5 Things to Think Before you Speak!

To my fellow readers, social media users and most importantly my KEYBOARD WARRIORS I am here to talk about some things that you should keep in mind, (being a responsible young individual in this growing society) before you update that Facebook Status, Tweet your thoughts or even, let’s say, move a finger on social media.

• Speak the truth and only the truth and nothing BUT the truth!

Freedom of speech comes parallel with your morals. Only speak the truth and avoid all kinds of false alarms and allegations. Your words can spread like wild fire on the media and you don’t want yourself or anyone else getting into trouble now do you?

• Avoid all Biases

Its human nature to be leaning towards one side of a situation due to personal reasons, but as a responsible blogger you must know of that thin line between supporting your cause and justifying it even when it’s wrong. Your point Is not to prove the world you’re right, it should be towards the betterment.

• You’re entitled to your own opinion, as are others!

Don’t forget that you will be met by differing opinions on such a vast forum. Sensitive topics like religion, politics and ideologies change from person to person, so do not at any point think that you are right while the others are wrong. Just as you have your reasons to support your cause, so do others.

• DON’T pick up controversial topics for the sake of getting likes.

It’s become a trend. You see a blog, you read a blog, and you comment under it just for the sake of picking up a debate. Healthy debate is good, but a useless argument just to prove you can be a good speaker really disses the idea of freedom of speech on social Media.

• Don’t target others just to hurt them.

A recent trend that started on Facebook (Don’t be a media bully)  which I came across and felt the need to voice was how people started sharing pictures of some people and making memes out of them as a humiliation to the person in the picture. Don’t do that, free speech does not mean you are entitled to say anything and everything.

Social media – a prison?

A prison, they say, is supposedly among the safest places to be in. Not only is it secure, but at the same time it has a constant supply of food, clothing and medical care. Yet, the purpose of creating them is to punish people for their wrongdoings. The idea is that what a person values the most is his freedom, constraining which will lead to behavioral change.

In the contemporary era, where the world has suddenly gone digital; the social dynamics have also evolved drastically. Speeches, debates, orations and representation of opinions are now reflected through the internet. As social media has taken the world by storm, its repercussions are evident. Today, information of all types is easily accessible through the web. From abusing Hitler to debating over Marx, from ridiculing the policies of Donald Trump to citing the Panama Leaks; social media has given liberty of a new origin to the masses. This freedom has enabled the growth of nations, as they are given room to think on their own. The sheer amount of information and analytical insight available is enough to expose the truth in its entirety. In addition, the mere ability to voice their opinions and to have an actual say in matters is a huge confidence booster for the users.

Like all good things, there are a few strings that come attached with such amounts of freedom. With no supervision or accountability, it has proved to have disastrous effects. Such is the human nature, that there is always a degree of inclination that moves them towards negativity. There is a thin line that marks the difference between freedom and crimes of hate speech, bullying and defamation among other things. On numerous occasions, the world has witnessed these lines being crossed, resulting in total chaos. Take the UK riots of 2011 for example, or the murder of Mashal Khan in 2017; where humans turned organized and turned into barbarians through some viral messages. To understand this example in depth you can learn about the murder of Mashal Khan by reading about it in this link:

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1388025/two-students-involved-mashal-khan-lynching-arrested-charsadda/

Humans are a mysterious race, and our times are even more so. There is no concept of a world without freedom, but unsupervised version of it is just as bad as its in-existence. In order to benefit from it without creating havoc, accountability is all we need.

Freedom of Speech: We’re all caged birds

Being an individual and expressing yourself shows courage especially in a society, which does not allow you to do so. Voicing your opinions, thoughts and ideas helps define a personality and comprehend an individual. It is the right of every being to be able reflect what they feel into words and that is truly what makes them different and unique.

Freedom of speech is not limited to conversations one holds up in daily routines but is applicable to all forms of gatherings and even social media. One can express themselves through pictures, quotations, music, emoticons and much more, freedom of speech is not confined to words per se. It’s a civil right of every citizen, whether they are 12 years old or 80 and more importantly, it’s a moral duty. It emphasizes on respect for others, teaches tolerance and more importantly allows us to comprehend individuality.

Abraham Lincoln has perfectly described what freedom of speech means. The thoughts we think, the perspectives we choose to view the world from, the opinions we have about certain events, incidents, people, situations, no one can think the exact same thing and no one has the power to voice them the way an individual who thinks in a certain manner does. They have the ultimate power and they are free to express them in any way deemed appropriate.

