Seni Membaca bukan Seni Elit

Pagi semalam terlalu 'cerah' dek kerana gambar-gambar dalam The Last Book. Ia gambar-gambar yang sama temanya; membaca di dalam keretapi. Oh, sangat terpesona dengan gambar-gambar itu. Terpesona dengan tajuk-tajuk buku yang dibaca. Terpesona dengan reaksi orang-orang itu ketika membaca. Hampir kesemuanya 'jauh' dalam alam buku yang dibacanya.

Jenis manusia-manusia yang 'difoto' pelbagai. Yang tua, yang muda, yang cantik, yang hensem, yang average-looking, yang miskin, yang kaya, yang ala-ala blackmetal, kanak-kanak, yang bekerja, student, yang selekeh sampai nampak macam homeless pun ade. Pendek kata, semua jenis manusia membaca.

Bila tengok gambar-gambar tu, terus jadi inspired dan faham, walaupun diorang ada yang seolah nampak macam kutu gerahak, diorang tak bebal. Jadi, biar nampak hodoh appearance tapi jangan kontang idea, knowledge, words, insights dan seumpamanya didada. Membaca sepatutnya menjadi aktiviti wajib semua orang. Baca lah apa sahaja - ya, APA SAHAJA. Supaya otak TAK BEBAL dan BODOH. Supaya boleh fikir dengan lebih baik. Kalau tak membaca, otak jadi beku. Tiada flow perkataan dalam minda.

Sangat memalukan bila mengaku depan orang secara terang-terangan tidak suka membaca. Maka disebabkan itu, membaca bukan kebiasaan. Itu menzahirkan punca kenapa kita 'clueless' setiap masa. Sebab dalam otak kita, tidak banyak 'dots' akibat kurang exposure kepada pelbagai pengalaman, dan buku adalah semudah-mudah bentuk pengalaman. Makin banyak buku yang dibaca, makin banyak pengalaman kita lalui, makin banyak 'dots' yang kita akan dapat. Bila makin banyak 'dots', makin bersambunglah 'dots' ini ditambah dengan realiti-realiti yang kita hadapi. 'Dots' yang bersambung ini yang mencerahkan tentang realiti sekeliling dan memberikan idea. Ia satu rantai yang besar dan panjang.

Maka membaca itu walaupun membosankan, jangan ditinggalkan sama sekali. Jangan biarkan hidup ini hanya whatsapp dan fb (melainkan kalau fb itu penuh dengan link artikel). Itu menjadikan kita bebal. Kita takkan mampu fikir lebih jauh kalau tak membaca. Rugi kalau hidup sudah nampak hebat, gaji besar, makan pakai mewah, tapi bebal. Tak mampu nak faham apa yang berlaku dalam hidup, dunia ini dan di sekeliling. Kegagalan memproses apa dan kenapa perkara-perkara dalam hidup, dalam dunia dan realiti itu kebebalan.

Firman Tuhan yang pertama itu sangat signifikan:

'Bacalah dengan nama Tuhanmu yang menciptakan'

Bacalah supaya otak berjalan. Bacalah supaya kau tidak bebal. Bacalah supaya kau boleh proses dengan baik apa yang orang cakap pada kau. Bacalah. Bacalah. Bacalah.

Humblebragging is never good.

You think bragging is bad? Well, humblebragging is worse. People do it when they don't want to show off (out of conscience or merely because it looks bad or make them look bad) but can't resist to show off. What they say may look modest but if you watch closely at how they put their sentence and their body language, you'll detect something is just weird there as in you feel 'menyampah' or you feel something is wrong. That feeling is a sign that those people are humblebragging. They look modest but they are not honestly modest.

Why humblebragging is worse than bragging? It's simple. Humblebragging is fake while bragging is not. Bragging genuinely shows your feeling towards yourself and your achievement. But it doesn't make bragging better than being modest as in genuinely modest. Showing off is a bad habit, but alas, it's still a human behavior, so it's somewhat acceptable but it must be in a moderate amount.

But what makes humblebragging worse than bragging itself is dishonesty. People who humblebrag are not honest to people when expressing what they feel. They want to look like they don't care with their wealth, achievement or whatever they have but actually they do care about it and they take pride in it. It's important for them to look good in front of other people and bragging make them look bad. So not to look bad, but still want to brag, humblebragging is the viable way to make both possible.

When I see people brag, I can't help rolling eyes, but when I see people humblebrag, I literally reject them because dishonesty is never a virtue regardless how good it looks. Seriously, I despise them so much because they are devil in disguise.

Next time, no matter how bad you feel about bragging but can't help to brag, just brag it out. You deserve the bragging right when it's due.   

You label? Then you are not my level.

