How fabricated narratives shape Egyptians’ thinking

[DJKeefy]

Knowing little is less of a predicament than being completely misinformed, while confidently believing that you know it all. Egyptians, unfortunately, believe that they know a lot, but they are not aware that their so-called knowledge is based on countless fabricated narratives that have been shaping their thinking processes for decades. Egyptians are the victims of many well-designed storylines. Their beliefs and the manner in which they assess issues to draw “firm conclusions” are shaped by these narratives.

Information in Egypt is neither accurate nor complete. Citizens have built up their knowledge based on what the state wants to convey to them. It is distorted information that relies in part on the government’s inefficient collection and analysis of data, and which often aims to deliberately misinform citizens. And then there are the many false narratives that are created by Egyptian citizens themselves.

Egyptians who express opinions on Egypt’s socioeconomic and political challenges so confidently should revisit their hypotheses, which are built upon the falsehoods that they have been fed initially.

Garbage in, garbage out

The idiom “garbage in, garbage out” defines the entire intelligence of Egyptians whose mindsets are structured and shaped by numerous fairytales spun by several “talented authors” who manage to entertain us at the expense of concealing the truth.

Egyptians move from one narrative to another; nobody cares that they often do not sync with each other — and who can prove it anyway? Although most of the narratives presented are neither consistent nor coherent, people re-convey them in order to sound knowledgeable, when in fact they are clueless.

Egyptian culture plays a fundamental part in shaping Egyptian thinking. Fairytales about heroic characters are the most appealing type of narrative, which easily draw the attention of millions of citizens who will do their best to repeat them, after adding their own embellishments. Thus, the creation of these kinds of stories is highly valued; tales in which Egypt is prevailing over the US, the world’s superpower, are well perceived by most Egyptians, pleased to see themselves in a position of superiority, challenging the most powerful nation in the world.

In the absence of a true democratic mechanism wherein institutions determine citizens’ rights and how people interact with one other, many narratives assume the role of shaping and driving Egyptians’ thinking processes. The Egyptian media (state and private) is the main driver that creates these narratives, expanding on them by adding false elaborations and validating them by hosting “experts” who attempt to provide “technical proof.” Our recent invention of a device purported to detect and cure six chronic diseases, which was well perceived by many educated Egyptians, is a clear illustration of the role played by false narratives in Egyptian life.

Egyptians are reckless when it comes to logical thinking. Critical thinking requires critical minds, something neither our education nor our upbringing fosters. In addition, reality would upset many citizens who need to be temporarily misinformed and happy, to raise their morale. The absence of genuine achievements has prompted the Egyptian state to capitalize on false narratives; receiving good news in fairytale form can make ordinary citizens proud for a while. This philosophy is satisfying for both the state and its citizens.

Most well-educated Egyptians who have immigrated to advanced nations have managed to adapt to the Western process of scientific thinking, abandoning the Egyptian false narratives that had controlled their thinking. Meanwhile, the bulk of Egyptians at home are left to believe and adhere to fabricated narratives that have encircled and permeated our society for decades. Discarding these narratives will require a different kind of education, and a government that wants Egypt to develop based on genuine scientific premises. In all likelihood, this will take a long while to realize.

By Mohammed Nosseir, a liberal politician from Egypt.

Source: http://www.arabnews.com/node/1084756

[Who2]

Don't why this applies to Egyptians I would have thought it applies to many nationalities...
Ps: Except the author is from Egypt rather than in Egypt.

[newcastle]

Mohammed Noseir is a prolific contributor of essays on various issues concerning Egypt. He writes a good deal of sense....in my opinion.

You can find his recent articles at https://english.alarabiya.net/authors/M ... sseir.html

In particular his article on tourism will surely ring bells with those of us who regularly visit Egypt :

Daily News Egypt May 30, 2015
By Mohammed Nosseir

‘Have you been to Egypt?’ is a question I ask most people I meet abroad, after introducing myself as an Egyptian. In response to my question, I usually receive one of two sets of replies: ‘No, I haven’t been there yet, but Egypt is on my dream list of countries that I intend to visit’, or ‘Yes, I have been to Egypt’ – followed inevitably by an account of annoying issues that spoiled the person’s stay in our country. Over time, I came to realise that if the Egyptian Tourism Authority would work on addressing our internal challenges, we could increase the number of tourists visiting Egypt and enhance our tourism revenues without the need to spend millions of dollars on promotional campaigns every year.

Egypt is blessed with a wide variety of touristic attractions and with the fact that it is a destination that ranks very highly in tourists’ minds. It is one of a handful of countries that has an incredible diversity of touristic sites and attractions (ancient monuments, beaches, deserts, entertainment facilities, and many others). Tourism, however, is no longer about pure sightseeing; it is about re-energising souls and minds by living in a different culture and experiencing new things. Unfortunately, Egypt is very often deficient when it comes to delivering these qualities.

