Inaction And Inertia Of The Intellectuals Have Done Harm To Mankind.......Lord Byron
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
20 April
2024
"Those who will not reason, are bigots,
those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves."
-Lord Byron
April
19 is Lord Byron's 200th Death Anniversary
-----
Lord
Byron's quote, "Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot,
are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves," reflects his passionate
belief in the power of reasoning and independent thinking.
According
to Byron, individuals who refuse to engage in rational discussions and fail to
consider different perspectives are trapped in their own narrow-mindedness,
making them bigots.
Furthermore,
he asserts that those who lack the ability to reason are deemed foolish, as
they are unable to grasp the intricacies of complex ideas. Lastly, those who
choose not to voice their thoughts and opinions, out of fear or conformity,
become enslaved in a system where their individuality and freedom of expression
are suppressed.
Lord
Byron's powerful words serve as a reminder to always embrace reason, challenge
one's beliefs, and courageously defend one's freedom of thought. British
Poet-laureate Sir Andrew Motion, who wrote Byron's biography, opined that Byron
disliked those who, despite their thinking abilities, remained sluggish and
inert. Byron wrote, "A volcano that erupts just once in its lifetime is
much better than a dormant volcano which is as good as dead.' Most of us are
dead or dormant volcanoes. We dare not erupt.
Iqbal said
the same thing in Zarb-e-Kalim, albeit
in a different way, "Khuda Tujhe Kisi Toofaan Seaashna Kar De/ Ke
Tere Bahar Ki Maujon Mein Iztiraab Nahin/ Tujhe Kitaab Se Mumkin Nahin Faraagh
Ke Tu/ Kitaab-Khwan Hai, Saahib-E-Kitaab Nahin (May god expose you to a
tempest/ For, the ripples of your sea are too placid/ You're not tired of books
because you've just read them but failed to assimilate their essence).
Yes, we're
all scared to voice our thoughts and opinions despite knowing that something is
terribly amiss and things are going astray. "To be aware of the impending
end/ Yet choosing to keep mum/ This is utter impotency, my friend/ And an
insult to your freedom" (William Butler Yeats). Inaction and inertia of
the intellectuals have done more harm to mankind than the impetuousness of the
certified fools.
Mankind
looks at those who have the abilities to bring about a change. But when they
look askance for fear of backlash, world suffers a lot. "Jin Se Ummeed
Thi Kuchh Kar Guzarne Ki/ Haif, Ve Hi Khamosh Rahe Ta-Zindagi" (Those,
we expected, would effect a change/ Alas, they remained silent till the end).
Swinging into action is always very difficult for those who're cerebral and
far-sighted. But this is not a desirable trait because, "Aaghaaz Se
Pahle Anjaam Ka Dar Hota Hai/ Doorandesh Bada Tang Nazar Hota Hai"
(Scared of the consequences well before the beginning/A far-sighted person is
often too hidebound).
In these
times of oppression and subjugation, we need revolutionary voices and
individuals who can script an altogether new chapter of freedom, fearlessness
and liberty.
----
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/intellectuals-harm-mankind-lord-byron/d/132167
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