The development of an individual, society, a country as well as humanity is, from a philosophical point of view, impossible without polarization.

Polarization (wherever it may be) is a completely natural impetus for movement and development, a search for a way out of what seems to be an impasse.

It’s hard enough to talk about polarization and personality without touching on everything that is happening around us.

Here is a simple example: recently, my country was on the verge of peace and chaos. A civil war that broke out in the country destroyed the peaceful life of society as a whole, inflicting quite significant damage on everyone, without exception. Remember the popular quotation: “It is impossible to live in society and be free from society”? This is the case. No one can say that we are outside of society and outside the life of society.

Khorog, Tajikistan – Hello – Fredy Thuerig

Not long ago we were in the same situation, but today we are worlds apart. This “abyss” has been formed everywhere: in families, in society, in the world. On one side of the scale – you, on the other – everyone else.

It’s a shame that often we do not try to understand each other, although every rational person is aware that life without each other is simply impossible.

It is impossible to touch polarization with your hands or taste it. It can only be felt and experienced by us.

Just an example. My mother was fond of painting, but never painted pictures. She taught literature in an institution of higher education. The war has greatly changed her attitude and perception of the world. She began to create paintings, poems, stories, articles. Her first exhibition took place within 6 months. Later she was told by some friend of hers: “If you did not go into deep creative work, you would have just gone crazy…”

As we can see, intuitively, she chose (found) the right way out of two polarized worlds…

Dushanbe, Tajikistan – At the market – paparazzza

Society also lives constantly in search of a way out. Agreed, it happens that we make mistakes; it happens that this mistaken choice is also delayed, but there is always hope that reason will prevail over recklessness. For instance, in Afghanistan, after 40 years of war the people still cannot come to the opposite point, the pole that is called peace, which will bring tranquility and joy, smile and love into public life and into the life of every representative of the country.

Everyone chases happiness, but do we really know what it is? Sometimes it seems that we are the only creatures in the world who cannot answer this question. The number of military conflicts, wars around the world, violence, cruelty, humiliation can serve as proof of my words. Sometimes “happiness” oversteps the bounds of decency, we get greedy and want more and more in unacceptable ways and have an unbound “appetite,” a hankering for power and money leads to the destruction of the individual and society as such. We chase “happiness” and forget to be human, we hurt and stop thinking, but the first rule in every chase is to remain human. Freedom is doing what you like, but there is a huge difference between freedom and permissiveness that can turn us into monsters.

Dushanbe, Tajikistan – Shah Mansur Bazaar – Ron Ramtang

Opposites always attract and thus we get the desired result. Even in romantic relationships, friendship, we often become attracted to people we have nothing in common with. Though it is a complicated issue and we should consider many aspects including age, sometimes religion, loneliness, psychology and even financial matters. But nevertheless, only through trial and error are we able to achieve the intended effect and find true soulmates and friends… per aspera ad astra.

Here are some more examples of polarization: The Doctor of Philosophy works as a bus driver, the Doctor of Agricultural Science works as a sanitary technician, the owner-seller of a small store has two university degrees (both diplomas with honors), my uncle (a PhD Candidate in Biology) had to leave his scientific work and start to work at a secondary school for reasons beyond his control, due to circumstances in society.

What happens in society and in the life of each individual member when we meet with such seemingly incomprehensible situations?

There is the usual search for a way out of the impasse in which people are driven by circumstance. Yes, a philosopher could possibly bring more benefits in the field of philosophy, and a biologist could make a big contribution in biology. It often happens that life breaks us, or frankly speaking we break each other.

But things past cannot be recalled: for good or for ill we made our choice. Life circumstances force us to take this step.

Khorog, Tajikistan – A portrait – Fredy Thuerig

My uncle was all about science: he wrote many scientific articles; he was an amazingly knowledgeable person in his field … He could bring so much benefit to the country in terms of forestry development … But… reasons and circumstances that did not depend on his opinion and will turned everything in a different way.

The world is so boundless and beautiful, it is important for us to recognize it and strive to learn it, discover it for ourselves and others, hence life without polarization would simply come to naught. It’s like a battery with two contacts (+ and -) that depend on each other, we cannot get the desired result without both of them (current, light, etc.).

No seed, no sprout, but the seed will not germinate without irrigation and sun. In this polarized world we must go to each other to meet with peace and smile, to bring good, not evil.

Then we will feel that we are needed on this small Planet Earth.

We are different (polar opposites) in many ways: in views and language, in customs and traditions, in faith and color, but we are the unified whole in one thing – we are humanity.

Dushanbe, Tajikistan – Cityscape – Vershinin

Karl Sandberg (an American poet) wrote in his 1936 poem “The People, Yes”:

I am credulous about the destiny of man,
I believe more than I can ever prove
of the future of the human race
and the importance of illusions,
the value of great expectations.
I would like to be in the same moment
an earthworm (which I am) and
a rider to the Moon (which I am).

Fann Mountains, Tajikistan – Nomads – Kristesoro

Here you have a whole bunch of opposites in the life of society: the destiny of man and the future of humanity, illusions and expectations, an earthworm and an astronaut.

