Pakistan’s societal fabric is plagued by a profound intellectual decay, where meaningful discussions and debates are sacrificed at the altar of competition and intolerance. Our educational institutions, instead of fostering critical thinking and intellectual curiosity, encourage a culture of one-upmanship, where students are pitted against each other in a battle of wits.
The proliferation of podcasts and discussion platforms on digital media has failed to promote a culture of learning and intellectual exploration. Rather, these platforms have become arenas for individuals to showcase their rhetorical skills, with the sole aim of defeating their opponents.
The art of listening, a crucial component of meaningful dialogue, is lost in the din of verbal sparring. In classrooms, teachers often display a reluctance to engage with students’ multi-dimensional arguments, instead seeking to assert their authority and impose their worldview. This stifles intellectual growth and discourages students from exploring diverse perspectives.
The net result is a society where individuals are more interested in winning arguments than in learning from others. Our collective moral decay is a direct consequence of this flawed approach to discourse. We have forgotten that the true purpose of debate is to learn, to grow, and to broaden our understanding of the world. Instead, we engage in intellectual combat where the goal is to emerge victorious rather than enlightened. To arrest this intellectual decay, we must rethink our approach to discussion and debate, prioritising learning over winning, and empathy over argumentation.
Naimat Ullah Khan
Lahore
