FLASH
Shkruar nga Irena Beqiraj
Every day, less and less often, the elites of knowledge feed the elites of power or fame, and even the elites of knowledge, with the independence that the latter gives, but above all with the challenge they pose to mediocrity, have become "enemies" of power and empty fame...
The Belgian essayist Simon Leys was sitting one day in a simple Australian café, unperturbed and unmindful of the noise coming from the radio, which no one seemed to be listening to. Suddenly, a beautiful sonata by Mozart began to play on the radio, which caught everyone's attention. At that moment, a man resolutely changed the station. Leys concluded that the uncultured can actually recognize beauty very well, but they don't want to face it. He wrote: "In every aspect of human endeavor, talent and knowledge are an intolerable insult to mediocrity."
With little attention, three forms of elite are distinguished in society - the knowledge elite, the power elite and the fame elite. The second and third are actually not elites per se, since almost all the functions they cover can be performed by people without any special talent. They are mainly populated by people who, through money, politics or fame, have been transformed from ordinary people into seemingly extraordinary characters, not insulting but on the contrary giving special value to mediocrity. Meanwhile, being part of the knowledge elite is not just a matter of having an academic degree. It requires cultivation, a love of reading and a thirst for knowledge, preferably acquired in more than one language.
While it is equally clear that knowledge, power and fame are of unequal importance in society. To see this, it is enough to look at the guest list at a cultural event, on the screens, or at the receptions of international organizations. You will find there many characters who belong to the elites of power and fame who inextricably feed off each other. At first, it was power that provided money and fame. Then, money began to give access to power and fame. Meanwhile, with the development of social media, fame gives some people access to money and power.
Every day, less and less often, the elites of knowledge feed the elites of power or fame, and even the elites of knowledge, with the independence that the latter gives, but above all with the challenge they pose to mediocrity, have become "enemies" of power and empty fame.
The "isolation" of the knowledge elite is not only promoting an unsustainable model of success, but its devaluation is deadly for democracy.
Without a vibrant knowledge elite that drives society forward, democracy will be dysfunctional even if it maintains its outward appearance.
Lini një Përgjigje