Between triviality and false consciousness

Introduction:

(The Age of Nonsense) is a term used to describe a period in which people feel that triviality and superficiality dominate many aspects of life. This feeling can stem from several factors, such as:

1. Decline of Values: Where the importance of deep moral and cultural values diminishes, and there is a greater focus on material appearances and fleeting fame.
2. Dominance of Consumer Culture: Encouraging people to purchase goods and services they do not need, leading to a concentration on materialism rather than knowledge and self-improvement.
3. Spread of Misinformation and Fake News via Social Media: Affecting people’s ability to think critically and make informed decisions.
4. Flattening of Content: Focusing on easy and simplistic entertainment content, which reduces the overall level of culture and knowledge.
5. Impact of Social Media on Individual Behavior: Encouraging them to share superficial and visually appealing content, regardless of its intellectual substance.

About the Age of Nonsense:

There are many reasons that lead us to describe an era as one where triviality penetrates and expands. For example, comparing real life to idealized life, where people feel that their daily lives do not reach the ideal levels portrayed by media and social media.

Additionally, rapid technological and social changes make people feel unstable and unable to keep up with developments.

Therefore, we find that the signs and effects of the Age of Nonsense revolve around:

1. Decline in General Culture and Knowledge: The general level of culture and knowledge among individuals decreases.
2. Weak Critical Thinking: Weak critical thinking makes people more susceptible to misinformation and fake news.
3. Increased Feelings of Loneliness and Isolation: Social communication becomes superficial and lacks depth.
4. Deterioration of Social Relationships: People become more focused on themselves and their external appearances.

However, it is important to note that triviality is a relative concept; people’s evaluation of what is trivial and what is profound may differ.

Furthermore, the existence of an Age of Nonsense does not mean that all people are trivial; there are always individuals who seek knowledge and self-improvement.

Additionally, it is possible to confront the Age of Nonsense, and individuals can face it by engaging in reading, developing critical thinking skills, building deep social relationships, and seeking true knowledge.

Negatives of Triviality:

The negative consequences resulting from the spread of triviality in society can be summarized in the following points:

1. Decline in Moral Values: Triviality leads to a decline in the importance of moral values and principles, weakening social relationships and affecting societal cohesion.
2. Spread of Lies and Deceit: Triviality facilitates the spread of lies and deceit, weakening trust between people and affecting the sincerity of relationships.
3. Deterioration in Cultural Level: Triviality results in a decreased interest in culture and knowledge, reducing individuals’ ability to think critically and solve problems.
4. Weak Political Awareness: Triviality leads to a decline in individuals’ political awareness, making them more susceptible to manipulation and control by political powers.
5. Increased Consumption: Triviality encourages excessive consumption, leading to the waste of natural resources and increased debt.
6. Deterioration of Mental Health: Triviality can lead to feelings of emptiness and boredom, which may result in depression and anxiety.
7. Wasting Time and Effort: Triviality wastes time and effort on trivial and unproductive matters, preventing individuals from achieving their goals and ambitions.
8. Deterioration of Social Relationships: Triviality leads to the deterioration of social relationships, as people become more focused on external appearances and fame.
9. Decreased Productivity: Triviality results in decreased productivity at work, as individuals become less interested in work quality and increasing output.

It appears from the above that triviality has widespread negative effects on both individuals and society, impacting all aspects of life.

Alternatives to Triviality:

The alternatives to triviality are those actions, ideas, and values that seek to elevate awareness and knowledge and improve the quality of life. They can be summarized in the following points:

1. Continuous Education: The ongoing pursuit of learning new things and expanding knowledge horizons through reading, attending seminars, and engaging in training courses.
2. Critical Thinking: Analyzing and evaluating information logically, avoiding the acceptance of ready-made ideas without scrutiny.
3. Reading: Reading books and articles covering various fields, which contributes to expanding knowledge and deepening understanding.
4. Constructive Dialogue: Engaging in constructive conversations with others, listening to their opinions, and respecting them, even if they differ.
5. Appreciation of Art and Culture: Visiting museums and art exhibitions, attending concerts and plays—activities that contribute to the development of artistic and cultural taste.
6. Volunteering: Participating in volunteer work helps foster a sense of belonging to the community and contributes to solving problems.
7. Seeking Knowledge: The ongoing pursuit of true knowledge and avoidance of superficial and distorted information.
8. Building Genuine Relationships: Establishing relationships based on mutual respect and trust, distancing oneself from superficial connections and personal interests.
9. Attention to Physical and Mental Health: Engaging in physical exercise, eating healthy foods, and getting adequate sleep—all factors that contribute to improving mental and physical health.
10. Setting Ambitious Goals: Defining personal and professional goals and working towards achieving them, which gives life meaning and purpose.

