Without a clear and sincere formulation of the objective, there is no sense to think over the “tools”
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” This idea belongs to Antoine de Saint-Exupery, whose most famous work, in my opinion, is not particularly an artistic masterpiece, but contains many deep and meaningful thoughts.
In this case, the meaning is that prior to looking for the “tools”, you should clearly imagine and formulate the objectives. Usually, people fail to do it even at the individual level. “I do not want to be poor,” “I do not want to be sick” or some minor things, “I do not want to be late,” “I do not want to get fat”, these are wrongly formulated objectives as they include negative shade-containing characteristics: “poor”, “sick,” “be late,” “get fat”. Your sub-consciousness does not hear the negative particle, and thus you are “programmed” for being poor, sick, being late from everywhere and fat, but not for being lucky.
The problem, however, is in first and foremost formulating the wishes in a positive way. But to say “I want it” is not enough, you should long for it with all your heart, flesh and soul. Otherwise, it would be an empty dream invented in the “sofa”. The true objectives must be formulated in more details and more clearly, in this case, they became not only an objective but also a mission, and only after then, the task of the realistic, funds and tools must be set.
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In the case of people’s group, moreover, the nation, the task should be defined in a way that not only you but also the others sincerely believe in it and be infected with it. Let me bring an example, which is negative in itself, but shows the mechanism of being infected. In early 1930-ies, the German Nazis put formulated the objectives set before their nation. They were absurd, based on delirium, cannibalism and racism, but the majority of Germans believed in this bluff and was infected by it. They saw the “sea” and began “building the ship.”
Let’s assume, Armenia declares “building a welfare state” as a domestic political objective. “”Democracy” and “free market” are also mentioned, but are not considered mandatory by many people. But when people say, “I want to have a welfare state,” most of them are not sincere, they have in mind, “I want to be prosperous.” But this too does not reflect a deep desire, the true objective is: “I do not want people in my country live better than I.” Here it turns out that the talks about the objective set before the state: justice and welfare, are usually converted to ill-talking, hatred and curses. Indeed, the majority of government officials and the rich deserve it, but it is the “sea” that is worthy of “building a ship.”
The same is for the national objectives. It is clearly apparent last April. The fact that we “remember” it is clear, so does the world and some of the Turks. Next year, their number will be doubled, and several years or decades later, the number would be so many that the Turkish government will also be forced in one way or the other to “remember” it. What come to the “demand”, it is a perfect vague, firstly for us. When asked, “What do we want?”, they usually answer, the “lands”. It is the same that people lying on the sofa dream of “becoming rich”. It is definitely not a “sea”, nor especially “from sea to sea.”
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
Aravot Daily, 06.05.2015
