do something one doesn’t necessarily believe in or have total faith in? This might range from small practices within one’s organization or group to the vision of an initiative. Should one promote or endorse initiatives and ideas that are not aligned entirely with one’s own perspectives? To what extent should one compromise in order to participate?
This, obviously, refers to practices which fall within the realm of Islam.
Question adapted from SSH.
In order to truly provide advice, should one have gone through similar experiences? Can people who have only been in particular situations help those going through similar situations? Or, is it that at the end of the day, all humans can emphathize with any kind of difficulty? If so, how does one relate to experiences one may never have had? How does one assure the person who is asking for help, that “[I] completely understand”?
Websites/Programs of relevance:
“Someone reading his or her rejection letter, on any topic, would prefer the pain to be short.”
Reasons for rejection can help a person cope with why s/he has been rejected – an opportunity for nasiha to be given, taken and applied in one’s life. Yet, the reasons can also make the pain deeper – or worse, cloud one’s feelings with other feelings, feelings that do not serve any purpose. When one is being rejected, should reasons for rejection be shared?
Blogs of relevance:
While living in the West, how much should ties to the motherland dictate our behaviours and actions? Are minority communities living in the West more insulated than their counterparts, insisting on practices that would not be considered the norm even by the educated in the East?
Articles of relevance:
To what extent are men and women socialized to be different? Does one gender naturally possess certain characteristics – mental, not physical – over the other?
Excerpt from an article:
The study seems to show for the first time in physical terms what many people probably assume they already know: that women are generally more empathetic than men, and that men take great pleasure in seeing revenge exacted.
Men “expressed more desire for revenge and seemed to feel satisfaction when unfair people were given what they perceived as deserved physical punishment,” said Dr. Tania Singer, the lead researcher, of the Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience at University College London.
But far from condemning the male impulse for retribution, Dr. Singer said it had an important social function: “This type of behavior has probably been crucial in the evolution of society as the majority of people in a group are motivated to punish those who cheat on the rest.”
Articles of relevance:
When bad people are punished, men smile (but women don’t)
Brain scans reveals men’s pleasure in revenge
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