In short, alternatives to triviality encompass everything that contributes to self-development and community enhancement, achieving a more enriching and meaningful life.

False Awareness:

It is evident from the above that the alternative to triviality is (advanced awareness built on critical thinking). However, not all awareness is good; there is also false awareness, which we see as more dangerous than triviality itself!

False awareness is a state in which an individual believes they possess deep knowledge or understanding of a subject, while in reality, this understanding is superficial or entirely incorrect.

And the question here is, why?
Answer:

1. Incorrect Actions: False awareness leads to making wrong decisions based on misleading information, which can have severe consequences for both individuals and society. For example, the Syrian regime believes that seeking international support to combat its people is better than listening to the people to protect its regime. Consequently, it has lost its people, its country, and the regime itself, which has been divided among the intervening states.
2. Difficulty in Changing Beliefs: It is challenging to change beliefs based on false awareness, as individuals tend to cling to them strongly, even when evidence contradicts them. The knowledge of revolution is seen as knowledge of heresy, and it is essential to fight the apostates among the revolutionaries before confronting the original infidels, who are the Syrian regime forces, as is the narrative of ISIS and jihadist Salafism in general!
3. Spread of Misinformation: False awareness contributes to the spread of misinformation and fake news, leading to a decline in trust in institutions and experts.
4. Reinforcement of Division: False awareness may reinforce division and polarization within society, where each side clings to its own beliefs and rejects dialogue or negotiation.
5. Obstruction of Progress: False awareness prevents society from advancing and developing, as individuals become more closed off to new ideas and alternatives.

Examples of False Awareness:

• The belief that alternative therapies are more effective than traditional treatments, which may lead to delays in necessary medical care and even death.
• The belief that conspiracies rule the world: This belief erodes trust in government and political institutions as moral entities.
• The belief that climate change is not real: This belief leads to ignoring the climate crisis and failing to take necessary actions to address it.

Therefore, we need to distinguish between true awareness and false awareness by:

1. Verifying information from reliable sources.
2. Analyzing and evaluating information logically and not accepting anything without evidence.
3. Being willing to change our ideas if new evidence contradicts them.
4. Being open to constructive dialogue with others and listening to their differing opinions.

False awareness represents a serious threat to society, and we must all strive to develop our critical thinking, verify information, and distance ourselves from baseless beliefs.

Conclusion:

Many thinkers have discussed triviality, its dangers, and how to confront it, such as “Alain de Botton,” who provided a deep analysis of the phenomenon of triviality in his book “The System of Triviality,” linking this phenomenon to the decline of the intellectual’s role and the dominance of the economy over social life.

Similarly, “Haji Khalifa” wrote about the importance of science and true knowledge, warning against the dangers of narrow specialization that leads to a loss of a comprehensive vision.

One could also mention “Karl Marx,” who spoke about the impact of globalization and capitalism on societies, highlighting how it marginalizes the working classes and exacerbates social injustice.

To avoid falling into the trap of false awareness while addressing the issue of triviality, we recommend the following:

1. Returning to organized reading: Reading helps expand our horizons and deepen our understanding of the world.
2. Engaging in critical thinking and skepticism towards everything presented.
3. Participating in public life and striving to create positive change.
4. Supporting cultural and knowledge-based institutions.

Undoubtedly, triviality is detrimental, but false awareness, which gives rise to groups like ISIS and the Shabiha, poses an even greater danger to both individuals and society as a whole.

Scientific Office
Research Team
Research and Studies Department
Articles
Syrian Future Movement (SFM)