In the modern media world it is often argued that perception is all of reality. I do not agree. It is only reality in the minds of the observers or perceivers, but not always in the hearts of the others. Most grounded members of any locality can distinguish between “perceptual reality” and “real reality”. Therefore perceptual reality only has brand value and reputation in the world of ideas, but not always in the world of reality.
In grounded reality of the world of the here and now, truth matters, and the whole truth matters a whole lot more! That is also real reality, or reality with a capital R. ‘ Wayang kulit ’ reality is always only perceptual reality. It is a reality only in the make-believe world of perceptions; regardless of the medium and the specific message.
Let me give a good and easy example within the current world context and see if we can understand this message about Reality with a capital R. Facebook is soon to be listed in the US. Most assume it will be a billion US dollar sell-out. Nevertheless, I will not be one of those rushing out to buy shares of the company. Why?
When we were last in the San Francisco Bay area with my son and daughter-in-law for their marriage, after the hectic events of the wedding ceremony and celebrations, my son had taken a few days more of leave before they left for their honeymoon.
So, one day, they decided to take us to Google, where one of his housemates worked, and to get the feel for this big brand name which was changing the face of the world. We saw and got a feel for how Google ran their worldwide operations, right there from their Google campus reality.
Then my son said, “why don’t we also visit Facebook !” We drove there, found parking and finally went in with the entire family in tow.
But, but, but……………. “ Facebook ”, the social networking company and “ Facebook ” the front desk of the same company were two different people. To me, Facebook lacked integrity between their espoused theory and theory-in-use.
‘Facebook has no face’
The lady receptionist coolly and confidently told my son, “Sir, we do not take walk-in customers or visitors. Sir, you have to apply and get an appointment vide the net to be able to make even a social visit.” We left, and I muttered to myself, “ Facebook has no face!”
In Asia, much like in two-thirds of the world, the concept of face is a big thingy. It is the Eastern equivalent of the concept of “dignity of an individual”. When you deny one his ‘face’ or dignity, it is a serious matter. It also co-defines the other related concepts of honour, integrity, and truth of matters.
Therefore, when I muttered to myself that “ Facebook does not have a face”; it meant that, in my mind and heart, this organisation which labels itself as a social networking technology group but pretends to honour faces and peoples does not fully understand the concept of human dignity or the Eastern concept of ‘face’, as honour, or integrity, or mutual respect for the ‘Other.’
In my language and lexicon, if Facebook had ‘face,’ their receptionist would have been trained to think that every walk-in is a potential customer of Facebook and we need to treat them with dignity and honour. For that matter and fact, I think all of us who were visiting, except for my wife, already had a Facebook account, and therefore are key customers and partners. Their listing is based on our promise as potential consumers of all kinds of perceptual products.
Therefore, as I continue to develop my Theory R model and consider the second R of Responsibility, I need to reflect and give meaning to this concept, in a transcendent enough way so that every reader understands and agrees with the sense of why I call this the second of seven Rs. The first R was Revelation.
Whenever truth is revealed, there is always a promise of knowledge and of more wisdom to follow. Revealed truth usually defines all local knowledge of such a truth. In all such local truth matters, there is a three-dimensional knowledge of such truths. It is more than simple head knowledge but also includes two other dimensions; of heart knowledge, and of space knowledge.
Unlike the internetworked world which only exists in virtual space (even though still a real reality), spatial reality includes the dimension of physical reality. Therefore it is not and never will just be, “ maya ” as translated by Dewan Bahasa for the concept of “virtual”; it must have spatial reality, of the here and now! In such a space of reality… it is where truth really matters.
It must be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It cannot be half-truths, of half-baked truths, or some of the truth but the whole truth. We cannot tell half the story, or look only at the legal dimension or the technical dimension but overlook the spiritual dimension of such a whole truth.
The truth is just that; the whole truth or it is not the truth. Truth, like pregnancy, is either 100 percent present or completely absent; one cannot have a 99 percent pregnancy. Whole truth includes the spirit of truth; and not just the law underlying that truth.
‘Grassroots Leadership’
Therefore, some of us have been pursuing an agenda of truth matters. And we are now ready to develop a socially networked model of truth-seeker relationships which we have called ‘Grassroots Leadership’.
Consequently, we want to stand up for truth matters in our localities. We want to communicate such truths vide due processes.
But, we also have little patience for “idiocrats”; i.e. those who use their legal status as custodians but who choose not to respond to our feedback and queries and thereby remain less accountable.
We will then choose to shed light on such matters as it is within our power and influence to do so. Maybe you can think of us as something of a light and salt force; which uses the effects of salt and the power of light to translate our concerns into formidable issues of public interest matters! For, as we say, this is where truth matters. May God bless Malaysia.
