The Russian edition of Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan’s book “Psychology of Values - Beautiful Human Model” was launched at Kazakhstan L.N. Gumilev Eurasian National University. At the ceremony, Prof. Dr. Tarhan was also awarded an 'Honorary Professorship' title…
Meeting with Kazakhstani students, Prof. Dr. Tarhan pointed out that today's reality is “big house, small family,” stating, “Today's reality is more promotion, more advancement, less common sense. There are more people, but less humanity. We are experiencing a serious erosion of values. We are experiencing a serious decay in values. And this is not just in a specific region, but globally.”
Drawing attention to the events in Gaza, Prof. Dr. Tarhan said: “As Üsküdar Üniversitesi, we can publish a Manifesto of Human Values together with L.N. Gumilev Eurasian National University.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan receives ‘Honorary Professorship’ title from Kazakhstan!
Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Founding Rector of Üsküdar Üniversitesi, attended the launch ceremony of the Russian edition of his book “Psychology of Values - Beautiful Human Model” at Kazakhstan L.N. Gumilev Eurasian National University, the second stop of his 2-day Kazakhstan program.
Earlier, Tarhan met with Kazakhstani students at a conference titled “Changing World and Human,” and was subsequently awarded an ‘Honorary Professorship’ title by L.N. Gumilev Eurasian National University.
“The ideal person is one who can transcend themselves”
At the conference, attended by Yerlan Sydykov, Rector of Eurasian National University, and Mustafa Kapucu, Ambassador of Astana, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan drew attention to the global decay of human values. He stated that a smart person is one who thinks in the medium and long term, adding, “A person who uses their mind little thinks short-term. Values are the most important area of long-term thinking. The individual that modernism presents to us now is not the ideal person. The ideal person is one who can transcend themselves.”
“On social media, there are countless friends, but true friends are almost zero”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan pointed out that today's reality is “big house, small family,” stating, “Today's reality is more promotion, more advancement, less common sense. There are advanced medicines, but health is insufficient. We go to the Moon, we want to go to Mars, but we don't know our neighbor. There are countless relationships, but true love is zero. There is good knowledge, but less virtue. There is high intelligence, but less emotional intelligence. There is high income, but less peace. There are expensive watches, but no time at all. There is a bigger television, but fewer books. There are more people, but less humanity. On social media, there are countless friends, but true friends are almost zero. We are experiencing a serious erosion of values. We are experiencing a serious decay in values. And this is not just in a specific region, but globally.”
“Popular culture is becoming world culture”
Drawing attention to a statistic from the USA, Tarhan stated that cases of suicide, self-poisoning, self-harm, major depression, and depressive symptoms related to illnesses have rapidly increased since 2013. Tarhan said, “What changed since 2013? Social media, rapid communication, nothing else. There is a change in world culture, a serious cultural mobility. Popular culture is becoming world culture.”
The pursuit of pleasure affects the younger generation more!
According to a study conducted in France, Prof. Dr. Tarhan also noted that the “pursuit of pleasure” has increased, stating, “(The most important thing for me is to pursue pleasure) The proportion of people who say this is at its highest level. This is true for Generation Z. It is lower in other generations. Whether this is related to age or culture is a separate matter. But it is increasing independently of age. It affects the younger generation more.”
“Chasing pleasure, living a fun life has become a widespread situation”
Tarhan explained that there is a group in the world that seeks adventure and excitement as a lifestyle, which leads to substance addiction. He said, “This means the erosion of values, weakening of self-control, the ability to say no, to say no to pleasures, to postpone gratification, and education in patience and resilience. Wanting to own the most money and expensive things, chasing pleasure among young people, wanting to be rich, taking risks, living an exciting life, living a fun life has become a widespread situation.”
Globally, loneliness is increasing
Noting that the UK established a Ministry of Loneliness in 2018 and Japan in 2021, Tarhan said, “Globally, there is a serious trend in this regard. As a culture, we are a more social society, very close to warm relationships, spontaneous visits; we are luckier regarding loneliness, but it is also increasing among us. Turkish statistics also show an increase in single-person households.”
“Humanity is in a civilization crisis…”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan also pointed to the California syndrome, which consists of unlimited consumption, addiction to entertainment and pleasure, egocentrism, loneliness, and unhappiness, stating, “Humanity is currently in a civilization crisis. Material prosperity has increased, but spiritual prosperity is not increasing in the same way. People do not feel happy.”
Tarhan also stated that the cause of loneliness is one's own behavior, saying, “The biggest reason is that a person is egocentric, thinking about events only from their own interest, their own perspective, not from someone else's… Lack of empathy, thinking only of one's own rights, only one's own needs, only one's own emotions, not thinking about the other party's emotions, is the biggest enemy of marriage and the biggest enemy of social life.”
“The events happening in Gaza right now are also political narcissism”
Touching upon the issue of narcissism, Tarhan said, “In the fantasy world of these individuals, there is power, success, money, fame. They feed on praise, are not open to criticism, and cannot empathize. There is resentment, anger, jealousy. The sense of entitlement is self-directed. It appears more often in individuals who have achieved great ideals. It has become an egocentric personality. The events happening in Gaza right now are also political narcissism.”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that narcissists are forced to live in a world where nothing is greater than their own egos, and advised, “Act towards narcissists based on their behavior, not their words. They cannot understand empathy, but you can act empathetically for their interests. If you act aggressively towards an angry narcissist, they have the potential to suddenly become innocent. They play the innocent role very well. They play the humble role a lot. When things get complicated, they immediately become unhappy and try to escape. If you constantly praise a narcissist, they swell; keep praise limited.”