Freedom of speech is not as free as one would like to think. We’re often told to censor what we say in fear of being judged because that is indeed how the society perceives those who express themselves too much. This civil right is not as much of a right as it is a responsibility; we need to be aware of what we say, when, where and with whom. Others can interpret everything in a hundred ways and would find the perfect reason to disagree or call one out on the tiniest detail or saying. It is for the very same reason, many governments around the world have tried to convey a message to the general public that public should censor themselves as it is for their benefit especially the American government who has multiple posters around the country warning people.

In Pakistan, Imran Khan has arranged many public speeches and every time one thing or the other leads to his criticism. The reason: freedom of speech. He expressed his opinion after Trump’s presidential speech, where he said that in a way it was good that America was refusing immigration especially to the Muslim countries which, would allow Pakistani to remain in their homeland and for once do something for their country, work in their own country, receive education in their country so that Pakistan prospers. But this was not how the public perceived his opinion; they were outraged.

Therefore, there should be a balance between total freedom of speech and censorship. One should be smart enough to decide when to speak and when to remain silent.

Free speech zone

The term freedom of expression is sometimes used casually , but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used. If going in emphasis of what dictionary states about speech too, it can be said as written or spoken words. But it’s much more than that and here’s where we forget the expression.

The fast paced technology has led to an increase in awareness of social causes through multiple mediums available. Now news can be spread throughout millions of people simply through something as small as a mobile phone. Wrong or right is left for people to judge. This Freedom of speech/ expression on these mediums have led to many positive and negative events. However there is no line between “Free Speech” or “Hate Speech”.

Possessing freedom of speech is a responsibility; it is not simply a right. It gives us the power to say whatever we want but with that authority comes consequences. Surely this freedom is costly and does not allow us to abuse, discriminate to belittle anyone. It merely allows us to talk about ourselves but often one takes advantage of this and that is where the concept goes south. That is where the freedom gets snatched away from everyone. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from judgment, criticism, manipulation, or even disagreement leading to arguments.

 “Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties.” 
― John Milton, Areopagitica

It is important to understand the concept of a balance between both sides of freedom of speech. As part of an educated lot, one should be knowledgeable of the consequences of what one says in a world full of criticizers and should know when to draw the line. Unfortunately, nothing is cost-free.

Freedom Of Speech Positive Or Negative!

Freedom of speech is the right to articulate one’s opinions and ideas without fear of government retaliation or censorship, or societal sanction. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used.

NVogue

For me freedom of speech can be both negative and positive. It has both sides to it.The ability to articulate and express ideas for personal as well as political purposes is unique to humanity. This ability is, however, not without restraint. Various thinkers have explored the idea of freedom in order to expound the relationship between individuals and their society. Freedom of speech constitutes not only the act of speech but also its substance. Speech is made free oftentimes with regard to its subject matter. While most democracies today have laws for the protection of freedom of speech, any speech that can be considered an incite mentor offensive speech that threatens the peace and security of a region may be curtailed to achieve the larger purpose of the preservation of societyThe ‘negative’ ‘freedom from’ concept of liberty sets limits for the freedom of speech, it can be argued that those in favor of unrestrained free speech invoke the ‘positive’ freedom to pursue unrestricted speech to achieve a higher end. The ‘positive’ notion of freedom is grounded in rationalism. It allows freedom of one to prevail over the freedom of others so long as there is a rational basis for such subjugation, as long as one is rational, their speech will be respected by all.

Absolute Free Speech = Thermo Nuclear War (cuz Who Cares!)

(Via google.com/images)

For argument’s sake, I’ll deconstruct free speech into three categories:

1. Factual Statement.
2. Opinion
3. Insult

As a matter of fact, the constitutions of some democratic communities/societies depend upon this distinction. A society slurry or unsure of the distinction of these 3 variants of free speech would believe everything as an opinion.

A renowned philosopher Harry G Frankfurt describes bullshit as means of communication which focus on a purpose and apathetic to fact or truth. A society apathetic to the distinction between facts, opinions and insults will promote bullshit nevertheless they are fun to watch and listen to.

In times of bullshit, you’re left with two choices, either shield yourself from it or use it to your advantage. To defend yourself from it, you have to accumulate a lot of knowledge and to use it to your advantage you may need to lower your moral standards.

It’s the dose that makes a thing poisonous. Freedom as an end in itself is not the sum of all aspects of freedom, some aspects need balancing so as to not come in contradiction with each other. For instance the freedom of speech against protection of privacy, both parts of the Human Rights but in contradiction.

When a person who is bigger, stronger and meaner than you, threatens to beat you, you have 3 choices: run, call the reinforcement agencies or level the sport by pulling out a weapon. When a person who is smarter, louder and meaner than you thoroughly insults you, what are your choices?