Instead of offering services designed to please tourists, Egyptian tourism personnel generally tend to apply their own cultural traits to their dealings with foreign tourists. Many of these cultural traits, such as kindness, generosity and a sense of humour, are positive qualities, but they also include qualities that are not really appreciated by tourists (excessive noisiness, extremely bright lights and colours, and a tendency to interfere in the personal lives of tourists). Additionally, we are known to be a quantity driven country, whereas tourists spending only a few days abroad are looking to be pampered with superior quality services.

The Pyramids of Giza are one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and tourists who visit them want to spend quality time observing and taking in the entire scene. Likewise, tourists who spend a few hours on the beach are seeking relaxation (swimming, reading or simply enjoy the sea view). However, both tourists and others visiting different sites and locations in Egypt are usually harassed by various tourism promoters; the quality time that tourists are eager to experience is ruined by people who literally push them to do things against their wills.

I often argue with tourism promoters, explaining that tourists will enjoy their stay more and have a much better experience if they are allowed to plan their own itineraries or to shop at their own pace – rather than being chased and harassed by relentlessly persistent sales promoters. In response, tourism promoters argue that their attitudes often succeed in bringing them more business. They might be right about acquiring more business, but this is definitely at the cost of annoying great numbers of tourists who suffer so much from this situation that they will surely think twice about coming back to Egypt.

The services that we offer, along with our low prices, have resulted in a class of tourists who do not mind putting up with this unpleasant treatment, given the low price that they have paid for their holidays. Meanwhile, tourism experts often claim that their low earnings prevent them from providing the proper training their staff needs in order to upgrade the services offered; they are thus living in a vicious circle that they are not able to break. As a result, the only remaining option is to maximize the revenue obtained from any tourist, in any interaction. This might be a good individual tactic, but it is certainly one that has a disastrous impact on the tourism industry as a whole.

Over a decade ago, Egypt used to run the opera “” at the Giza Pyramids for a number of consecutive nights. The event was supported internationally by a large advertising campaign. However, due to poor management, oftentimes less than one-quarter of the seats would be sold. The Opera Director would then offer the remaining tickets at a substantially reduced price to government institutions (reasoning that performing at a loss before a full house was preferable to performing for nearly empty seats). This resulted in audiences who had no taste for opera chatting with one another throughout the show, ruining the evening for both the performers and any spectators interested in enjoying the performance.

Everyone agrees that Egypt offers strong tourism attractions that other countries lack. The challenge lies in our ability to manage our tourism resources in such a way as to maximize revenues while ensuring that tourists leave our country with a positive impression. If it were my call, I would exchange Egypt’s tourism promotional campaign for a concerted effort aimed at regulating the tourism industry and enhancing its services, combined with dealing firmly with tourism personnel who abuse tourists. This will certainly enhance the industry. Egypt is a country that is on the top of all tourists’ minds. Addressing the deficiencies in the quality of our tourism services will go much further towards boosting the industry than spending millions on selling and promoting inferior tourism services in order to barely cover our costs.

[newcastle]

Don't why this applies to Egyptians I would have thought it applies to many nationalities...
Ps: Except the author is from Egypt rather than in Egypt.

I've encountered many nationalities but I haven't seen this trait exhibited to the same degree as it is in Egypt!

Mohammed Nosseir was an active politician in Egypt until a couple of years ago. He is well-informed on Egypt, with numerous connections here.....whether or not he continues to reside here.

In fact, given the overall theme of his articles and his views on the current state of affairs in Egypt, it would be surprising if he hadn't seen the light and voted with his feet

[Horus]

He certainly has the situation summed up quite accurately.

[Dusak]

In regards to Keefy's opening post, from what I have observed over the years is that there are a lot of Egyptians that watch international TV, especially from the US, what they see is excepted as gospel. They do not seem to understand the difference in factual and fictitious entertainment. Only last week I was watching a download of a nature program, Earth 11, when they showed the Komodo Dragon. My friend raised her head from my ironing and asked very matter of factually when St. George killed the dragon in England, was it the last or are there any left. Of course I put here right telling her that it is rumored that there could be one or two still flying around. Why spoil her moment of inquisitiveness.

[Who2]

Dragons be they dragons whatever their size is still a dragon...

phpBB [video]

Ps: St George was probably a smoker....

[Dusak]

Its no longer PC to call a dragon puff.

[Brian Yare]

In regards to Keefy's opening post, from what I have observed over the years is that there are a lot of Egyptians that watch international TV, especially from the US, what they see is excepted as gospel. They do not seem to understand the difference in factual and fictitious entertainment.

So long as it is excepted, what is the problem? I would be more concerned if it is accepted.

[Brian Yare]

Its no longer PC to call a dragon puff.

It's o.k. to call a dragon puff a blast of hot air.