Perception is perhaps a unified awareness derived from the world of sensoria. Meaning our hearts and minds bring certain information from different sensors in our body and create a reality based on that limited information. In today’s world, perception seems to have more weight than reality. Personally, i feel this is due to a rise of ego-centricity. What people ‘Believe or Perceive’ to be true is, quite often, accepted as truth, whether or not the facts, research data or work experience support that belief or perception. This often results due an to an un-balanced curriculum that places emphasis on certain areas, without paying any respect to other areas, resulting in conceited individuals, that view themselves as above others.

All professions that exist potentially serve the communities material, emotional, or spiritual needs thus falling under societal obligations. The world doesn’t need any more elitists. It needs honest and good people with a good value system. You might be driving a taxi, or working in a hospital, all professions serve equally vital functions, and deserve equal respect. Unfortunately many people are biased and look down upon certain career choices and professions, and only think about how financially lucrative a certain profession is. However the obvious disadvantages of capitalism easily show how money and social status have very little to do with individual happiness or societal needs, that result in peace and happiness. Tranquility or ‘Sakinah’ as Arab theologians and philosophers refer to is actually a state of the heart, having very little to do with material possessions. Tranquility has more to do with gratitude, or the the sense of thankfulness, for everything you that you possess.

Medicine, Engineering, and a number of other well-paying fields are well represented in the world at large. No doubt they serve highly important functions that serve indisputable value to human progress and modernity, but society’s tendency to socially compartmentalize other vital careers, in effect limits the potential capability of the human mind in the future. Social sciences such as psychology, sociology, are often seen as irrelevant, because they do not seem as lucrative in a capitalistic economy. However contrary to popular belief, the social sciences serve essential roles in mental health, social welfare, and cultural development in general. The ability to function well in a society, requires a multifaceted understanding of the world, further raising the importance of social sciences. It is easy to observe how so called very highly educated people have very poor soft skills, and lack of proper interaction and respect for people of other cultures all due to their limited understanding of things and lack of tolerance.

Moving on to specialization in the humanities such as design, history, modern thought, philosophy, or theology are seen as un-needed or not worth to fit a purpose. However it is clear from observation that such areas of expertise are necessary because they impart a wider view of the world, because the past relates to the present and the future, and history reveals quite startling ideas about the present times. History gives us direct access to cross-cultural understanding and intellectual development that results in a balanced human mindset. The 19th-century Enlightenment thinkers were shattered not only by new discoveries of relativity by Albert Einstein and of unseen psychology by Sigmund Freud, but also by unprecedented technological development. Increasing global interaction due to social media during the current time show the influence of public opinion on the human thought process.

Specializations in the humanities like theology, history, modern thought, philosophy, and literature as such are considered of lesser value thus marginal, but they too are necessary and meet essential obligations similar to those of the social sciences. They impart a wider view of the world; how its past relates to its present and future, converging ideas of our times. They give direct access to effective cross-cultural understanding and intellectual development that enable the community to take interpretive control of itself and its religion in a contemporary context. Without understanding the inner-self, it is quite difficult to progress as human beings and polish out our in-adequacies and rise above our animal form. Muslims, including myself who deal with the internal feelings and states of the heart are known as practitioners of ‘Tasawwuf’. The people of ‘Tasawwuf’ aim to adorn the heart with the attributes such as repentance, perseverance, gratefulness, fear of God, hope, abstention, trust, love, sincerity, truth and contemplation.

Personally, i feel one of the greatest advantage of studying humanities is that it evokes and encourages self-reflection that, in turn, helps develop personal consciousness or an activation of civic duty. Enabling the human mind to understand its human experience. This understanding, ties intellectuals from vast cultural backgrounds together and provides a sense of cultural continuity meanwhile serving common human values and needs. Humanities focus on understanding meaning, purpose, and goals of human life and furthers the appreciation of historical and social phenomena.

I believe to better further human progress, it is highly important to update or revise curriculums across the world, so that people are taught humanities and social sciences, and not just their core subjects of expertise to maximize the potentiality of the human mind, thus enabling human progress. This is the only way i can see how individuals can rise above ego-centric tendencies, because awareness of the world and inner-self perhaps might make us all realize how minuscule the humans really are comparison to reality at large. Without bringing our feelings and emotions into a state of balance, we cannot bring ourselves into ‘Tahzeebe Al Akhlaq’ That’s what i can observe about humanity in general, it is at great risk, and people are living hollow lives, devoid of any spirituality and tolerance. We must not delude ourselves into believing that we are infallible to modernity’s lack of values.