Days of past, present and future

The 1967 musical album “Days of Future Passed” by the Moody Blues was and remains to this day amongst some of my all time favorite albums.

It is not only the lyrics and composition that render a special liking to a song/album but I think it is the memory of the times surrounding the initial exposure to it that colors it in an unforgettable and endearing way.

In the past few weeks here on my visit to Egypt, where I’m thoroughly enjoying the company and endless hospitality of my dear family and friends, I’ve been very lucky to relive some of my past through touring of both previously visited and unvisited areas of the country as well as meeting new extensions of my family and friends.

In this, as in many previous sojourns in Egypt, invariably I find myself humming tunes from the above mentioned album as if I’m trying to hold on to past memories and at the same time enjoying the present while wondering about the future!

Hani Badawi
January 23, 2018

Perception, induction, rejection and conviction

At the early phase of our lives, many of our notions and beliefs, rightly or wrongly, are seeded in our perception of things. We may, amongst other things, because of our limited exposure to details of the otherwise complex world, perceive that the world revolves around our family, home, school etc. Over time, our perception of things evolves and we start observing many exceptions to the rules and notions that were previously imprinted in our minds and corrections ensue. Effectively, in modern parlance, our perception goes through revisions in a very similar way as software or hardware do over time as a function of evolution of the sophistication in these respective areas of technology.

Adjustments and fine tuning of our perceptions occur via a multitude of mechanisms, some of these are unique and others common or shared, depending on our individual circumstances. Induction through education and media, rejection via our ability to reason out facts and conviction via numerous complex paths, are amongst many variable processes that we encounter at different stages of our lives, all of which constitute the forces that color and continuously recolor our perception of facts.

The notion of “Perception is Reality” is therefore predicated on the foregoing diverse factors and consequently it is impossible to claim that our perception (or reality) is identical to that of anyone else’s.

Conclusion (open for debate): Imposing our perception and/or reality has been and will continue to be a source of angst amongst individuals and nations too!

Hani Badawi
January 17, 2018