Hedonistic eating is the cause of obesity, social obesity is the cause of narcissism!

President of Üsküdar University and Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan participated in the 'Leadership Camp' Seminar organized by Bursa Youth Camp. In the online program, Tarhan elaborated on the topic of "The Meaning of Life and Creation." Emphasizing that the philosophy of happiness is flawed, he stated that investment should be made in happiness. Reminding that the responsibility of reconstructing values falls on younger generations, Tarhan highlighted the importance of correctly understanding the concept of happiness. Tarhan remarked that "As long as a person cannot control their desires, they are socially obese. The biggest cause of this obesity is hedonistic eating."

The Leaders Camp, organized by the Turkish Foundation for the Education of Gifted and Talented Children (TÜZDEV) with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, was moderated by Assoc. Prof. Kasım Takım.

"It is important to consider humans in a changing world"

Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan pointed out that humans are the only beings capable of questioning themselves and made the following remarks: "In a changing world, addressing human beings in the context of the meaning of life and creation is crucial. This is humanity's age-old question. Humans are the only beings capable of questioning themselves. The Webb Space Telescope was launched and reached places on Earth that appeared dark. There is an incredible system, and within this system, Earth is merely a dot. Stephen Hawking admitted by saying, ‘In such a vast system and order, my mathematical mind does not believe that all the planets in the universe are empty. Mathematically speaking, if there is so much life, movement, and humanity on this tiny planet, then there must be life on other planets as well. One day, they will come and invade Earth, just as Europeans invaded America. Be prepared for this!’ This statement contains an implicit confession, that is, an inability to attribute meaning to life from a physicist’s perspective. Similarly, Viktor Frankl, another Western psychiatrist of Jewish origin, stated that ‘What keeps a person alive is meaning. Therefore, I must have a purpose to live.’ He later moved to the United States and founded an important school of thought."

"A meaning compatible with the belief in tawhid is the most rational meaning"

Tarhan emphasized the importance of analyzing the search for meaning in Islam and stated that "Buddhism claims that the world is in constant flux. However, the universe is not limited to Earth alone. Western philosophy, on the other hand, viewed humanity as temporary while considering the universe as permanent. This was how Western philosophy explained meaning. However, it is now understood that, according to the law of entropy, the universe is progressively moving from order to disorder. Constant intervention is required; if left unchecked, there will be heat death, and the universe will end. For example, darkness does not exist on its own, and it is merely the absence of light. Similarly, cold does not exist; however, it is simply the absence of heat. The law of entropy necessitates continuous external control and intervention. All of these indicate that humans must have a purpose beyond this world. Our existence here is temporary. Islam asserts that humans are immortal, but the human soul does not cease to exist after death. Iit merely changes realms. According to quantum physics, we shift to a different energy band. The most rational explanation is that, according to Islam, the universe is temporary, but humans are eternal. The only eternal entities are Allah and humans. The truths related to meaning must be understood in this light. Meaning is not independent of creation. A meaning that aligns with the belief in Tawhid is the most rational meaning. Neuroscience also supports this, stating, 'A person who pursues meaning finds happiness.'"

"Humans have a need to believe in a higher power"

Emphasizing that the most rational belief is the belief in Tawhid, Tarhan stated that "At the highest level of psychosocial needs, it is said that for a person to be happy, they must be part of a greater meaning. Materialism has now collapsed, and it has scientifically failed and come to an end. Post-materialist science has begun. Science remains our guide. We will proceed with scientific rigor, and we will not fear it. We will bring scientific rigor into the laboratory and evaluate religion and beliefs through thought experiments. When we look at this, we see that the most rational path is Tawhid. There are 4,300 religions that attempt to explain existence in the universe, and all of them predict the need to believe in a God. Among them, the closest to reason is the belief in Tawhid. Humans have a need to believe in a higher power, and this belief fulfills that need because there is a power that knows and controls everything. It asserts that souls are eternal and provides comfort. There must be another concept that explains existence, creation, and the meaning of life. When you examine everything as a whole, the signs point to Tawhid. It shows that we need to rewrite our conception of God. The most perfect conception is the Tawhid conception. If there is a Creator, He must possess these attributes, and the Qur'an demonstrates this most clearly. The best explanation of existence comes from the Tawhid conception of God."