Is it possible to throw out one, devoting oneself entirely to the other? Absolutely not!

Each of us has their own destiny, but also hopes for the future of mankind.

Life without illusions is also impossible, as well as without high expectations carrying something new, as well as the realization of hopes.

Remember the words of Chief Seattle: “The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites one family. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. The earth is sacred and men and animals are but one part of it. Treat the earth with respect so that it lasts for centuries to come and is a place of wonder and beauty for our children”.

Vrang, Tajikistan – In front of the hot springs – Fredy Thuerig

Man, in essence, is tied to Mother Earth on which he was born and lives (I am an earthworm), but, on the other hand, man is directed toward the cosmos, which gradually reveals its secrets.

The aspiration to reach the sky is a quite understandable desire of a person seeking to self-search and know another world: the world of the cosmos (I am an astronaut).

Whatever we do and wherever we go, let us meet each other with kindness, let us be responsible for our actions, let us be careful with the hearts and dreams of each other. All we need is courage to be what we are and to follow our true destination, it is not a place, but a way of looking at life and Mother Earth.

Nigina Kanunova

Credits

Snapshot 1: Tajikistan – Bulunkul – Lukas Bischoff Photography (Shutterstock)

Snapshot 2: Khorog, Tajikistan – Hello – Fredy Thuerig (Shutterstock)

Snapshot 3: Dushanbe, Tajikistan – At the market – paparazzza (Shutterstock)

Snapshot 4: Dushanbe, Tajikistan – Shah Mansur Bazaar – Ron Ramtang (Shutterstock)

Snapshot 5: Khorog, Tajikistan – A portrait – Fredy Thuerig (Shutterstock)

Snapshot 6: Dushanbe, Tajikistan – Cityscape – Vershinin (Shutterstock)

Snapshot 7: Fann Mountains, Tajikistan – Nomads – Kristesoro (Shutterstock)

Snapshot 8: Vrang, Tajikistan – In front of the hot springs – Fredy Thuerig (Shutterstock)

Cinemblem voiceover: Polina Karpova

Locations

Home: www.perypatetik.net

Social: www.facebook.com/Perypatetik

Cinemblem: Perypatetik youtube channel

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes

Ahmed, Amina. Growing up with Abuse: A Life of Extremes – Lebanon. April 2019.

Alencar, Joana. Lack of Social Trust – Brazil. January 2019.

Awdejuk, Pawel. Pole-arization – Poland. June 2019.

Baccino, Alejandra. Polarization within Ourselves – South America. January 2019.

Bondarenko, Evgeny. What You Sow Does Not Come To Life Unless It Dies – Ukraine. May 2019.

Cannarella, Daniela. A Past-Present Dicotomia – Italy. June 2019.

Casas, Marilin Guerrero Casas. Balance – Cuba. May 2019.

Cordido, Veronica. Hanging by Extremes – Venezuela. January 2019.

Escandell, Andrea da Silva. The Illogic of Extremes – Uruguay. May 2019.

Hernandez, Jonay Quintero. Extremism Is Now the New Hype? – Spain. February 2019

Israyelyan, Mania. Polarized Within Ourselves – Armenia. June 2019.

Montano, Osvaldo. Progress in the Face of Polarization – Bolivia. February 2019.

Protić, Aleksandar. Linguistic Balkanization as a Means of Polarization – The Balkans. June 2019.

Ranaldo, Mary. Social Polarization – Italy. April 2019.

Romano, Mavi. Censorship and Cultural Survival in a World without Gods – Spain. January 2019.

Sariñana, Alejandra Gonzalez. Student Movements – Mexico. March 2019.

Sekulić, Jelena. The Polarizacija of Serbian Culture – Serbia. June 2019.

Sepi, Andreea. A World of Victims and Perpetrators? – Germany and Romania. February 2019.

Sevunts, Nane. The Era To Close – Armenia. March 2019.

Skobic, Alexandar. The Loss of Identity – The Balkans. April 2019.

Sitorus, Rina. Polarization in Politics: All a Cebong or Kampret – Indonesia. March 2019.

Spirito, Julieta. A Thought about Polarized Insecurity – Argentina. April 2019.

Valenzuela, Monica. Adults and Children – Peru. April 2019.

Vuka. Extreme Immunity to Functional Tax and Judicial System – Serbia. March 2019

Wallis, Toni. Walls and Resettlement – South Africa and Angola. February 2019.

Williams, Jazz Carl. Unfinished Episodes – Spain. May 2019.

Forthcoming

CW 28 – Portugal – Nuno Rosalino
CW 29 – Uruguay – Lillian Julber
CW 30 – Argentina – Javier Gomez
CW 31 – Turkey – Seyit Ali Dastan
CW 32 – India – Sanjay Ray
CW 33 – Russia – Anastasiya Zakharova
CW 34 – Canada – Maha Husseini
CW 35 – Spain – Virginia Sanmartin Lopez
CW 38 – Turkey – Peren Cakir
CW 37 – Armenia – Hayk Antonyan
CW 38 – Italy – Sara Deiana
Source: The Codex of Uncertainty Transposed