The concept of insults as a form of violent behaviour is different among different societies. In the Eastern societies “ Saving face” is considered far more significant than in the Western populations. In cultures of honour, (e.g. middle east, South Asia but also US south) insults belittle a person’s reputation in public while he tries to regain his status by using aggressive behaviour. I, personally, do not think of these value systems as less progressive – but a certain “let it go” attitude may not be suited to every society.

A lot of western systems do not grant the victim a right to counter physical violence, right need not yield to wrongdoing, an essential perception wired into countless legal systems. So, what options do you think the victim has? Run??

In general, I think:

1. Freedom of speech can originate loss of faith in authority and result in widespread mutiny and outright civil war.
2. It promotes a foolish sense of worth for bad ideas. Some ideas are so repulsive like communism, yodelling, fascism and Nazism, that it’s best to keep these from people’s audience.
3. It stirs up disagreements and scepticism among people.
4. The ordinary person, who is by and large very limited and has only his own interests in mind, isn’t up for handling such a mighty tool or responsibility. It’s like giving real guns to 6-year-olds to carry to school.

Freedom of Speech: Puppets or Masters?

 

Freedom of speech is a complex and diverse topic, which might take up a lot of effort to comprehend properly. Freedom of speech is not only expressing yourself and saying whatever comes to mind but being able to speak for yourself and defend yourself when criticized for your words, it is being accountable for your words to the world.

What you say can evoke two reactions in others, positivity towards you or view you in a negative light. It all depends on how you convey whatever you are saying. Freedom of speech also asks for freedom to listen. If one individual expresses him or herself, it is somewhat the duty of the other to listen and not simply ignore. Freedom teaches patience, respect, understanding, it does not allow us grant us the freedom to simply speak and then not give anything back in return.

Freedom of speech has opened doors for many. It has allowed women to speak on women empowerment, feminism whereas it has given men a chance to express themselves as well through campaigns such as “Boys don’t Cry” This campaign was launched by VogueIndia, featuring Madhuri Dixit. It was aired on Youtube first then shared on Facebook and other social media platforms. It gave people an insight into how they should raise their sons to express their feelings and not signal them out for doing so. It also focused on how boys should be taught from an early age to be respectful towards women and not demean them. The idea behind this social media campaign was to empower men and women, not just in India but in the subcontinent as a whole. Moving on, freedom of speech has indeed made the world a modern one, with at least some values, morals and ethics if not something which is possessed by everyone. There is change and it is towards a better world. Freedom of speech has allowed people to use social media to take a step forward towards tolerance of one another and make people understand that everyone is different and it does not make them any less human than one’s self.

Possessing freedom of speech is a responsibility; it is not simply a right. It gives us the power to say whatever we want but with that authority comes consequences. Surely this freedom is costly and does not allow us to abuse, discriminate to belittle anyone. It merely allows us to talk about ourselves but often one takes advantage of this and that is where the concept goes south. That is where the freedom gets snatched away from everyone. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from judgment, criticism, manipulation, or even disagreement leading to arguments.

Freedom of speech can often be hate speech if abused and many do so without any hesitation. There is no limitation to what one can say and the human mind does not know when to stop sometimes thus offending many around him or her. Mark Twain has commented on freedom of speech saying, “none but the dead have freedom of speech” and he is absolutely right. Every pupil is constraint through speech whether in a manner of speaking or using social media and the only people who do not have any limitations are the dead. Even the most powerful men in the world, be it the richest, presidents, owners of oil, kings of Saudi Arabia all are criticized and judged by the world when they abuse their right.

It is important to understand the concept of a balance between both sides of freedom of speech. As part of an educated lot, one should be knowledgeable of the consequences of what one says in a world full of criticizers and should know when to draw the line. Unfortunately, nothing is cost-free.

 

Limits To Balance

Being a normal man I owe my rights. Not only me everyone out there hanging around,playing,working everybody owe their rights. The most prominent and neglected issue is freedom of speech on social media.

Everybody is not that vocal or expressive but still the one’s who attain these qualities are considered as violent and vulgar.

Its just out of my mind how can they judge you on just being vocal on social media and discussing the concerned facts of society. I wonder why is it still a TABOO even in 21st century.

Some Just Don’t Get It

Freedom of speech on social media is a personal choice its the violation of human rights if u consider freedom of speech inappropriate. Every human being own their values and virtues

It doesn’t matter that the platform you are expressing your views is a local or its social media.

According to my level of conceiving social media is the best platform to express your views on something because its the only way to convey your message globally.

