Thinking Is The First Casualty

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 13 March 2025 A reader P Gu doesn't endorse my views on Aurangzeb because this reader's mind is influenced by popular perceptions and WhatsApp Gyaan. It's indeed ironic that in this age of quick communication, internet and overall advancement, the dangers of not thinking clearly are much greater now than ever before. It's not that there's something new in our way of thinking - it's that credulous and confused thinking can be much more lethal in ways it was never before. In the age of information, it is increasingly important to think critically and engage in rigorous questioning. With the proliferation of digital media, false or misleading information can spread rapidly and cause serious harm. Our thought processes can have real-world consequences, and it is our responsibility to ensure that we are properly informed and able to think clearly. If we are not careful, the results can be catastrophic. Instead, we must be vigilant in our pursuit of accuracy and understanding in order to protect ourselves from being fooled by misinformation. The quick, cheap and encapsulated 'wisdom', provided by various social platforms, determines our thinking processes and influences our perceptions. We're not thinking clearly. A Jadeed (modern) Urdu poet from Pakistan has rightly said, "Mubham-Si Soch Ho Gayee Hai Sab Ki / Kisi Ko Nahin Maaloom Kya Sochna Hai" (Thinking has become turbid and unclear/ No one knows what to think). Misra-e-Saani (the second line in an Urdu couplet) of this couplet is of paramount importance: Kisi Ko Nahin Maaloom Kya Sochna Hai. People indeed don't know what to think. And now when AI and ChatGPT are within our reach, there's no need for thinking clearly and independently. Now even thinking can be outsourced. So, in this age of unmitigated Torricellian void and vacuum, whatever bogus information is available, becomes knowledge to the uncritical minds. The cloudlets of misinformation keep floating and getting intensified into the clouds of (permanent) myths. That's the reason, an average Hindu mind would never like to believe that the Muslims can also have very few offspring and they too adhere to family planning. Likewise, nowhere in the Quran and Hadees does one find spitting into a food item is considered halal. But it's a popular myth among today's Hindus that Muslims spit into food before serving that (esp. to the Kafirs !). When your brain is kayoed by such myths and misinformation, how can you accept the fact that Aurangzeb wasn't as egregious as he's being projected today by Hindutva forces and RSS lobby? Think, analyse, verify and then form an opinion. But who has time to think? Let alone, critical thinking, we're incapable of plain thinking. Remember, thinking is the first casualty in an era of artificiality, acrimony and aridness. ----- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/thinking-casualty/d/134860 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism