Reading is a Good Habit

Really?
A tiny sampling I did in my uni years found that 80% of those interviewed in Puduraya only read URTV. How conducive is that to critical thinking, I wonder.
Some people read 'buku ugama' exclusively. Hmm.. OK. That's good. To a certain extent.
Some read novels, in BM and English. Just for fun, I hope.
Some people read multiple newspapers and subscribe to news feeds on their mobile phones.
A good number of people read magazines - business mags, women's mags, guy's mags, sports.. bla3x. That's good, right? (Some people even end up writing for them. Heh!)

For those who don't read, I don't really blame them. Books are damn expensive compared to our meagre incomes. I wish books were sold in ringgit as per the suggested price instead of being converted to the equivalent. If the price in US is a mere USD4, they're sold for RM19.90 here. A 7 pound sterling book ends up sold for RM64.90 in some outlets. (OK, I didn't really research the exact prices here. My point is, they're expensive.) If only USD 5 books are retailed at RM5 to be commensurate with our smaller incomes. Did you know that our mean per capita income is stated as USD 6540 (about RM24000 pa/RM2K per month) only? That's not much to live on, imagine if you wanted to buy books on top of that? How la?

Thankfully, some shops are cheaper than others. I tend to borong books during warehouse sales, and I buy most fiction from second hand bookstores. Even better are book rentals, but I got tired of going back and forth and not keeping my favourites. I only buy the most important books new, almost everything else is used. Bottomline, it's still possible to read if you really want to.

I guess my point is, we were taught that reading is a good habit, but how come no one taught us that THINKING is a good habit? I suppose most people figure that out for ourselves la kan. But then, ada jugak orang yang tak paham2 that little fact, kan?

They know all the stupid things that's happening around the world, but is blithely ignorant of the fact that kittens had crapped in the back room and SOMEONE is simply not around to clean it up. Does it need to be in the news before you notice that there's a pong in the house?? They go around complaining about this and that, when they themselves cannot be bothered to do better. They complain ofis jauh, bos membebel, kerja boring, etc, etc, etc. Tapi bila tanya WHAT they want to do - blank. Donno. Oh, mommy forced me to take this course. The truth is, she would have been perfectly happy sitting home doing absolutely nothing except read rubbishy novels while the world moves on. No one would let her starve if she didn't cook, and only I would ever kick her out on her sorry ass if she didn't contribute. Even if you expected to marry a prince/duke/handsome rich man, you could have done SOMETHING to achieve that dream. But that's personal...

Anyway, was reading MM's blog, and again, pops up people who lived their lives following the norm and fighting for the 'established' lines of behaviour without giving thought to what they believed in. People who think anything that is told by an ustad is true and it's a sin to question them for fear of damaging their aqidah. It bothers me because I feel these people are not giving thought to what they believe in. Isn't that scary? Sometimes thinking has to come with heart, because sometimes I am also questioned about why I choose to cover up, to pray, to be celibate... But I can explain my decisions because I have thought about them, and thus I'm at peace.

I worry about kids who give in to their boys because 'the other kids do it too', or 'it's expected'. Or because they will lose their boyfriends if they say no. What about the risks and repercussions? Have you thought about that at all? Have you actually considered contraception and preventing STDs? Frankly, I'd rather these kids know their options and do it properly rather than simply follow the 'norm' and end up leaving their illegitimate child in a plastic bag to die on the steps of a surau.

Why do papers and mags that feature tahyul sell so well? Do they make any sense at all? We all read our doa naik kenderaan, but we don't drive like maniacs and hope that we'll arrive in one piece either! When people ban and condemn movies they never even watched, it makes us look like fools who never seek the truth before passing judgement. It hurts me to be judged based on general beliefs and prejudices.

But it's even worse when people who have not read, and cannot think, rule a nation. I can't think of anyone worse than the Taliban in this matter. They are doing a grave injustice to women and children in the name of God, and is there no man with a brain there to stop them? That might happen to us if people who follow blindly rule our country. Nauzubillah. So fellow Malaysians, read, and think. And pray for a better tomorrow.