I just think that there should be limitations on what you can say in particular situations. I think that people shouldn’t be able to say things that could offend someone or their religion. I also think that they should not say things that could cause people to do immoral things.

https://www.thecollegefix.com/post/30122/

Being Expressive is a good thing but it really matters when this is wrongly used as humans have a common attribute that when they have power they exploit it similarly social media is not less than a powerful weapon which we can use to express our thoughts and activities.  People have the right to give their opinions but sometimes this freedom become point of hurting someone.

With the power there comes the responsibility. Freedom of speech helps world to change because it helps us to solve problems and to stand for our rights.

People have lost the true meaning of what it really means. In other words, the public should not be taking for granted this freedom we have. People are protesting, which is increasing crime and violence. They start fighting which doesn’t help anything it only makes things worse. Please don’t use freedom of speech as just an excuse to be an oblivious idiot in public and to physically hurt authority and citizens.

So some limits would not harm the freedom but this would help ending different issues keeping the balance.

Who am I ?

Well, I’m obviously not Batman!

I’m a perfectly normal 20-something male with a perfectly abnormal fascination with food,  I’m a business student by day and I usually spent my nights either reading or making up plans for social initiatives

I’m a simple guy with a larger than average passion for social activism.

I don’t recall exactly where or when I got this passion, but as with many things in life, including my dashing good looks (cough!), I blame my father. My father is an educationist and a sports promoter. I used to watch him with great fascination growing up, and I’m sure I somehow along the way applied my own geeky mindset and obsessive personality to his inspiration and teaching, and somewhere along the way, it just spiraled out of control.

My background is from Sialkot

It is not a big city but it is known because of its great people. This makes me delighted that firms in sialkot produce best sports and surgical equipment. Not only this we have our own private international airport with an airline.   Entrepreneurs have brought good name to the city and also the social workers have been known for their immense contributions towards the needy. with all this we Sialkotians have great patriotism in them and we celebrate our national days and events with great zeal and passion.

http://unseenbeautyofsialkot.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-wall-of-kindness-comes-to-sialkot.html?m=1

as long as i can remember i spend my summers organizing charity sports tournaments, relief projects and debating at events, i believe that education and social work isn’t just a superpower but also a responsibility, to pass it on to those who cannot afford it. I envision a society where there will be no barriers for the youth to get education and play sports.

I believe that our country needs the contribution of its youth the most now and that it is time to become a patriot. Today we need the same passion and ideology which Iqbal and Jinnah had for the movement of a sovereign state Pakistan.

life and Myself

Life, what is life? Life is a time an individual spends from his birth to death in this world. Life is beautiful thing but it’s not easy, it has many problems. Life is not easy for everyone .Happiness, sorrow, success, defeat, day and night are two sides in life. Struggle, Suffering and failure are part of life and everyone experiences these things. Life is not like a smooth road it has big obstacles in it and those who pass those obstacles are the ones who are successful. There is no gain in life without any pain. Life has a limit and everyone’s limit is different so it’s up to us how we pass our life. Life is just like world’s stage where we actually come play our part and then depart. Then the next players come play their part, depart and the cycle goes on.

Life for me has been a bit different from those around me but I have learned a lot from experiences. I am going to proceed by giving highlights of my life.My name is Saad Umrao. My schooling started at the age of 3 from kids kampus  ,then i  did my O and A levels from Sicas  .  After completing A- levels i joined Lahore school of economics in 2014.

Through Out my school years  i was very good at sports so i used to take part in my school competitions. One of my favorite sports was swimming it was one of my passion and i  excelled in this area as i  got selected in Punjab swimming team and have  won several club competition  and provincial level medals .Swimming is still one of my biggest passion in life but unfortunately because of academics i was not able to continue it and was unable to achieve one of my goals in life which was to represent Pakistan in Olympics.

Things which i almost regularly do in life or you can consider it as hobbies, Which are that i like to watch movies, a  chunk of my life has been wasted in watching movies . Apart from movies one of the productive things which i do in life is that i almost regularly go to the gym. As life is unpredictable so i think that a person should make his or her life more happening ,I make my life more happening by spending more time with friends ,family and by travelling. Another kind of activity which i love is travelling i like to travel a lot , me and my friends almost every year go to northern areas of Pakistan and visit different places. Travelling increases your exposure and introduces one to different  cultures . Travelling refreshes your mind,  also helps in  making friends all over the world ,hence increases  knowledge and reduces stress.

Life is one of the most unpredictable thing as you never know when it will end and you are not sure what is going to take place in your life. Every one has a plan in life but everyone does not lives his life in accordance the plan which he has made for himself. Life has its own plan. There are somethings which are meant to happen in life and there are something which are not meant to happen in ones life. Life is a jigsaw puzzle,it consists of both bitter and sweet memories but at the end all that  counts is that what you learn from them and whether you overcome them or get stuck with them.