The Death of Youth

THE DEATH OF YOUTH

Dear readers!

Today I decided to be Socrates. Socrates was a Greek philosopher. He lived between 469 BC and 399 BC, meaning he lived for 70 years, and is one of the most important figures in philosophy. With his flat nose, wide lips, round face, huge belly, and bare feet, he had a rather comical yet equally intimidating appearance. He did not write or publish any books. He preferred to converse with his students. Plato was also his student. Aristotle was Plato's student. Therefore, Socrates' conversations have reached us thanks to Plato.

In those years, city-states played an important role in the development of humanity. Each city was a self-contained and independent state. The city of Athens and the city of Sparta were in rivalry. Socrates was a citizen of the Athenian city-state. There were temples and statues of gods in the Athenian city-state. Socrates first attacked these values, which were considered sacred. He saw the gods as a jailer who had imprisoned humanity and hindered its development. If humanity wanted to achieve freedom, it had to create a new morality and moral values for this.

He fearlessly shared all these views with his young students, heralding a new era that humanity would move towards in the future. For Socrates, youth had been killed by society and thrown into prison. Like a prisoner of war, they were chained not physically but spiritually. And by the very hands of the Gods to whom they were bound with infinite love and respect... Moreover, youth was not even aware of this situation.

Youth wandered the streets, in the agora (market), experiencing in a sense the happiness of irresponsibility. Under the influence of a divine hypnosis, they completed their day, not caring what tomorrow would bring. Youth had to be awakened from this deep sleep. They had to recreate themselves, demolish the temples, and free themselves from prison. A new social morality had to emerge, just like the rays of the sun, it had to shatter the darkness and create a new hope.

Before long, the leading figures of the Athenian City-State decided to put Socrates, the father of these "poisonous" ideas that were becoming increasingly widespread among the youth, on trial. Socrates was fearless. He appeared before the judges. He mocked them. He did not care about the sentence given. As he drank the hemlock poison, he grieved not for his own death but for the narrow-mindedness of the creature called man that he left behind.

THE AWAKENING OF YOUTH IN TURKEY

Youth movements and the first time youth made their voices heard in Turkey emerged in 1968, parallel to the youth events in the USA and France. The universal revolutionary spirit of Che Guevara, who was killed in the Bolivian mountains in 1967, took different forms and led to different interpretations among the youth of every country. Soon, Deniz Gezmiş, Mahir Çayan, İbrahim Kaypakkaya, and many other youth leaders appeared on the political scene. Their aim was not to save youth. Their goal was to save all humanity. Revolution models were penned. Dozens of theories circulated, such as peasant war, attack from the countryside to the city, urban guerrilla warfare, popular resistance, and the working class seizing power through strikes. The whole world would become Socialist/Communist, and youth, like everyone else, would be saved. However, Socrates did not aim to save all of society. He had only one goal: YOUTH.  

THE DEATH OF YOUTH IN TURKEY

I know I've given a very ambitious title. As an international trainer and consultant, I have to admit the truth. Youth in Turkey is dead. It does not exist or has been destroyed. To be honest, youth in Turkey never had the chance to know itself and live its own life. In the 1960s and 70s, it took on an extraordinary task: to save the country and the world.

It failed. With the 1980 coup, its hopes were completely shattered, and it became docile and withdrew. New values dictated by the gods came to the fore: getting the best score, studying at the best university, working at the best company, planning the best life... This time, youth turned into a puppet in the hands of parents and society. Again, it could not live its own life. They studied for their parents, trying to get the highest grades in exams so that their parents could boast. They entered working life so that their parents could tell others, "Our child has a high-level position in such and such a company." Again, they had no time for themselves, for their youthful aspirations. Youthful desires were destroyed by the hand of the gods, and they were turned into social slaves.   

As someone who has closely witnessed all this for years, I have decided, like Socrates, to present ideas that will seduce youth. Voicing the dire situation of youth in the media might force me to drink the "hemlock poison," but awakening youth from its slumber is the primary problem of the country. It should undertake this historical task and do what is necessary, not to save the world and the country, but to save ITSELF.

We can gather the fundamental problems of youth in Turkey under the following main headings:

1. The widespread use of drugs
2. Family conflicts / sibling jealousy
3. The spread of sexual fetishism and pornography with the Internet
4. The increasing age of marriage or the collapse of the institution of marriage
5. The decrease in the number of children, the death of the roles of motherhood and fatherhood
6. Struggling with endless exams, the squandering of the family's financial resources
7. Those who cannot enter university harboring "resentment" towards society and family
8. Those who cannot enter university "nullifying" and "devaluing" themselves
9. Those who enter university not being content with the chosen university
10. Not being content with the chosen profession after graduation
11. When content with their profession, this time falling ill with "careerism," i.e., trying to rise by tripping up their friends
12. Those who graduate and struggle to find a job enrolling in Master's and PhD programs as an escape route, avoiding facing real life, or seeing it as a temporary salvation
13. Youth is concerned with getting rich quickly. They waste time with activities like Spor-Toto, stocks, Bitcoin, horse racing, numerical lottery, etc. They should also know that money earned this way has no value.
14. Prioritizing materialism over spirituality... Adopting consumer society values such as the most expensive mobile phones or cars and creating an "artificial" identity for themselves with this
15. Finding solutions in approaching various types of religious sects, mystical and esoteric forms of thought
16. Taking refuge in the structure of ultra-ethnic nationalist organizations
17. Approaching mafia bosses and seeking a personality and identity in an organized crude force
18. Becoming attached to political parties with a sense of belonging beyond ambition

Have no doubt, this list can be extended further. Our youth can fall victim to one or more of the above perversions. We have a responsibility to rescue youth from this quagmire and invite them to understand themselves and live their own lives. At this stage, the most fundamental question will be: What should be done or what can be done?

