Our mentality: why is it so inconsistent and selective?

19:00 | 05.01.2015
Our mentality: why is it so inconsistent and selective?

Our mentality: why is it so inconsistent and selective?

By Hamid Hamidov

Mentality is from the Latin words "mentis” and "alis”. It’s a combination of intellectual, emotional and cultural characteristics, values and attitudes inherent in a social or ethnic group, nation or nationality.

This is according to Wikipedia. In principle, we have no reason to disagree with it.
 
Mentality has become a relief for our people when they need to justify their fears, stupidity or ignorance. You can blame everything on mentality.
 
But the most interesting thing in the Azerbaijani mentality is its inconsistency and selectivity.
 
While our mentality strictly bans us from marrying women that are not virgin, it pushes us to find out those with whom we can have sex before marriage.
 
It teaches us from our childhood to wash our asses after defecation but remains completely indifferent when we throw rubbish out into the street from our cars or apartments.
 
Mentality makes sure that our women do not wear mini skirts or dresses with wide open necklines. Yet, it is completely fine with fawning servility, using the noble word of "hormet" (respect) for it. 
 
Mentality often does not allow us to say unpleasant things (sometimes rightly so) about a man by speaking directly to him. But it is okay to do so behind his back.
 
Our mentality says university education is essential. Yet, it is absolutely fine with various negative methods of getting that very education. 
 
Mentality teaches us to respect elders, but it suddenly falls asleep when you have to give your seat up to an elder in a bus or metro. 
 
Our mentality kind of teaches us to respect women and children, but it somehow easily disappears when it comes to our own women and children.

Our mentality likes to remind us all the time of the need to think of God and his messages and live an honest life. Yet, it is comfortable with the fact that we cannot be born or even die in this country unless there is someone to pay for us. 

The list of contradictions in our mentality can be extended indefinitely. There is no way though to understand its rapid transformation and selective approach to different situations.

And as long as our mentality is so selective and we’ll find reasons like these to justify the presence of cockroaches, we shouldn’t expect a life better than we have now.
 
ANN.Az

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