Magical Concepts in Marriage…

President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, discussed the topic of "Morality" on the program "Akla Kapı with Prof. Nevzat Tarhan", broadcast on Dost TV and Dost FM. Highlighting the effects of the moral crisis on society, Tarhan emphasized that this crisis exists not only socially but also individually, economically, and politically. Tarhan also pointed out that the crisis is global and expressed that "We talk about morality in form, but not in essence. We do not practice it. The weak pay the price for this moral crisis."

"The weak pay the price for the moral crisis"

Explaining the effects of the moral crisis on society, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that "Right now, there is a tremendous moral crisis in social, individual, economic, and political spheres. This crisis is not just in Türkiye, but also it exists globally. Morality is being staged and constructed. There is an understanding that says, 'Morality is good, but we do not have to be moral.' This view also exists in our society, and there are various reasons for it. We talk about morality in form but not in essence. We do not practice it. It exists in appearance but not in practice. In other words, there is a serious moral crisis. The weak pay the price for this moral crisis. The moral crisis benefits the powerful the most. Poverty, corruption, oppression, that is, if these three things dominate a society, we should expect its collapse."

"When evil increases, the good become a minority"

Tarhan stated that social media has made it easier to expose evil, saying, "Dante said, 'The deepest place in hell is reserved for those who remain indifferent in the face of evil.' Evil spreads quickly. It has always been this way in history. When evil increases, the good become a minority. However, if the good insist on goodness, evil diminishes, and goodness begins to grow. Right now, we are in a time when evil has reached its peak. The events in Gaza are a living example of this. This is happening globally. Global politics is driven by Machiavellian policies. Currently, this is being applied on a global scale. However, thankfully, we have social media and we are in the age of communication. Evil is easily exposed. Therefore, in such times, there is an opportunity for goodness and truth to prevail. Where communication is intense, the schemes of global evil and Machiavellians will be disrupted."

"Morality is not genetic; however, it is learned later"

Emphasizing the prevalence of the global moral crisis, Prof. Tarhan pointed out that morality is learned rather than innate. Tarhan stated that "Adam Smith has a saying about morality. He refers to it as an 'invisible hand' and claims that 'the market has no morality.' This is the birth of liberalism and economic capitalist morality. He argues that 'there is no morality in the market; people will compete and strive against each other. There is an invisible hand in the market that ensures justice.' However, it has now become clear that there is no invisible hand in the market. Morality is not genetic; it is learned later. There are excellent moral theories, but they are not implemented in practice. This is because we are experiencing a global moral crisis. For example, Europeans are more moral than us. We need to find the reason for this. Europeans act morally in trade and in the market. This is because they have realized the value of freedom and have become a libertarian society. Where there is freedom and transparency, a dynamic balance is achieved."

Lying becomes a method…

Speaking about how the spread of a culture of fear in families pushes children towards lying, Tarhan said that "The reason why morality continues better in the West is the absence of a culture of fear, the absence of a culture of oppression, and the fact that despotism has not become a form of morality. In our societies, there is a morality of despotism. If there is despotism in a household, and if parents manage their children through fear and threats, children cannot oppose their parents and begin to tell defensive lies. After a while, lying becomes their method. There is freedom outside, but pressure at home. In such a situation, the child learns to act two-faced toward their parents. They use lies. Eventually, they learn to survive through lying."

"There must be a balance between freedom and responsibility"

Discussing what should be done to raise moral children, Tarhan stated that  "There should be no oppression at home. Otherwise, children may be driven to hypocrisy and lying. If you enforce discipline with love, the child will not oppose you, but once they begin to seek freedom, they will move in the opposite direction. Freedom is like a bar of soap. If you squeeze it too hard, it slips away; if you hold it too loosely, it also slips away. There must be a balance between freedom and responsibility. If freedom and responsibility are managed together, there is no need to fear freedom. If you teach your child the balance of freedom and responsibility, they will develop the ability to say ‘no’ to harming others. When they feel tempted or discouraged, they will also be able to say ‘no’ to themselves, achieving impulse control. If you teach them this balance, that freedom will not be harmful. Instead, it will lead to discovery and innovation. This is beneficial freedom."

"We need to recognize moral norms"

Highlighting the importance of teaching children moral norms, Tarhan stated that "We need to recognize moral norms. There are three types of norms in society: legal norms, social norms, and moral norms. Legal norms are determined by laws. Social norms are preserved by traditions, but these traditions have now collapsed. Shame no longer exists. Courts deal with prohibitions, while social norms deal with shame. In the end, only moral norms remain. Moral norms are determined by ethical rules and values. This is an internal matter. It must be taught. If you teach a child from an early age about moral norms, an internal guardian, a sense of inner responsibility, and a mental jury, that child will be able to protect themselves in a free environment."

"The largest organ of narcissists is their ego"

Addressing the causes of moral decay in society, Tarhan stated that "Right now, self-promotion on social media has become a trend. Ego surfing has become a trend. The American Psychiatric Association states that ‘Posting self-praising content more than three times a day is a sign of narcissism.’ Narcissism is when self-centeredness becomes a moral principle. The largest organ of narcissists is their ego, and this corrupts morality. Currently, there is an epidemic of narcissism. One of the biggest reasons for moral decay in society is the neglect of character development in education systems. The greatest enemy of morality is arrogance. Where there is arrogance, a person uses power for their own interests."

Self-confidence and self-admiration are different…

Tarhan noted that people with low self-confidence constantly showcase themselves and concluded his remarks as follows: "One of the reasons for the breakdown of families is ego wars. Behind this is narcissism. People who constantly praise and showcase themselves on social media actually have low self-confidence. They engage in self-admiration. Self-confidence and self-admiration are different. A self-confident person can engage in self-criticism. They see both their weaknesses and strengths and move forward in life regardless. Facing one's mistakes is self-confidence. People with low self-confidence cannot face their mistakes; they deny them. They always try to show only their positive sides, often exaggerating. Exaggeration is also a form of narcissism. Social media provides a highly suitable environment for this."

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)