Chomsky's Two Aphorisms We All Must Mull Over

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 8 December 2023 “We shouldn't be looking for heroes, we should be looking for good ideas.” ― Noam Chomsky “If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all.” ― Noam Chomsky These two very thought-stirring gems of Noam Chomsky have contributed to building my mental makeup. These aphorisms have a greater and wider scope and significance, esp. in today's context when hero-worship is at its pinnacle. December 7 is the 95th Birth Anniversary of Noam Chomsky ------ The personality cult is so overwhelming that an individual becomes the alpha and omega. When people are idolized, ideas are cauterized. This is happening in India at the moment. A leader is being idolized as a hero and all good or bad ideas have taken a back seat. Idol worship in any era and in any country has always eclipsed ideas. Once Shams Tabrizi and Maulana Rumi were discussing Bayazid Bastami (804 CE- 874 CE) and his mystical teachings. Hours elapsed and it dawned on both that they talked little about Bayazid's sublime thoughts and ideas but dwelt more upon his persona. If evolved humans like Rumi and Shams couldn't get rid of the addiction of personality cult, it's indeed very difficult for the masses to focus only on ideas and not on personalities, luminaries, celebrities and heroes. The world runs on ideas not on heroes. Men are important but musings are even more. When it comes to ideas and their fearless application as well as dissemination, we just cannot discriminate among humans. Your opponents can also be right and the right that you've to express yourself sans an iota of fear also applies to those you don't agree with. A democracy or a healthy society can thrive only when all individuals, whether friends or foes, have an equal right to express themselves without any apprehension of persecution. Is this happening in India? These intoxicated leaders, whether Modi or Rahul, must read Chomsky. But do they read? Have they heard this name? Both the bearded gentlemen give the impression of being wise but they're otherwise. ----- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/noam-chomsky-aphorisms/d/131273 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism