Beware of cultural psychological warfare! The choice of name affects an individual’s psychology
It is noteworthy that the names chosen for children recently are of western origin. This change in name choices can cause social degeneration. Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan touched upon the subject of 'psychological warfare' and explained the individual and social effects of name changes.
Evaluating the preferred names for the new generation, President of Üsküdar University Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that there has been a significant increase in the choice of names of western origin in recent years.
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that the changes in the choice of name are related to cultural belonging and stated that "If a person feels that they belong to western culture, they choose the name accordingly."
There is a protest aspect to the name choices
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan reminded that the population directorates did not allow names from different languages in the past and expressed that "I always remember this. In the Southeast region, someone from Diyarbakır wanted to name his child in Kurdish in the 1980s. However, the registry office does not allow him to do so. He insists and names his child Mahir. As you know, it is a name of protest because of Mahir on March 12.”
Pointing out that the choice of names has a protest aspect, Tarhan stated that "Especially names that evoke Christian culture were never chosen, and I think the recent introduction of this is a protest reaction." Moreover, speaking about the preference of names such as "John" in Türkiye, Tarhan pointed out that there are names of people who are considered important in Christianity.
Reminding that the names of politicians are preferred after certain political events, Prof. Tarhan stated that the effects of domestic dynamics can be reflected in this way, and Tarhan expressed that "In this age, a situation has emerged that questions all cultural and religious values." Stating that the name given to the person is also a description, Prof. Tarhan said that "Whichever label is given, one has perceptions about that label," and Tarhan also stated that the name of the person is in a position to affect the position they take in the society and their close relationships.
You cannot be universal without being local
Emphasizing that the psychological effect of names is very high, Prof. Tarhan stated that they are effective in shaping one's own inner world, personality and belief sets as well as cultural sets. Stating that the names are only the surface of this issue, Tarhan stated that the main situation is the way of life and made the following remarks: "If you go to Northern Europe, the understanding of culture and morality there is not the same as ours. When that person have that name, they will think that child is a non-Muslim. According to that, a communication network will be formed, and according to that communication network, a person will enter into a definition and meaning."
Speaking about parents who do not teach religion and culture to their children, Tarhan expressed that "It is a situation of ignoring the duty of parents to guide." Tarhan also stated that it is a parental responsibility until the age of 15 and that the child should not be expected to find the truth on their own.
Stating that "when a child is not taught about truths and values at a young age in emotional brain studies, emotional and value-related patterns do not form in their brain," Prof. Tarhan expressed that "It is not possible to be universal without being local. If you cannot teach your children local values, that child will not be universal. When you do nor teach your child about your own life and your own goals, that child will be a child who serves someone else's life and goals."
Cultural psychological warfare, a long-term operation
Stating that "we cannot protect our freedom without protecting our cultural identity," Tarhan emphasized the state of psychological warfare with the statement, "One of the methods in psychological warfare is cultural psychological warfare." Tarhan noted that there are two different methods to take over a society in the medium and long term: what happens in the short term is a political operation, and in the long term, it is to change the culture of the society. Moreover, Tarhan noted that the power centers show their own cultures strong and made the following remarks:
"People and societies with low self-confidence emulate another identity and imitate another identity because they cannot stand with their own identity. People who are born in Anatolia and give these names are people with low self-confidence. They are people who see their own culture as inferior."
We must make peace with our own culture
Stating that "There is no community that is hostile to its own culture other than us", Prof. Tarhan stated that children have become haters of their own culture and that everyone should clean their own door against the situation of 'cultural corruption' and concluded his remarks as follows: "We must make peace with our own culture. We need to modernize while protecting our own cultural values. We cannot be universal without being local."