Working, for two decades, at one of the
largest Industrial cooperations in the globe gave me a priceless
opportunity to visualize, manifestly, the extent of disparity between many
cultures (including the western’s) and our culture from the “tolerance
to criticism” stand- point. During the second half of that period and
being on the top executive management level made me adopt a deeply rooted
belief that “criticism” is the substantial mean of thinking which
developed the western societies and that “criticism” is to be directed
to the higher layers of the societal pyramid as well as it would be
addressed to the other layers of this pyramid .
This twenty – year experience picturized before my eyes the magnitude of
the gap between our culture and some other cultures in this respect.
Criticizing phenomena, concepts, and axioms is a milestone of culture that
set up the most advanced societies.
Criticism is a tool that every human being in the advanced societies
acquires since the dawn of his conciseness. The atmosphere, Man, in these
cultures, is embowered with, enables him to air views and outspoken
criticism from the very start. The little child is taught how everything
around him is subject to criticism. At the same time individuals practice
criticism under the umbrella of general acceptance, forbearance remote
from wrath and stress caused by criticism in other culture milieus (such
as many middle Eastern Cultures).
Educational curricula consolidate this interest in criticism. The general
atmosphere (politically, Socially and culturally) strengthens this same
interest in criticism as an extremely constructive device and most
probably a stupendous means of promoting all systems, establishments,
concepts and practices! Nonetheless, our culture proceeded on the
emotional track laden with vexation at criticism especially criticism to
axioms! We, in many respects, regard criticism as sabotage and destructive
act to treason (and in many cases this reaction looks adequate because we
seldom critics with a calm, objective and polite attitudes) .
Intolerance to criticism, deeply – entrenched in the mental buildup of
our society, consolidated as a milestone of our culture. Other negative
aspects disseminate in our contemporary through and make the issue
extremely acrid : when intolerance to criticism is annexed to shrinkage of
leniency and augmenting subjectivity , narrow-mindedness (reading others
as either “with” or “against” us), fanaticism (or may be
“phobia”) about our past and overweening inclination to self –
praise. Then the intensity of intolerance to criticism escalates and
reaches its zenith .
Criticism is synonymous with wrath, anxiety and sneaking suspicion of
intentions in addition to the existence of perils, lying in ambush to
complete the conspiracy (plot) against us .
Our general atmosphere suffers a great deal from intolerance to criticism.
I think I do not need to give examples. During the last few decades, many
stereotyped cases were repeated, symbolizing this phenomenon, asserting
that it is a characteristic of myriad intellectuals and cultural figures.
So the debate on intellectual issues is a novel emblem of the high
intensity of our intolerance to criticism and vexation at being criticized
!
Let
me give only two examples:
-
Those who call for celebrating the two- century- relationship between
Egypt and France exchange accusations and slanders with the polemists
who disapprove of this celebration !
-
Those who believe that holding a parley/ dialogue with our “
Historic Enemies” is the only way – out to escape from
wounds- laden reality face a strident campaign of vituperation depriving
them of any honorable attribute even patriotism.
Our mass media, throughout the last thirty years, have been void of an
article or an interview including constructive criticism to any of our
governments major choices (except to former governments !! ). This’ s
adequate evidence that we do not recognize criticism except when drawling
slogans (or launching into a harangue). If we really believe that “no
problem, we agree to differ” so there should be an article or an
interview in any of our mass media, including criticism of one or more of
our main policies. If there is no piece of evidence, then this will be an
adequate proof of intolerance to criticism to an extent that make us
worried and keen to treat and remedy this cultural disease with all means
that help the growth of our acceptance of criticism without which we can
not set up the future we had for long sought for and longed to.
In addition to all what was stated earlier in this article, “Total
Quality Management” is undeniably the “Driver” of the vehicle called
“Modern Management Systems” Total Quality Management (TQM) is the main
reason that makes any economic activity succeeds. In a few words and
without getting into technical details, “Total Quality Management” is
based on three corner stones : Quality Planing, Quality Control and
Quality audit. The third corner stone means that every economic unit
should critically audit its performance, the goods it produces or the
service it renders to discover through this critical process what is
needed to achieve further progress before the competition. Here we are
before an extremely clear situation where the economic success is directly
related to the benefits of criticism that aims at a continuos process of
improvement to ensure the sought competitiveness before a market that will
have no place “or marcy” to those who continue to have short falls.
In short, there is no more eloquent saying that of the great philosopher
Emmanuel Kant which I had mentioned in the preface my book “Critique of
the Arab Mind”: ( Criticism is the most constructive tool ever
produced by human mind).
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