By Tariq Mahmood Awan
Anthropocentrism regards humans as separate from and superior to nature. It holds that human life has intrinsic value. At the same time, other entities (including animals, plants, mineral resources, and so on) are resources that may justifiably be exploited for the benefit of humankind.
It may be a harsh connotation, but humans have their morals. They are the most immoral specie when they draw morality lines against all other species. Nevertheless, they are the superior specie owing to diverse justifiable faculties. However, the imaginative faculty of the brain marks humans as the superior specie of all.
Based on scientific research, neuroscientists consider three things to be the human brain’s most important characteristics: complexity, changeability (plasticity), and infinite potential. The human brain is unique: Our remarkable cognitive capacity has allowed us to invent the wheel, build the pyramids, and land on the moon. Scientists sometimes refer to the human brain as the “crowning achievement of evolution.”
Then, divinity has ordained the sublimity of humans. What is the most vital attribute of the human brain despite cognitive and intrinsic makeup? The human experience is the most cherishable brain faculty. Humans have a natural awakening and re-awakening of the objects of nature. Then, they receive internal and external insights. The cognitive design of the human brain manifests extraordinary faculties when supported by imagination, experience, and learning. Hence, human learning is the accomplished human faculty. That makes the human experience sublime, if not the divine.
Cognitive, imaginative, and experiential faculties establish the ultimate human knowledge. Individual and collective life hinges on the knowledge of humans. All social and political orders regard knowledge as a collective commonwealth of a society.
Humans are social animals. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, had strongly stated about the social nature of man: Man is by nature a social animal; an individual who is unsocial naturally and not accidentally is either beneath our notice or more than human. Society is something that precedes the individual. Therefore, humans live together. They evolve a collective life and play their role according to the set values of society. Our collective life manifests sharing and passing on the faculties to other humans.
Human life is a set of values according to all philosophies. The most accomplished value is the value of humanity. It represents sympathetic, or generous behavior or disposition. Then, our collective life is of the ideals of human existence. It is a lifestyle that encourages exchanging skills, talents, and insights. It also allows for shared living spaces, production, and food, as well as pooled resources and services, resulting in a lighter environmental footprint for the cause of humanity. Hence, sharing knowledge, insightful faculties, and mundane compulsions are the hallmarks of humanity. Humans must share all their talents, skills, and knowledge with others.
Learning is divine. Humans are prone to learn instinctively and share it accordingly. This unmatched value elevates humans over all other species. According to Aristotle, the best faculty is human expression. Then, the best mode of expression is writing. Even the holy scriptures represent it. Therefore, it is close to an instinct. They say that The gods were responsible for teaching humans how to write. Without their divine involvement, it would have been impossible for us, imperfect mortals, to develop such a valuable and powerful skill. It, and other similar explanations, was the way that most ancient societies accounted for the existence of writing.
One must write and write daily to provide poetic justice to one’s personality. The expression is divine. The Prophets, sages, mentors, and all the leaders wrote and expressed their value of existence to the following humans. One must unleash the talent of writing daily and die with an empty brain. The idea of dying empty is an evolutionary concept; however, the writer Todd Henry concludes it in his book, “Dying Empty”. The writer explains that writing is an essential human value, and one must write daily. One must unleash the talent daily and die empty. Before you die, it is also a sacred trust to pass on all the talent, knowledge, and faculties. He argues, “Embrace the importance of now, and refuse to allow the lull of comfort, fear, familiarity, and ego to prevent you from taking action on your ambitions…The cost of inaction is vast. Do not go to your grave with your best work inside of you. Choose to die empty.”
The concept is justified and transparent. Writing is a priority. Dying with a stuffed brain is a waste of life. It is the responsibility of an individual to pass on all his talent to others before he dies. All humans showcase gifted faculties, and their experiences convert imaginative faculties into wisdom, acquaintance, and knowledge. Humans formulate a unique anthology of wisdom, insight, and perception. Individual experiences formulate exclusive understandings, and writing is the best expression to construct the structures of understandings for the coming generations. Nevertheless, the personal obligation to pass on knowledge to society is critical.
Why is the transfer of knowledge critical to humanity? Because it is a human value and a contribution to society, one is proudly part of. From the dawn of time, the transfer of knowledge has existed in one form or another. Societies knew early on that knowledge and experiences must be passed on to future generations to survive. By passing on this knowledge, people could take what others learned and then build upon it. The growth and development of the modern world are because of the transfer of knowledge by the older generations. Present generations must bow before the older generations to transfer knowledge and faculties. Therefore, it is also the moral obligation of our generations to pass on knowledge to the coming generations.
Last but not least, one must die empty. There is no justification for dying with a stuffed brain. Writing is divine and the best contribution to society. Please, make sure that all knowledge is passed on before one dies. So, unleash the writing daily and share it with humanity. Hence, the way to die is to die empty.
4 thoughts on “One Must Die Empty”
Very novel and inspiring idea. What about those who can not write but have even fuller pockets. Will you suggest them oral / narrative outpouring like the primary classical epics.
Indeed, this is an outstanding idea. We must work for humanity with our full capacity. Another idea I grab from this notable piece of writing to train ourselves for “now”. I am really impressed. Stay blessed!
Good Tariq sahib,
U hv really contributed well. Had the Muslim Hakeem’s implemented this principle, the unani method of treatment with herbs hv not died.
very irresistible and inspirative.