"If the universe is a tree, humanity is its fruit"

Speaking about the simulation theory, Tarhan explained that "The purpose of the Qur'an is to be understood. To understand God is to understand existence. When we look at the Qur'an, humanity appears to be the fruit of the universe. If the universe is a tree, then humans are its fruit. This gives humans an extraordinary meaning as 'the most honored of creation' (Ashraf al-Makhluqat). A human being is the fruit of the universe. But why? Look at the Asma al-Husna (the Beautiful Names of God). Angels obey, while Satan rebels against everything. Unlike other creatures, humans have free will. They also have the freedom to commit evil. In order for a person to truly be free, they must also have the freedom to do wrong. They will make choices and experience the consequences. Without this, we cannot talk about true freedom. This is one of the most crucial aspects of discussions on the problem of evil. For this reason, even though humans have the capacity for evil, they can choose what is good and, in doing so, engage in a direct relationship with God. The Creator of the universe has placed us in a simulation. Right now, the theory that best explains existence is the simulation theory. In reality, we are living within a simulation. The supreme will that wrote this simulation already knows what we will do. However, we are responsible for our actions. This perspective also explains the concept of destiny. This is an understanding of meaning. When you look at the Qur'an from a 360-degree perspective, you can find answers to all your questions."

"The biggest cause of obesity is hedonist eating"

Emphasizing that a person becomes socially obese when they cannot control their desires, Tarhan stated that "Modernism has changed the philosophy of life. It has adopted the philosophy that whatever benefits me is good, and whatever does not is bad. In neuroscience, this is called dopamine happiness. Dopamine happiness is pleasure-based happiness, also known as hedonist eating. The biggest cause of obesity is hedonist eating, that is, eating for pleasure. Just as a person who cannot say no to their cravings becomes physically obese, when they cannot stop indulging in entertainment, wealth, status, and worldly pleasures, they become psychologically and socially obese as well. In psychology, this corresponds to narcissism. Hedonist eating causes obesity, and social obesity is the cause of narcissism (ego inflation). Aristotle divides happiness into two types: pleasure-based happiness and meaning-based happiness. Meaning-based happiness is eudaimonic happiness. Those who think long-term achieve meaning-based happiness. The hormone of pleasure-based happiness is dopamine, while the hormone of meaning-based happiness is serotonin. Serotonin is only secreted in the brains of those who pursue ideas, ideals, and meaning, whereas dopamine is secreted in the brains of those who chase pleasure.

If we live our lives with a dopamine-focused purpose, we will exist like an addict, unable to derive real joy, and eventually, we may even desire death. For example, if we invest all our love in ourselves, we become narcissistic. Instead, we should invest our love in society, humanity, life, existence, and the Creator. Mevlana did this. He referred to love investment as divine love. He transitioned from metaphorical love to true love and turned toward God. Because he directed his love toward God, he found an incredible sense of peace."

"When we live in alignment with the meaning of existence, we will attain inner peace"

Explaining the importance of living a meaningful life, Tarhan expressed that “Living a meaningful life is in our best interest. When we live in alignment with the meaning of existence, we will also achieve inner peace. For example, in English, there is no exact translation for the word huzur; they use ‘peace,’ which means absence of conflict. However, peace and huzur are not the same thing. The closest meaning in the Qur'an is calmness and tranquility. Muhammad İkbal said, ‘The West rejected the afterlife and focused on the world. We abandoned the world and focused on the afterlife. We failed to find the balance between the two.’ God did not send us into this world to suffer. He sent us to use its blessings in His way, to pursue a higher meaning through these blessings. This is our test. Hopefully, we will be among those who experience the inner peace, serenity, and ease that come with adding meaning to life. I wish someone had told us these things when we were young. Our young friends are very lucky. We had to learn through trial and error, through great effort and struggles…"

"The roads to truth are paved with hardships"

Emphasizing that the concept of happiness must be correctly understood, Tarhan stated that “The person who should serve as our role model today is the Prophet Muhammad. When we look at his life, we see that revelation began coming to him at the age of forty. He was overwhelmed and then experienced a two-year gap where no revelation came. His wife Hatice (Khadijah) consoled him during this time. During those two years, he constantly sought solitude in the Cave of Hira. He became so distressed that he even thought, ‘If only I could die and be free from this suffering.’ Two years later, the verses of consolation were revealed. God was waiting for him to mature spiritually. It was a difficult period, a tremendous struggle. Looking at his life, one might think it was full of suffering. Even in later years, there was an ongoing spiritual struggle. Yet, despite these struggles, he was never filled with despair or sorrow. The Prophet’s life included a year of mourning. During that year, he lost his wife and the uncle who had raised him like a father. He endured great hardships, but it was also in that year that the miraculous Night Journey took place. Behind every great difficulty, there was a profound wisdom. Throughout the Prophet’s life, he maintained an incredible sense of inner peace. When we think of happiness, we tend to equate it with comfort. But happiness and comfort are not the same thing. The pursuit of comfort is a deception of modernism, a cognitive distortion imposed on us. Modernism teaches us to chase comfort. Ideally, a person should be both comfortable and happy, but that is not the reality of life. Beautiful things emerge after hardships. The paths to truth, happiness, and peace are not flower-strewn; they are rocky roads. There is effort, sweat, and exhaustion. Only after enduring hardships do we reach true beauty and fulfillment."

"We should seek happiness in both worlds"

Highlighting the increasing number of people who have everything yet remain unhappy, Tarhan stated that "We have been sent to this world to earn the afterlife. This is our purpose of existence. Clinics are filled with people who have everything but are still unhappy. Modernism produces a type of person who is not at peace with themselves. That is why we should seek happiness in both worlds. And we should do this with religious justification. For instance, at the end of the prayer, we say, ‘Rabbenâ âtina fiddünyâ haseneten ve fil'âhireti haseneten ve kınâ azâbennâr.’ It means, ‘O Allah, grant us goodness in this world and in the hereafter.’ The conclusion of the pilgrimage is the same. Twofold beauty… The Prophet also taught us to seek beauty in both worlds. True Islam aims for happiness in both worlds. If one seeks happiness only in this world, they cannot achieve it. Because death, misfortune, and illness will come, and they will be unable to find solutions. There is a theory called the dual control dilemma, which is important in the search for meaning. Some things in life are within our control, while others are not. There are things we have the power to change and things we do not. If a person persistently desires something beyond their control, they inevitably suffer."

"Pleasures beyond legitimate boundaries are like poisoned honey"

Warning against the deceptive comforts of the world, Tarhan stated that "Secularism and egoism are the two most significant diseases of this era. They affect not only non-believers but also believers. That is why chasing comfort is contrary to human nature. We must pursue higher goals. Happiness is like a colorful shadow. If you chase meaning, it follows you. However, if you try to catch the shadow itself, it escapes. It is like a cat chasing its own tail. That is why we should pursue meaning, and happiness will follow. The Prophet’s leadership should be our example. He is the true leader. When we take the leadership of the Prophet as our model, we also discipline our ego. Right now, we are living in an illusion we call ‘the world.’ We should enjoy what we have in the best way possible. However, pleasures beyond legitimate boundaries are like poisoned honey. Beware of these poisoned delights, these illicit pleasures. At first, poisoned honey tastes sweet, but later, it causes unbearable pain. Let us not be deceived by the illusory comforts of the world and chase after comfort. Instead, let us seek meaning; therefore, comfort will follow naturally."

"Happiness does not come on its own"

Discussing the PERMA model, Tarhan explained that "Darkness is simply the absence of light; cold is the absence of heat; and evil is the absence of good. The best way to fight evil is to do good. The best way to battle darkness is to light a candle. Doing good also brings happiness. There is an entropic relationship between pleasure and suffering. Authentic happiness, known as the PERMA model, consists of five components: positive emotion that is maintaining a positive mindset despite challenges, engagement that is being deeply engaged in an activity, so much so that time seems to fly by, relationships that is strong social bonds contribute significantly to happiness, meaning that is pursuing a meaningful life by engaging in work that contributes to something greater. Having a mental refuge to cope with events, and accomplishment that is finding joy in small achievements and ordinary successes. The inner peace and happiness derived from these elements require effort and investment. If we do not invest in happiness, sorrow, distress, and unease come naturally. If we want happiness in marriage, we must invest in happiness, but just as we heat our home or our room to make it warm."

"We need to invest in happiness"

Emphasizing the need to invest in happiness, Tarhan concluded his remarks as follows: "Our philosophy of happiness is flawed. We need to invest in happiness. The responsibility of rebuilding our values falls on the younger generations. It is our duty to restore our moral, human, and existential values and pass them on to future generations. We must be good role models. The new generation should be one that holds a computer in one hand and the Qur’an in the other, that is, a youth that focuses both on this world and the hereafter. Only then can we truly achieve happiness."

 

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)