Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, was a guest of the Muş Education and Development Foundation. In his talk titled “The Most Valuable Values in the Market of the Future,” Tarhan explained the importance of setting goals while progressing through life. Stating that trust is a fundamental need in relationships, Tarhan said that one of the biggest reasons for loneliness is the weakening of the feeling of trust. Tarhan also emphasized that modernism encourages egoism under the guise of individualism, evaluating this understanding as a reflection of Machiavellian philosophy.
Numerous academicians, business people, bureaucrats, and students attended the seminar held in the conference hall of the Muş Education and Development Foundation, including Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Bayrampaşa District Governor Abdullah Çiftçi, Muş Foundation Honorary President Orhan Sami Gültekin, Foundation Secretary-General Şener Düzener, Education Commission Head Prof. Dr. Behçet Al, and Education Commission Member Prof. Dr. Alparslan Açıkgenç.
The moderation of the seminar was undertaken by Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir, a faculty member in the Philosophy Department of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Üsküdar Üniversitesi.
Ulvi Eroğlu: “We are doing our best for our youth”
Delivering the opening speech of the program, Foundation President Ulvi Eroğlu highlighted the work implemented by the foundation in recent years, emphasizing that scholarships are provided to 1,760 students every month. Stating that they prioritize equal opportunities in education, Eroğlu said; “We are doing our best for the development and future of our youth, and we will continue to do so.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Intelligent people are strategic thinkers”
Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, addressing the importance of setting goals in life; “There is a definition for intelligence. Intelligent people are strategic thinkers. This means they don't just live for today, thinking only of today's pleasure and comfort; they also consider 5-10 years into the future. We sometimes tell patients with addiction, adolescents, children, or individuals with various mental issues to write a letter to themselves 5 years from now. Sometimes even 10 years from now. When we look at the letters they write, their dreams are mostly like this: ‘I want a mansion on the Bosphorus, I want a car, I want this, I want that...’ Their fantasy world is like this. Of all the people we've had write this letter, 90% write similar things. This is because these individuals have no projection for the future. Events govern someone who has no goals or plans for the future. However, when a person embarks on the journey of life, like a ship leaving port, they should first set a destination, and then create their compass and roadmap. Without these, life will toss them around like the wind. We sometimes ask, ‘Does the wind fly the kite?’ Generally, people say yes, but in fact, it's not the wind but the position the kite takes against the wind that makes it fly. Similarly, the position we take against the events in life guides us to our goal,” he began his words.
“Humanity is becoming impoverished spiritually, even as it enriches materially”
Tarhan, explaining the material and spiritual effects of modernism; “Currently, there is an understanding of modernism offered by the capitalist system. This modernism states, ‘If you like it, it’s good; if you don’t, it’s bad. If it suits your interest, it’s right; if not, it’s wrong.’ This understanding has now become a global trend and transformed into a culture. Thus, a consumption craze began. A consumption-oriented philosophy of life emerged. Today, everything is evaluated based on data. Especially in the US, predictions about the future are made by looking at past trends with statistics. According to World Bank data, the global poverty rate was 36% in 1990. In 2020, this rate dropped to 9%. This means the world is progressing towards material prosperity. Abundance is increasing. Of course, COVID slowed this process a bit, but generally, material prosperity is rising. However, happiness is not increasing in this direction. While material prosperity increases, spiritual and psychological well-being declines. Suicide cases, incidents of violence, and crime rates are rising. According to happiness research conducted by the World Health Organization, the per capita gross national product increased from $20,000 to $35,000 between 1950 and 2000. Currently, this figure is around $70,000 in the US. But the happiness graph is going in reverse, declining. Faced with this picture, there is a serious search in the West. Because humanity is becoming impoverished spiritually, even as it enriches materially,” he said.
“One of the biggest causes of loneliness is the weakening of trust”
Tarhan, stating that trust is a fundamental need in relationships; “Today, material prosperity is increasing in the world, but human relationships are weakening. People are becoming socially isolated. According to United Nations data, there are three major threats awaiting humanity. The first is income inequality, the second is climate change, and the third is loneliness. One of the biggest problems this era has brought to humanity is egocentrism, or egoism. We have perceived individualism not as freedom but as selfishness. For example, when a narcissist is criticized, they perceive it as a personal attack because they see themselves as perfect. They begin to view the criticizer as a threat. This prevents them from forming deep relationships. As a result, relationships become superficial. Even the concept of friendship has disappeared. For example, in English, there is no concept of ‘dost’ (a deep, intimate friend), everyone is a ‘friend.’ Similarly, there is no exact equivalent for the word ‘huzur’ (peace/serenity) in English. ‘Huzur,’ which is of Arabic origin, comes from being ‘hazır’ (ready). A person is ready for both the good and bad of life. Seligman, one of the prominent figures in positive psychology, defines this state as authentic happiness. That is, pure and deep happiness. A person achieves the same happiness whether in prison or in a palace. This is what ‘huzur’ is. One of the biggest reasons for loneliness is the weakening of the feeling of trust. People's trust in each other has decreased. Trust is one of the most fundamental needs in human relationships. Underlying the weakening of trust is a lack of empathy. If you gathered all evils into one room, a lack of empathy would open its door. If you gathered all goodness into one room, humility would open its door. Unfortunately, these values are being forgotten,” he said.
