Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: “Brain does not help to one who is hopeless and pessimist”
President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan gathered together with the students who study in undergraduate and postgraduate programs of different universities in the event titled ‘Psychology Talks’ held within the scope of the Culture and Art Events organized by Türkiye Turing and Automobile Institutions. Stating that the key word of being a good person is empathy, Tarhan said that the biggest cause of evil in the world is lack of empathy. Emphasizing that hopelessness and pessimism are the biggest enemies of young people in this age, Tarhan added that the brain will not help a person who is hopeless and pessimistic.
The event, which was hosted by the Türkiye Turing and Automobile Institutions with students studying at different universities in Istanbul, was moderated by Journalist Şaban Özdemir.
"Teaching empathy means teaching how to be a good person"
Pointing out that children and young people are exposed to a lot of cyberbullying, President of Üsküdar University Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that "People use social media and you see that hours have passed; however, the purpose is unclear, and time is wasted. Now, all young people have social media in their hands, and there is no such thing as time. They go with the fastmoving influence of social media. Here are some recommendations for parents, especially for the education of pre-adolescent children: the first is to give children responsibility, that is, to teach them to use social media purposefully. The second is to be able to teach the skill of being empathetic. Kids and teens are exposed to a lot of cyberbullying. When a child learns empathy, he or she does not do it to anyone else. In other words, the biggest cause of evil in the world is lack of empathy. Lack of empathy is present in narcissistic personality traits. Antisocial and narcissistic people lack empathy. Teaching empathy means teaching how to be a good person. If we say what is the key word to being a good person, it is empathy."
"Those who look at the event only from their own perspective cannot reveal the truth"
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that a person who looks at the event only from their own perspective cannot make the right decision. Tarhan said that "Those who look at the event only from their own perspective cannot reveal the truth and do not understand the other side. If a person wants to solve a problem, Rumi has a saying that 'It is not what you understand, but it is what the other person understands.', which is the meaning of empathy. Certainly, what is more important than what I say is what the other party understands in relationships. When a person learns this, they learn relationship management. The first step in relationship management is self-consciousness, that is, self-knowledge. It is self-knowledge as my strengths and weaknesses, but unfortunately there are some old schools of self-help. One does not want to face their own weaknesses at all. A person always wants to face their good and strong sides. In this case, self-righteous types with inflated egos emerge. Unfortunately, the global capitalist system feeds egoism at the moment. An egoistic person says, 'Either I succeed or I perish,' and since one works hard and produces, the capital system encourages production by consuming."
"Self-centeredness is a disease that modernism has brought to us"
Underlining that some segments are extremely impoverished while some segments of society are enriched in the capital system, Tarhan stated that "Currently, the United Nations is considering '3 Major Dangers Awaiting the Future'. The first is climate change, the second is global inequality, that is, economic inequality, and the third is loneliness. Self-centered people become lonely and unhappy. When people are lonely, the suicide rate is increasing, depression is increasing, and many cases are increasing. Egocentrism is a disease that modernism has brought to us. What we will pay attention to here is to know our strengths, weaknesses and ourselves, that is, self-consciousness... We will also see our weaknesses, but we will focus on our strengths in life. Not by denying our weaknesses, it is necessary to say this is my strength and this is my weakness but I will manage them as we move towards my goal."
"A person's talents bring out difficult things"
Stating that hopelessness and pessimism are the biggest enemies of young people for now, Tarhan said that the brain will not help a person who is hopeless and pessimistic. Tarhan stated that "The current generations definitely have a plan A, a plan B, a plan C, a plan D, a plan E. They make one of those plans. The one who has big data will dominate the world. The bigger data you have, the stronger you are. Now we need to be able to teach big data. If you accumulate and grow the data you have, that İs how discoveries will be made. The most important thing for future generations is not to fall into pessimism. For a mountain climber, reaching the destination is not easy at all. In other words, the roads for the mountain climbing are not always flowery, and they are not fancy roads. They are difficult roads, and they are stony roads. One aims for the hard way and aspires to the difficult. Those who have a plan reach the top, reach the top. To reach the top in life, you will set your goal and push it. A person's inner talents bring out difficult things. It yields comfortable times in strong people. It takes out weak people in comfortable times. In weak times, it gives birth to strong people. There is such a trend. If we want to be strong, we have to push our time. Let's push our conditions."
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)