“We can publish a Manifesto of Human Values together with L.N. Gumilev Eurasian National University”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan, who also answered students' questions within the scope of the conference, continued his speech as follows:
“If the world is a ship, we are all on that ship. A political immorality is taking place to sink the world ship. In the events in Gaza, Western policy is sinking this ship. Therefore, we must act globally. When you look at the world, people are taking to the streets and protesting more in Denmark, the USA, and the UK than in our geography, more than in Turkey. Humanity has surpassed politics; global conscience has surpassed politics. This indicates that the future of the world will be good. For this reason, I am not pessimistic.
Here is the good side of global social media. While social media negatively affects the activation of global conscience on one hand, it has also created an opportunity to spread positive, good, and beautiful things on the other. Being able to use these values is a conscientious responsibility for us. We need to sign a manifesto related to the movement of values. Those who feel sensitivity worldwide should sign the Manifesto of Human Values. As Üsküdar Üniversitesi, we can publish a Manifesto of Human Values together with L.N. Gumilev Eurasian National University. World universities can also support this…”
“Global conscience has surpassed global politics”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, evaluating the events in Gaza and the world's reactions to Gaza in the context of human values, said: “Politics is a system focused on political interest. The primary priority of politics is its own interest. It aims for the desires of the strong to be fulfilled. In such situations, geopolitical changes in human history proceed episodically. They fluctuate. There are bad people, bad people multiply, and as the bad see the bad consequences, good people are needed more. Good people multiply… Currently, due to the geopolitical situation where the world is a global village, an electronic village, everything done no longer stays in that region. Both good and bad are immediately noticed. A prime example of this is the Gaza events… There was more reaction in America, Europe, Scandinavia, and the UK than in our geography. Politicians apply double standards, but the average person has started to become much more objective. This actually shows that global conscience has surpassed global politics. If global conscience surpasses politics, then politicians will have to comply with what communities say. Therefore, society, the grassroots, needs to be more sensitive. That is, here, one should act not as a participant in politics but as a partner. Civil society organizations, and everyone as an individual, must feel responsible for steering the course of this world towards good.”
“We lit a candle from Astana for the world to change in a good and beautiful direction…”
In this context, Tarhan gave the example of the Vietnam War and said: “During the Vietnam War, someone would come to the White House every day, light a candle, and leave. Journalists would ask him; ‘Do you think you will change the world by lighting a candle?’ And he would say, ‘I don't think the world will change. I light this candle so that the world does not change me.’ So, we also lit a candle here in Astana. For the world to change in a good and beautiful direction. We can say that those who multiply this candle will lead the world to good places.”
Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı: “Love, respect, tolerance are either disappearing or degenerating on a global scale”
Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı, faculty member of the Sociology Department at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (İTBF), stated that a mechanized life has changed priorities, and new values and understandings have emerged.
“Values such as love, respect, tolerance, trust, responsibility, and justice, which are among traditional values, are either disappearing or degenerating on a global scale,” said Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı, emphasizing that values are among the primary elements that ensure the continuity of society.
Süleymanlı explained that intellectuals in societies take on important roles, especially at critical turning points in history and during social and cultural changes. He also conveyed that Prof. Dr. Orhan Türkdoğan, one of the important social scientists of the Turkish world who passed away in recent months, stated that ‘the intellectual segment of a society should examine problems and resolve them during periods of crisis.’
“The views of our esteemed Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan on this subject are important”
Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı stated that Socrates' theory of ethics has never lost its meaning, even after centuries, adding, “The views of our esteemed Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan on this subject are important. He points out that the contemporary capitalist system mechanizes humans and leads to unhappiness. At this point, he sees the re-establishment of human values as an important necessity of this age. By emphasizing universal values shared by all humanity, he presents the model of a correct person who exhibits good character, possesses moral values, and has a sense of responsibility.”
Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı also stated that Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan's books, published in more than ten countries in Turkish, English, Azerbaijani Turkish, Arabic, and other languages, are considered classics in psychology. He added, “I believe that the book ‘Psychology of Values Beautiful Human Model,’ which we are launching here today, is an important resource for scientists, researchers, and students working in psychology, philosophy, sociology, social psychology, and communication, both in Kazakhstan and the Eurasian geography.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan awarded ‘Honorary Professorship’ title…
Following the speeches, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan was also awarded an ‘Honorary Professorship’ title by L.N. Gumilev Eurasian National University. The person who vested Tarhan with his gown and presented his certificate was Yerlan Sydykov, Rector of L.N. Gumilev Eurasian National University.
Tarhan signed the Russian-translated book “Psychology of Values - Beautiful Human Model”…
Tarhan then cut the ribbon with Rector Yerlan Sydykov and Astana Ambassador Mustafa Kapucu as part of the launch of the Russian-translated book “Psychology of Values - Beautiful Human Model.” Tarhan, whose Russian edition book attracted significant interest from Kazakhstani readers, signed it for his readers…
Cooperation protocol signed with Kazakhstan Institute for Social Development
Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Founding Rector of Üsküdar Üniversitesi, also attended a Round Table Meeting with the Family Research Center of the 'Ruhani Jangri' Institute for Social Development, under the Ministry of Culture of Kazakhstan, on the first day of his 2-day Kazakhstan program. Prof. Dr. Tarhan met with academics and experts working in the field of family. Following the program, a cooperation protocol was signed between the Kazakhstan Institute for Social Development and Üsküdar Üniversitesi.
Turkish professor Nevzat Tarhan presented his book at ENU
The Eurasian National University