Inferiority Complex: In Many Form

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

salam,

I was reading about 'Orientalism' the other day from Sara's, a fellow blogger and a sister, on her page with the same title, Orientalism .I was not familiar with this term, as a whole, and to be honest it didn't occur that by knowing this, it could open a whole other perspective in my state of mind. I started reading the article on the mentioned matter, especially from the word of Edward Said, and also some of his video's and by little, something seems to make more sense now.

As the western perceive a certain stereotype, from the european images of the east, (china, egypt, japan, india etc) to, the american's general stereotype of the arab and the middle eastern country, I found a certain similarity of how at least, Asia (in my case Malaysia) perceive the other part of the world. As much as how image and true life of people have been distorted by the west and been called 'Orientalism', we can't simply deny that some of us have the same distorted image of true life of the unfamiliar too. On a smaller scale, how village/rural people would perceive and have a general image of how city people behave. It has been somewhat stereotyped that all city girls do nothing, but socialize and a very loud and rowdy. How some perceived, all african's are black, (which reminds me of my friend's daughter asked her, where does her friend who was white from, since her accent was a bit different. My friend told her daughter, that they're from south africa. She shook her head and genuinely shows her confusion, "it can't be, she's white!"), and how some people perceived that Malaysian people still live on trees. (you'll be suprise of how many people asked me how did i connect my computer since i live on trees)

note: my step son once saw a lady smoking(who happen to be local celebrity) at a corner of the room, he came to me and asked "eww...she's smoking. Celebrities are like this right, Umi?"I was shocked that he came to that conclusion. So i tried to set him some facts: not EVERYONE is the same; in this case, not all celebrities smokes, and celebrities are like any human being, have habits. It could be a good habit or a bad habit. The habit though, does not make a person good nor bad, and we shouldn't treat them any less than we are. He seems to understand it, since he concluded that his father couldn't possibly someone who goes around shooting/robbing people because he smokes.-this seems to be a potrayal he gets watching villains and 'sexy' women that smokes on cartoon/common generalization opinion from outside sources that he reads or watch

Of course, to some, it is just an act of ignorance. But on general conotation, some perceived these to what have been potrayed, by historical images, art, literature, media, tv by any means 'second hand' information that had been spood fed the parts of the nation. With political agenda or not, throughout the vast history throughout the country, what had been injected to people was the outcome of some inferiority complex by the 'messenger'. How the european had to potray this some kind of one dimensional side of certain country, and how asia potray another kind of one dimensional side of a certain country. It doesn't only potrayed just by race and culture. But on MANY MANY levels.

In Malaysia, we're living in a country with MANY belief's. Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Atheism, etc, and since it is more first hand, the potrayal of belief here it was not something foreign. It was familiar, and information are less construed. We all see, and live around it. But still, by this potrayal, our mind generalized that, as we see the The Hindu's here, is what we would expect The Hindu's in Bali would look and act the same. My first hand experience, visiting Bali was a whole new realm of understanding. If we were to speak of generalization of faith as how western depicts that ALL MUSLIM are 'violent' and 'women oppressors', then we could have easily interpret that ALL JEWS are out there 'scheme-ing' for world domination. I'm not suprise some of us, thinks that way. It is somehow impossible that it could occur to us, NO, they are not ALL the same.

These are all forms of fear that has been manipulating human life, in injecting hatred, prejudist, racism which is separating human kind. One HAD to be better than another, or ONE HAVE to have more control than the other. One is worthy or NOT, a kind of judgement and potraying a judgement which fall upon nation, belief or a person, that could be accepted by those who choose to ignore their right to THINK and deny.

At this era, where information can be obtained rather easily and first hand, (example: flying has made it possible since it is cheaper for us to travel from one country to other; experience tends to conflict with general stereotype, internet made it possible for ANYONE to voice out their study and theory; and make it reachable to the mass and etc) we have all made our own effort and taking it into our own account of what to believe, what to trust, what to obtain, in everyone's journey throughout their own life. We could either have awareness on how we perceive a country, a belief, a person or a situation or choose to be 'brain wash' by whatever that has been potrayed out there.

i don't know if i'm making any sense here, but my question is, could be possible that how we misconstrued an information is a sign of our own inferiority complex? a potrayal of our own fear in hoping that more would fear with you and take defence against something unfamiliar?

There goes another rambling on monday. i have no idea what i had just said...pfft~

Love+Peace,

H