The Religion Of The Ignorant

Affected people tend to be skilled at nothing, have no competence in any field, and are ignorant. The world offered to people of that character is a very narrow one. They take an interest only in certain areas of life and know nothing about anything beyond.

Affected people are interested in such matters as clothes, make-up, brands of perfume, the private lives of those around them, travel plans and hairdressers' addresses. Little else is of any deep interest. They have not the slightest interest in the torture inflicted on Muslims in East Turkistan, for instance, the cruelty experienced in the Middle East, people starving to death in Africa, the spread of atheism in the world, the abandonment of Qur'anic moral values or the moral degeneration among young people. They are sensitive only to their own interests. The problems of others, even of their closest friends, interest them not at all. They take an interest in a subject only if it affects their interests in some way.

Unless they or one of their family fall ill, they never feel sympathy for the sick. So long as they are not poor, they never empathize with the plight of poor people. So long as they are not hungry, they do not comprehend the plight of those who are. In order for them to show any sensitivity on a subject, they must first experience it themselves. No subject that fails to touch them personally or cause them any discomfort is at all important. Their seeking to solve a problem, making efforts to save those suffering from that problem and find a solution all depend on the situation being harmful to them. If they live in a country at war or suffering starvation, and they themselves are affected, then they may well look for a remedy, because their own lives are involved. But if they live in luxury far from such countries, then the plight of those people interests them not in the least. In that sense, the affected character is most ruthless and cruel.

Moreover, since the culture presented by the affected personality is solely for display, these people are exceedingly ignorant and badly informed. They devote all their time and mind to show off. Therefore, the affected are unable to come up with ideas on subjects requiring intellect. They cannot be of any use to those around them, and fail to add anything positive to their surroundings. In fact, people of affected character are generally a burden on rational people at times of emergencies and constitute a problem. Since they are irrational and incompetent, and of no use when measures need to be taken, time needs to be set aside to look after them. For example, instead of calling a doctor or dealing with bystanders after a traffic accident, such people actually confuse the situation further by crying and engaging in mindless behavior. They do not use their reason to come up with solutions. For that reason, not only are such people a danger to themselves, but also to those around them.

Because affected personalities have no objective, ideals or auspicious aims, their lives are dominated by a great lethargy. Apart from dashing off to some entertainment, the hairdresser, a sports event, shopping or to visit a friend, there's never any urgency to any of their affairs. Their haste is concerned solely with themselves. They never hurry for the sake of others' welfare, health or security. Time is of little value to them, and they waste it quite happily. They can spend days, months and even years without doing anything useful, interested only in themselves and their own particular circle. They therefore move slowly, talk at length on all subjects, and are unable to come up with a quick solution to the smallest matter. For example, it takes them weeks or even months to decide on a change of décor in their homes. They are also capable of devoting days to such questions as what outfit to wear, what hair style to adopt, what jewelry to wear, or which shoes to buy.

This lethargy imposed by their character is reflected in their mental activities. Their minds work slowly. They cannot easily distinguish right from wrong, speak with any wisdom or use their intellect to make positive contributions to anyone's moral values, personality or lifestyle.

The Vulgarity of the Affected Character

One major claim of people with an affected personality is that of nobility. These people, imagining that nobility consists of appearance, attitude and various rules of etiquette, portray themselves as exceedingly noble to those around them. They imagine that wealth brings with it a natural nobility, which they can achieve by learning a few international conventions regarding eating, standing up, and dressing.

In fact, however, beneath such people's courteous exteriors there tends to lie a character that's cruel, vulgar and a far cry from noble. The attitudes they display in the face of events that clash with their own interests, or toward people to whom they attach little value, make this crystal clear. For example, when affected people regarded as exceptionally courteous in their circle lose their bag in a shop, they begin behaving in a most vulgar manner. They shout at the staff, and immediately accuse people of theft. They demand the bag be found at once, otherwise they will sue. They shout at people who have nothing to do with the matter, quite irrationally and in a very vulgar tone of voice. At that moment, their fine manners and nobility vanish. Their true natures emerge when they imagine their own interests will be damaged.

A great many examples can be given of how such matters as compassion, nobility and courtesy are based solely on imitation in the affected character. For instance, such people will be full of affection towards the child of a friend who comes on a visit. They will place the child on their lap, caress it, lavish attention on it or take care that no harm comes to it. But when the child of a poor person arrives, their attitude is quite different. They are reluctant for that child to sit on the living room furniture, to eat off good plates, or to wander about the house. They are reluctant to touch or caress it. They display no kindness, but behave with great ill temper.