1. Oh beautiful youth! Do not seek your future in political, ethnic nationalist, or mafia-type organizations. They will buy your future. For them, you already have no "present," and moreover, you will have offered your future to them on a silver platter. Have a political view, but stay away from physical parties and organizations. They will shape you within the framework of ideological and organizational morality, just as a blacksmith hammers and shapes iron. You will no longer be YOU. You will walk around like a young man, but your mind will not live this youth.
2. Youth should be curious. They should question everything. They should be able to give meaning to life in their own way. Youth should find their worldview not in family, school, university, or elsewhere, but through their own efforts and search. They should respect the fundamental values of society but avoid unconditional obedience.
3. "Youth" and "violence" have unfortunately become ingrained in minds like two sibling words. Be brave, but avoid violence. A young person who learns a foreign language for their education is more valuable and braver than a young person who has learned the worst kind of violence. Courage is challenging oneself and opening up to other countries, climbing Mount Ararat. Learning to live happily alone is courage. Trying to complete your school life by working part-time without being a burden to your family is courage.
4. It is thought that youth is like a thin branch. Whichever way the wind blows, youth bends in that direction. Reality has nothing to do with this. A young person who has a stance, an understanding, who calmly evaluates social events, plans their future, closes their ears to verbose politicians, accepts life as it is, and constructs a new life without conflicting with life, is as unyielding as iron.
5. A young person who takes refuge in their family, their family's wealth, their family's values, and their perspective is a dead young person. Youth should love and respect their family, but they should clearly see their shortcomings and limitations in the face of life, and they should move forward in a way that transcends these limits without hurting anyone's feelings.
6. Youth is the age group most susceptible to feelings of hopelessness. Therefore, young people are more likely to commit or plan suicide. "Hopelessness" simply means helplessness. The best things to make one forget helplessness are alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, and even pornography. A young person who learns to stay away from these will never be defeated in life.
7. Youth experiences its first conflict with its family. It judges its family by looking at life outside. It even sees being born and raised in such a family as an injustice to itself. Family arguments, sulking, and violence soon destroy all the energy and goals of youth. Accept and love your family as they are. Your family may work in labor-intensive jobs such as animal husbandry or agriculture, or your family may have a profession that is inherently respected in society, such as a general manager, doctor, or engineer. Remember, great minds that changed the world were children of poor families.
8. Spirituality and worship are important. Do this not as society dictates, but as your own mind commands. One person can fulfill this duty by praying five times a day, another can satisfy their spiritual world by sitting in a chair and contemplating the infinity of the universe and what is happening in the world. Overly dogmatic religions are the biggest obstacle to the upbringing of free youth. You determine the boundaries and essence of your spirituality. Then you will be stronger and more self-confident.
9. After university life, a "frightening" world awaits you. Will I be able to find a job? Will I be able to succeed in the tasks given? Will I be able to be in harmony with my colleagues in terms of political and social values? I recommend that youth adopt these four fundamental values and develop themselves in this regard:
   1. Improve your public speaking skills, your ability to articulate. If necessary, stand in front of a mirror and talk about any topic you want for hours, making sure your ears hear the words you pronounce. Soon, your ear will remind you of your mistakes and shortcomings, and your speaking style will change. All those who govern the world today are at the highest levels in companies or politics thanks to their "public speaking" abilities. Our President is a graduate of an Imam Hatip High School. He does not have a foreign language. The only reason for his rise is his public speaking ability.
   2. You should take writing, especially email communication, seriously. Writing style is a person's intrinsic value. People value you based on the writing they read.
   3. Emphasize teamwork. Your thoughts may be right or wrong. Neither blame anyone nor be ashamed. Life continues with the struggle of right and wrong.
   4. Plan your goals 2-3 years in advance. Goals saved for the last minute result in disappointment.
   5. Develop fast reading techniques. Gain the ability to read a book in 3-4 hours, not 3-4 days.
   6. Address your friends, acquaintances, and those whose names you hear for the first time by their names when you meet them again. This is a sign of the value you place on them.
   7. Conflict, quarrels, verbal disputes, fistfights, and swearing are inevitable in society. Emerge from all these situations with a smile, even in defeat. You will soon realize that you are the one who achieved true victory.
   8. Broaden your curiosity and interests. You never know, a hobby you start might become your main source of livelihood.
   9. Life is full of infinite possibilities. Our minds cannot grasp this. You must be a good observer. If a topic interests you, you should try your luck.
   10. Always be concerned with your parents. You should make them feel that you are there to help them solve their problems. Be sure to visit the graves of deceased family elders. This behavior will connect you to the world and the universe in a more meaningful way.
   11. Never let the love of animals and nature be absent from your heart.

Sincerely,