The remains of morality

We are an insecure nation. We are brought up as ferocious creatures, to defeat any and all competition around us.

And due to such deep founded insecurities, we tend to suppress talent wherever we see it threatening our livelihood even remotely. The short term impact? We continue to maintain high ground and feed our kids.

Long term impact? Lack of a second line.

I’ve written about this pressing issue before and I thought it was important to address the elephant in the room again.

As an insecure nation and as insecure colleagues, we don’t let talent flourish. We keep beating it down so it never stands out. Result? There remains a void in the future where there is no second line of trained professionals to take over matters once we’re shoved 6 feet under the ground.

Examples? Pakistan International Airlines. Destroyed due to lack of expertise. Pakistan Steel Mills, annihilated due to incompetence. Pakistan Television (PTV) and Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, both brought to the ground due to gross nepotism. The wax museum (Parliament), inefficient due to hereditary politics.

These institutions are all emblematic of what I’ve mentioned above.

Mentors around the world encourage young and dedicated talent to improve and to come forward as their successors in the long run. The young and the mighty, who are goal driven, are given that playground to showcase what they’ve got. Any white-collar employee reading this right now will be smiling and agreeing with me. Don’t worry, we see you.

As a country, we ensure talent doesn’t see the light of the day. And if someone is a little more defiant, we make sure we keep them drowned and drenched in the pettiest of issues so that they fail to focus on what is the most important.

Pettiest of issues like ensuring they never obtain financial stability, they’re always looked down upon, they’re discouraged if they do things differently (albeit productively) and they’re instructed to not go the extra mile because sahab ko achha nahi lagega.

As a British colony, we’ve been so accustomed to operating under slavery that now that we’ve attained independence — or have we? — we have blood-thirsty kings emerging from their slumbers, yearning for power over anyone apart from their wives.

The self-acclaimed kings, with that mindset, now attempt to impose their unjust wills upon their slaves. Or employees. Or both.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

It does work on a teenager, having humble origins with little to no financial security. The poor lad will succumb to such culture of oppression and will continue to adhere to the unjust demands emanating from the egoistical grey matter of the oppressor.

Maybe because the poor chap has not yet mastered the craft that he aspires to earn a living from, he will continue to be a victim of unjust demands at the hands of his master.

The outlook is massively tweaked when someone, who knows maybe even just a little about his craft, is substituted in the above scenario. Then, either the master amends his ways and is forced to recognise that each person, no matter how humble, will have professional boundaries. And if they are imposed upon unjust wishes, the mentee will move on to broader horizons.

As a Third World country, we need to recognise the fact that talent isn’t like your house help. They are professionals who will only work the number of hours they are paid (unless the master is actively seeking a potential suitor) while ensuring those hours produce quality outcome.

Yes, we all make mistakes and that is how we learn. But you get what you pay for i.e. if you pay, when you pay and how much you pay.

In essence, such insecure attitudes have led to no second line being prepared.

Build your castles, don’t share your dough with those who need it, be steadfast in your prayers and preach with enormous zeal. All the while, don’t forget to manhandle your workers. And those, my friend, are the ingredients to success.