Just a few days ago, my very good friend cum my mentor PMed me. He told me that I am inclined towards LIBERALISM. So he suggested me to read more hadith so that I won't trespass the 'line' and not arguing and questioning as I like as what I'd be questioning might be the truth from the Prophet. His saying that he was like me before as in; I believe I am above religion and all Islamists are stupid, turned me to a very confused state, or more to 'what the hell?'

First of all:

I have no problem with his advice that I should read more hadith. It's true that everybody must increase knowledge of prophetic tradition in order to live an exemplary life. The Prophet is the epitome of the perfect human being, so it's logical if you want to live as the truest servant of God, the Prophet should be the guide and his Sunnah is the guideline. It's an order from Allah too. No true believer can argue that.

I have to be perfectly clear about this as I'll be explaining issues that somehow people would see my statements contradictory, except for those who have the brilliance and intelligence; these people would have no problem to follow my arguments and they wouldn't feel I am arrogant because I am merely stating the fact. The irony is mostly people would feel the opposite despite saying they understand my words.

Secondly,

I admit that I was so pissed off with his messages. It's accusing, bias and prejudicial. Despite his true advice, his statements about me was merely his assumptive conclusion, and he didn't bring anything to prove his claim that I am inclined towards liberalism. So it's pointless to entertain it. Sorry bro, if you want to accuse me of something, bring the proof. Otherwise, I'd be stupid to believe everything you said and I am not stupid.

Thirdly,

Let's see the reasons of why I should not take his statements seriously ie not to accept his presumptive idea about me. Alas, who knows me better than myself (cliche'). Because seriously, it makes me dumb if I accepted his baseless statements.

1- He said that he saw me moving towards the liberal thinking.

The problems were:

1. He didn't quote any of my statements to show my 'liberalness'
2. He didn't show me where my statements were problematic as in; this is right and this is wrong, and he didn't explain why.
3. What kind of liberal that he actually meant and he couldn't accept or in other word contradicting the religion?
4. Even though what I wrote might have the same note with the 'liberals', he has no right to call me liberal, as obviously that would be the way he could dismiss my argument with no critical explanation (he did that so many time). As much as I want to call him conservative, I do not want to stoop that low and I tried hard to see through his arguments. (Believe me, it's hard to bear the torture of being accused baselessly). And basically, I could argue a lot of his problematic fallacious statements but I didn't. I was and am so lazy to argue.

2 - 'I am above religion'

1. Did I say that?
2. What made he think that I think I am above religion? He didn't answer.
3. He should explain this point so that I could explain to him what I was thinking. Not accusing me just like that without any proof. Proof bro, again, proof.

3 - 'All Islamist are stupid' - he believes I think that way.

1. Seriously mate, you shouldn't have a problem with this statement. If you want to say otherwise, prove it. Don't just say I am wrong thinking that way.
2. That's obviously stupid argument for saying that I am wrong. Because Islamists are not Islam.
3. Their deductions and opinions are also affected by their own bias, be it misogynistic ideas (I can prove this matter-of-factly), culture, ignorance of other worldly knowledge, literal interpretation (which is of course a stupidity). Lack of knowledge is obviously the reason of their biasness. I am seriously saying this; please read a lot of worldly materials so that you won't fall into this category.
4. Okay, is that what I really think? Though I feel that, but to think that all Islamists are stupid is basically baseless. A lot of good and brilliant remarks I saw made by the Islamists. There you go, I don't believe ALL Islamists are stupid. Why didn't you bother to ask me that in the first place, dude?

So here are things that you guys should know about me:

1. I don't care what you think, but if you care what I think, argue me with facts, solid and logical arguments.
2. I have no problem you attacking my apparent idea and opinion, but I have problem you making personal attack on me. Seriously, this type of people makes my arguments worthless and pointless.
3. I am open for you to disagree with me. It's fine. Just prove your point. We might come to agreement or disagreement, but your action contesting my opinion with your point maturely earns my respect, and regardless how disagree we may towards each other, I won't lose my respect towards you.
4. I have serious problem with labeling. Why? Because it dismisses my opinions/points without proper contest. What more to explain if that is the kind of counter-argument? Obviously, this person doesn't want to listen any explanation other than me dropping it. It drives me mad when people don't tell me what's wrong with my argument as in: your argument is invalid because of this and that, but instead saying: your argument is wrong because it's what the liberals believe????? Seriously???? If it happened to be the same, then tell me what's wrong with it. Drop the labeling, then I can entertain your counter- argument. A mature and decent (intellectually) is what I am going to participate. Hey, again, I am okay for you to disagree with me. You have the right to prove your point, I'm all ears. But prove it with a decent argument not with one sided labeling.
5. I am saying this very seriously: You label? Then you are not my level. Only people who can have mature discussion is the one who're on the same level as me.

I refrained myself from sarcastic remarks as I want to drive my point home without any distraction. It's hard not to be misunderstood. So if you still feel that I am arrogant, be it because the truth is, you do not have the ability aka enough level of intelligence to digest my words. With that, I rest my case.