“Egoism is encouraged under the guise of individualism”
Tarhan, addressing the main problems in human relationships; “Today, egoism is encouraged under the guise of individualism. This, in turn, gives rise to ego wars, which have become the greatest enemy of marriages. The mentality of ‘It will be my way, not yours’ erodes relationships. The most fundamental problem in human relationships is now power struggles. People try to dominate each other instead of understanding. This situation seriously weakens the feeling of trust. One of the greatest dangers today is people legitimizing lying to achieve their goals. This understanding is a reflection of Machiavellian philosophy. This philosophy is called the dark triad in psychology. Machiavellianism, narcissism, and antisocial personality – when these three traits come together, toxic personalities emerge. People who appear quite gentlemanly and proper on the outside can actually be among those who cause the greatest harm to society. Therefore, trust is the greatest need of our age. The way to rebuild this trust lies through Sufi metaphysics. Mevlana’s teachings are present in the West under the name of positive psychology. However, this understanding has existed for centuries in Anatolian wisdom. What we need today is a metaphysical understanding that combines knowledge and wisdom, information and insight.” he said.
“Hopelessness has become learned helplessness”
Tarhan, stating that authoritarianism increases the feeling of hopelessness; “Hopelessness has become learned helplessness. Yet, there is no situation that necessitates us to be hopeless, neither for Turkey nor for the world. In fact, compared to 20-30 years ago, the opportunities we have today are much greater. One of the most important causes of hopelessness is 'istibdat,' meaning authoritarianism. 'Istibdat' is one of the six major ailments mentioned in Risale-i Nur. Imagine a family where the father is authoritarian; children grow up under pressure. Children who come home immediately flee to their rooms, don't speak, and suppress their emotions. There can be no peace in such an environment. Children get caught up in the thought, ‘Let me finish school and get out of this house as soon as possible.’ In this environment, the search for freedom begins. Yalom has four fundamental anxieties. The first is the unmet need for freedom, the second is the need to overcome loneliness, the third is the search for meaning, and the fourth is the need to clarify death. When these four needs are not met, a person experiences existential crisis. An individual who cannot find meaning, does not experience the feeling of freedom, cannot cope with loneliness, and cannot find answers in the face of death, cannot overcome their fears and cannot be truly happy.” he stated.
“One must rely on divine providence through effort”
Tarhan, touching upon the concepts of 'tevekkül' (reliance on divine providence) and 'teslimiyet' (submission); “Currently, third-wave therapies are coming to the forefront in psychotherapy. One of these methods is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. In this therapy, an individual’s mental resilience, capacity for finding meaning, and ability to accept are considered fundamental elements. In this approach, radical acceptance holds a particularly important place. There are things in one's life that one can change and cannot change. There are situations within and beyond one's power. There are events one can control and cannot control. At this point, accepting situations one cannot control is very valuable for achieving mental balance. This approach corresponds to the understanding of 'tevekkül' and 'teslimiyet' in our belief system. In Bediüzzaman Said Nursi's 23rd Word, he says, ‘Faith leads to 'tawhid' (unity of God); 'tawhid' to submission; submission to 'tevekkül'; and 'tevekkül' to happiness.’ This means that a person should not only believe but also attain 'tawhid,' which is the knowledge that everything is under God's control. Such a belief enables a person to act with submission and then 'tevekkül' in the face of events. That is, like a passenger who trusts the captain of the ship, one must believe in the existence of the captain of the ship of life and surrender to Him. A passenger boarding a plane cannot be at ease without trusting their pilot. Similarly, on the journey of life, we can only reach peace with a sense of trust. However, this trust is an active trust. It is necessary to practice 'tevekkül' through effort, not laziness,” he said.
“The belief in Tawhid is the most rational belief”
Tarhan, explaining the four fundamental paths that lead us to truth; “The first is experiment and observation. The foundation of scientific reality lies here. For example, we observe that fire burns. The second is reasoning. Scientific theories often arise from reason first, not from observations. Many technological inventions, such as the MRI machine, were first put forth by theoretical physicists and then proven. The third is intuition. Newton’s apple falling on his head. Apples always fell, but Newton looked at it with a completely different eye. Intuitive reason is the trigger for great changes. There are three apples that have influenced human history. The first is Prophet Adam’s apple, the second is Newton’s apple, and the third is Apple’s apple. The fourth path to truth is rational belief. Humans desire eternity. They seek meaning. Therefore, belief is inherent in human nature. There are approximately 4,300 religions in the world. But not all of them are rational. Rational belief must appeal not only to emotions but also to reason. At this point, the belief in 'tawhid' (unity of God) is the most rational belief,” he said.
“If we want to be beneficial to people, the first condition is to know ourselves…”
Tarhan, speaking about ways to establish healthy relationships; “If we want to be beneficial to people, either materially or spiritually, the first condition is to know ourselves. There are four fundamental steps to establishing a healthy relationship and contributing to others. The first is self-awareness, which means knowing oneself, recognizing one’s emotions, and knowing one’s values. The second is self-management, which means being able to control oneself, manage one’s emotions, and act according to one’s goals. The third is social awareness, which means being able to understand the emotions of the other party and sensing their needs. The fourth is relationship management, which means establishing healthy communication with people, building trust, and being solution-oriented. Just as companies conduct SWOT analysis, individuals should also perform a Psycho-SWOT analysis for themselves. They should ask themselves, ‘What are my strengths? What are my weaknesses? What threats might be awaiting me? What opportunities lie ahead? What is my vision in life?’ This analysis guides an individual’s life. Having a vision is not just dreaming, but knowing oneself and consciously drawing one’s roadmap,” he concluded.
A gift was presented to Prof. Dr. Tarhan
At the end of the program, Foundation President Ulvi Eroğlu and District Governor Abdullah Çiftçi presented a gift to Prof. Dr. Tarhan.
The program concluded with the taking of a souvenir photo.