Obsession and Society (by Samima)

( Obsessions and how to find a way out of them)

Obsession in an individual is mostly a thought, idea, or a concept, that is inconsistant with reasoning. Particular idea clouds the mind and holds persons attention to an unreasonable extent making simple condition tense for him and complicated for others around him. Like in women bulimia or anorexia is high due to extreme weight loss obsessions (this is severe  form of obsession), or Daily Tech obsession that causing back n neck problems even in yound people. Obsessions can be mild like my son has a Ben 10 obsession these days, but not severe he will grow out in a couple of month.


In adult cases obsessions have a narrow frame of refrence and have what normally known as one-track mindset. Such person is intolerable to others notions and beleifs. “The persons with the one-track mind are the ones who usually have the most collisions.” (Kansas City Times, May, 1932)

Obsession  in society  can develop either naturally or is induced delibrately. Naturally when a rather new group comes in close proximity with the already present one, develops obsession of holding on to their own specific theme (may it be religious or ethinic, linguistic etc)  strongly so that their own identity may not merge into the already present ones.   

 The other kind of obsession in socity is the Induced one. A certain fixation is induced into the peoples minds  by spiritual leaders or by interest group who have power over society and have fear of  losing their own effectiveness and position and power otherwise. Their personal interest of ruling and staying in power is behind inducing obsession, molding peoples mind and conforming them, otherwise non conformed society will engulf them and conseuently render them powerless.

 The thing common at both individual and societal level is zero tolerance for others concept or idea, definitely means no way forward and moving in circle around the same notion.  Meaning no growth at individual or at collective level. But the destruction is unimaginable considering the latter one. Because the induced societal obsession is kept alive only by keeping the conformists paranoid and in a state of war with the other.  

At individual level the effectees are only the people around that person, his family and friends. But at society level the group who has the upper hand is in better position, the other at its worse. The results sometimes are much more extreme, destructive and consequential like death of one at the hand of other.

The pace at which the obsession in society will move is also not easily determined,  but the thing  in experience is that instead of conformilty it makes the socity more disconnected and  bewildered in a long run.

History is full of examples on obsession and leaders inducing these obsession into societes, take any of them  Stalin, Hitler, or Zia, all these leaders ran their countries on  obsessions. Stalin with  excessive personal control (was one of the most paranoid dictators history has ever seen), Hitler’s with Nazism and Zia with jihad and Islamization of Pakistan. They induced their obsession into the society, which was towards an extreme. The segment in society who share their ideas makes the  society very messed up, jumbled, never a whole. At the end, goal of such obsession is never attained, it either dies down with the inducers death or (mostly) render the society confused and Topsy-turvy.

Studying society and its obsessions is very difficult.  Its the history that tells later the extent of damage these obsession have done,  the permanent scars it has left on society's face. Adaptation and Synthesis with the changing conditions  is the way forward,  its that Golden key that can open gate for prosperous future for any society or country . (by Samima)