MODERN HEROES AND HEROINES
NEED TO BE STUBBORN --
IF THEY WANT TO SUCCEED IN LIFE
There were few FAMOUS heroines in the world's long history. Philosphers, writers, poets, painters, architects, scientists, political leaders, industrialists, landowners, and a host of innumerable other professionals -- except probably the world's oldest (namely, prostitutes) -- were mostly men. Male heroes in the past could easily express themselves, with no social or political restrictions -- the strengths and uniqueness of their personalites and character, and the depth of their values, convictions and principles (including their loyalty to them) -- in significant and, on many occasions, influential works, efforts and endeavours. They had helped mankind to build -- and thus to travel along -- the necessary and vital roads to our common destination as human beings, living and working, as civilized men and women in more and more developed societies and polities: in other words, human progress and achievement.
In the 21st century, women have had come a long way indeed. There are now female intellectuals, politicians, engineers, technicians, scientists, managers, sports personalities, professors, academics, scholars, economists, computer analysts, computer programmers, investors, bankers, financiers, property agents, manufacturers, professional photographers, and many others who represent the undeniable progresses made by females in modern times -- through, especially, the availability 0f, and accessibility to, formal education in the schools, colleges, universities and other institutions of learning.
Such progresses in female accomplishments and efforts are achieved by those fortunate women in societies which believe in the freedom and in the rights of their citizens to pursue their education -- up to the highest possible level. So now, in addition to those occupations, fields of endeavour and professions which, traditionally, were already open to the presence and practice of (then still unemancipated) women in their ranks, back in the stupid old days -- yes, long before female emancipation and the women's liberation movement (and what has been called feminism), there are numerous examples of both women and men who are able to benefit from their many years of formal and institutional education and training -- with highly lucrative results and attractive material returns -- and also, yes, with the enviable experience of feeling a great or strong sense of personal achievement, advancement and immense satisfaction. Also, and perhaps most importantly, these women and men are able to feel proud about their contributions to the betterment of society -- and of the world, and of mankind at large.
These are our modern-day heroes and heroines -- and we need them, even in this era of postmodernism, globalization, biopolitics and the advent of modern electronic/electrical surveillance techniques, technologies and activities.
My Own Personal Misgivings, Doubts and Apprehensions --Concerning The Path of Modern Societies and Governments:Readers of my blog posts so far have already learnt how I view and regard such key and significant developments in human history. To put it simply, I view and regard them with repugnance and deep horror. I cannot reconcile the world I grew up in -- a world in which there were no deliberate attempts by important leaders of society and politics and industry to celebrate the so-called "virtues" of ambiguities, inconsistencies, illogicallities, ambivalences, contradictions, relativism and anti-idealism as the dominant "realities" of our modern time.I have questioned and challenged their versions of what philosophers, throughout history, had always been in single-minded pursuit of -- namely, the TRUTH. And this is what is troubling and disturbing me: in each and every discipline that men (and now women) have been studying --be it philosphy, history, psychology, political philosophy (or political science, as it has come to be studied as nowadays), literature, the arts, public administration, sports and games, government, etc. -- there is a drastic transformation in the nature and methods in which such disciplines used to be associated and identified with. It has really turned my intellectual life -- and my world -- upside down (initially, for the majority of the past 36years , when I almost knew nothing in an effective and vital sense, and only recently, during the past few months, when I, finally and gradually, was allowed by the surveillance authorities to discover and to realise the enormity and magnitude of the not-quite-beneficial changes in my life -- as a man, human being, citizen and writer -- an unpleasant and totally unacceptable situation caused by my being unreluctantly and illegally "implanted" by the MINDEF authorities in SAFTI in the year 1972, more than 36 years ago). What exactly are my grievances and so-called "complaints"? And what are my priorities now? It is very basic. To put it simply, I cannot remain fully and positively and fruitfully alive and still believe that my countless intellectual mentors from the West -- the great thinkers and writers who had produced innumerable timeless classics of so many diverse intellectual, moral and artistic persuasions and contents -- yes, I cannot simply and unquestioningly believe -- let alone accept -- that these great mentors of mine (my all-time HEROES and, yes, occasionally, HEROINES ) are now totally redundant, effete, irrelevant and hopelessly out-of-tune with, and out-of-place in, the so-called "realities" -- political, economic, social, cultural and scientific -- in these contemporary times, in a world that has vastly changed, almost beyond my recognition, from the world I grew up, back in the 1960s!Unfortunately, I stand almost alone (and this long-held belief in my own isolation -- as practically demonstrated in my solitary life-style and "anti-social" behaviour during the past 36 years and more! -- as well as my publicly witnessed "weirdness" and "bizarreness" -- is itself an indication of the plight and predicament I was put in (and still am in now) -- as a result of having my intellectual faculties, especially, undermined and tampered with by the ubiquitous surveillance authorities in Singapore, since the year 1972!So, I have to conclude (and this is my main concern now -- yes, my priority!): We still need heroes and heroines -- but they must include those men and women who, in this era of postmodernism, globalization, biopolitics and governmental mass surveillance, nevertheless still believe in the values, principles and insights provided by those heroic and unique authors in the Western intellectual and humanistic traditions.Unless there are enough women and men who share and hold such traditional, timeless and classic modernist and even pre-modernist attitudes and ideas, there will be no place for oppositionists and individualists like me, not even to hide myself -- let alone earn a living as a professional writer! Yes, perhaps then, I should go up to the high mountains and live out the rest of my life as a recluse!
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