Zero Sum Mentality..

What is this Zero Sum Mentality? It's a one winner, one loser concept... that for every gain there must be a loss. It's akin to siege mentality, brought about by a perception of persecution.That is the mentality that prevails in many aspects of our Malaysian life.

Found the following piece of printed material in the one of the classrooms at school. It's rather disturbing. Did some looking around and found it to be part of a book by Ahmadi Hj Baharuddin in his book Menjadi Survivor Dalam Dunia Penuh Cabaran. Found it disturbing too that teachers are printing stuff like that to be distributed in class... or it could be the students bringing it to school and left it lying around.

The terms used such as 'musuh-musuh Islam' and the tone of the article... it gives the reader the impression that the Muslims feel they are under siege. It's kinda disturbing (and sad) that our young are taught to have such a mentality... and it has found its way to the minds of the young at school via teachers. Indoctrination of the worst kind cos instead of developing our young to be fair minded... we 'poison' them.

Anyway, the article got me interested about this guy Samuel Zwemer... who he was cos when I read the phrase 'Muktamar Jerusalem', my first impression was it was something of Jewish nature. Then the phrase mubaligh-mubaligh Kristian appeared and I got 'curiouser'. So, I did a Google search on him. Zwemer was an interesting read.

While I feel everyone should be given the freedom to choose and to win others over, it should not be done in the way that creates animosity, fear or even hatred. What this article above does is instill fear. It also encourages readers to develop a feeling of 'it's other people's fault for my predicament' thingy. It contributes to the forming of a people who will not strive to better themselves, a people always looking for crutches to prop them up or blame to place on others when things don't go their way. We should steer clear of such attempts.... because it promotes Zero Sum mentality - One winner, one loser. It does not encourage symbiotic existence.

And what is worrisome is such kind of articles being placed in schools... what are we implying to the students? That if teachers other than their own race teach them, then it's also infiltration of the 'enemies' into the various areas of their lives? ... cos at the end of the first page... let me quote.

.... sehingga ke hari ini, musuh-musuh Islam telah begitu berjaya mempengaruhi, menguasai dan mewarnai pelbagai bidang 'kehidupan' umat Islam di seluruh dunia dan tidak berkecuali di negara kita, antaranya;
1. sistem pendidikan
2. sistem ekonomi
3. sistem politik
4. sosial, kebudayaan dan hiburan
5. sistem kehakiman dan perundangan
6. jati diri .... dan sebagainya lagi

So, everyone else is the enemy. I thought life needs different colours. Guess these people better go build themselves a cocoon and insulate themselves from all that is perceived as the 'enemy'. Be like the Amish... live secluded, segregated from the ways of the world.

Zero Sum Mentality prevails in the mind of the writer of this particular article.. cos he implies if they take practices from other cultures (which may be good), they'd still lose their souls... that's the impression that the writer of this article gives me... So people, time to throw away Microsoft products, mobile phones, food products, electronics, our political systems, justice system, etc., etc. After all, they come from a culture foreign to theirs.... It's a crazy world we live in.