Many moons ago, in my senior year at high school, the English Literature class syllabus entailed reading/studying Jane Austen’s novel “Pride and Prejudice”.
As it happens, even though at that time I was gravitating towards and ended up choosing a natural sciences education and career, I continued over the years to retain my memories and admiration of the power of literature and it’s influence in formulating and polishing my thoughts with “Pride” and perhaps a little “Prejudice” too!!
Jane Austen’s theme was one that laid out the two aspects in the title of her novel over many pages of twists and turns in the lives of the Bennet family and, particularly that of the protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet.
In the novel, much like what happens in true life for you and me, the travails from the ridiculous to the sublime and vice versa are encountered at different chapters of the book in very much the same way as what we experience over the span or chapters of our lives!
In our formative years, as we transition from childhood to maturity, we are influenced by many expressed thoughts, mental and physical postures and behavior of those whom we observe amongst our family, teachers and friends. That influence may morph into bias or prejudice that often times is not that easy to break out of as we grow older.
The extent by which the acquired bias and prejudice is tempered will vary amongst individuals including between siblings depending on the different shades of personal experience, environment and circumstances that each is exposed to.
Prejudices and/or tainting of thoughts and ideals may spread like an epidemic and, without the necessary antidote, namely education, may well extend over national, religious, gender, class, rank, etc..... aspects of any society.
Needless to say, ill-founded pride and the presence or absence of envy, ambition, aspiration, bigotry, passion and jealousy, amongst other things, are important ingredients in the recipe that determines anyone’s personality. Sweet, tasteless or sour personalities are thus shaped depending on the doses and/or combinations of those ingredients!
Hani Badawi
December 29, 2017
As it happens, even though at that time I was gravitating towards and ended up choosing a natural sciences education and career, I continued over the years to retain my memories and admiration of the power of literature and it’s influence in formulating and polishing my thoughts with “Pride” and perhaps a little “Prejudice” too!!
Jane Austen’s theme was one that laid out the two aspects in the title of her novel over many pages of twists and turns in the lives of the Bennet family and, particularly that of the protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet.
In the novel, much like what happens in true life for you and me, the travails from the ridiculous to the sublime and vice versa are encountered at different chapters of the book in very much the same way as what we experience over the span or chapters of our lives!
In our formative years, as we transition from childhood to maturity, we are influenced by many expressed thoughts, mental and physical postures and behavior of those whom we observe amongst our family, teachers and friends. That influence may morph into bias or prejudice that often times is not that easy to break out of as we grow older.
The extent by which the acquired bias and prejudice is tempered will vary amongst individuals including between siblings depending on the different shades of personal experience, environment and circumstances that each is exposed to.
Prejudices and/or tainting of thoughts and ideals may spread like an epidemic and, without the necessary antidote, namely education, may well extend over national, religious, gender, class, rank, etc..... aspects of any society.
Needless to say, ill-founded pride and the presence or absence of envy, ambition, aspiration, bigotry, passion and jealousy, amongst other things, are important ingredients in the recipe that determines anyone’s personality. Sweet, tasteless or sour personalities are thus shaped depending on the doses and/or combinations of those ingredients!
Hani Badawi
December 29, 2017
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