Virtue signaling

When I write my articles, topic ideas usually start appearing in my mind in the middle of the night or in the darkness of the morning. 

It was the same for today. 

We are in a snowy Baku morning. It is exciting for us because, if we are lucky, we see this scenery perhaps once a year. 

The other evening, I watched Ricky Gervais's latest show, Armageddon. 

Armageddon refers to the place where the great prophesied battle will take place when the end of the world comes. 

For believers, the number of those who think that the apocalypse is drawing near in these end times, or perhaps that they are already living within this apocalypse, is by no means small. 

In his show, Ricky Gervais satirizes the concept of 'being sensitive' in our time. I can say that it is not very easy to watch for some minds. I watched it twice. I tried to leave my prejudices and my ego behind. 

And I laughed. 

And I thought a lot afterwards.. 

Gervais's criticisms regarding sensitivity point out that the current understanding of sensitivity can sometimes make it difficult to face the truth. His expression that social sensitivity has reached a point where it can lead to marginalization and bigotry is an important message. 

Because friends, oh, we are so sensitive now… 

Words make us sick as if we are taking offense at a cloud… 

Ricky says; 'The meaning of being a sensitive person used to be about being aware of one's own privileges, trying to be egalitarian for others, and respecting and protecting the rights and words of every segment; nowadays, being sensitive means trying to marginalize the person in front of us and push them out of society because they "sometimes" speak the truth!' 

The power of words is great, and with the increase in social sensitivities, the issue of the balance between freedom of expression and sensitivity has gained even more importance. With the influence of rapid judgments and cancel culture on social media platforms, the meaning of words can change quickly. Maintaining the delicate balance between freedom of expression and responsibility, and ensuring that society shows respect for different views, has now become an important issue. 

I thought. 

We have started to be so afraid of words… 

Even within a simple sentence, you can suddenly be declared racist, sexist, homophobic, an infidel, and even a bigot, and just as suddenly find yourself in front of a prosecutor for 'inciting the public to hatred and hostility.' Before it even reaches that stage, you are already being lynched on the old Twitter, now X. This lynching often brings you before the prosecutor anyway… 

It all starts with being sensitive about everything. 

As I said, 'Oh friends, we are so sensitive now' 

But are we really? Or are we acting as if we are, so that we are not excluded or to belong to a group? 

Recently, our virtue signaling over TV series and movies comes to mind. 

The first thing that comes to my mind regarding these topics is the series 'Adını Feriha Koydum' (I Named Her Feriha)… 

At that time, there were many debates about apartment building staff. 

Hey! It's a series, it's a series… Fiction! 

We are so touchy now…

Leaving aside the evil, abuse, and discrimination committed, we generalize everything through adjectives, professions, races, and even genders… 

Through a mistake or crime committed by a doctor, teacher, soldier, police officer, or boss, we either put them all in the same basket and engage in virtue signaling. Or those who belong to that profession try to save the label, ignoring the evil done by saying 'someone like that wouldn't come from us.' We seem to have lost the importance of understanding that individuals in every professional group are not the same and of evaluating people by their own actions.  

I remembered Breaking Bad, which I watched with admiration. Did chemistry teachers go out to protest after the series to explain that they should not be seen as criminals? 

As I say, friends, 'Oh! We are so sensitive now' 

We have become even more tense from all this virtue signaling. 

Being truly sensitive actually comes from the development of empathy. In my opinion, one of the reasons for all this posturing and judging is because we have lost our empathy… 

We mostly confuse our fake sympathy with empathy. We are judged so much in our own lives, we feel so inadequate, that we take out the pain by virtue signaling. 

Oh, we judge, oh, we lynch, just like that, right on their heads… 

Ayy! That felt so good, didn't it… 

Even when standing against evil, there is always a 'but, however' 

'If only they hadn't said that'

'If only they hadn't dressed like that'

'If only they hadn't gone there'

'If only they hadn't filmed that'

'Oh dear, if only they hadn't been born'

The list goes on. This topic can handle many more words. 

'I know what the trouble I'm going through is. Being too sensitive,' said Ataol Behramoğlu… 

Perhaps if we didn't have a word to say on every subject, if we knew our limits and our place, and of course, without letting go of empathy and justice, and conscience…

If we could stand behind and beside those who deserve it, in situations that truly deserve sensitivity; and if we could grab evil and injustice by the collar. 

Perhaps then, the eight heaters sent to a family who lost their home and their past, and also lost their child as a martyr, would burn and turn all our virtue signaling to ashes.

Maybe even this article will be a small start to take a step back and think!

Who knows?

As I say, friends, 'Oh! We are so sensitive now'