The Saviour Syndrome

4/5/22, 1:09 PM The saviour syndrome
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The saviour syndrome
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The saviour – as Tolstoy would argue – is not a single person
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Muhammad Hamid Zaman April 05, 2022 
The writer is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute professor of Biomedical Engineering, International Health and Medicine at Boston University. He tweets @mhzaman
Leo Tolstoy, in his classic novel War and Peace, brilliantly puts the
‘Great Man’ theory of Scottish historian and philosopher Thomas
Carlyle to rest. Depicting a country in great turmoil and facing
internal and external crises, Tolstoy argues that it is the grassroot
strengths of ordinary individuals, more than those with high titles,
mighty estates and big armies, that shape history and destiny. It is
the unassuming peasants like, Platon Karatev in War and Peace,
who use integrity, honesty and human connection to guide others,
including those who may be far superior in privilege and status.
There are a million reasons to read Tolstoy for the pure joy of literature (and
some of the recent translations are really accessible and make for a delightful
read for all ages), but his views are all the more relevant today as we publicly
talk in terms of a single saviour, last chance or the only hope. Whether that
term is used for a cricketer-turned politician, a father-son duo in Lahore and
Islamabad or a person wearing a uniform, pinning hopes on one person (or a
small group) is akin to giving away the capacity of people as agents of real
change. To me, it is both demeaning and a bad strategy. Demeaning because it
assumes that only those few who are privileged can lead, and countless others
who may be far superior in integrity, decency and ability should stay out of the
business of inertia, leadership and guidance. It also assumes that we must
choose from within the existing lot, and pin our hopes on one of the available
choices. It is also a bad strategy because when our last saviour and our only
hope turns out to be a disappointment (or is no longer around), we feel angry,
frustrated and hopeless. Soon, we start looking anew for another last savior
from the privileged few.
A related argument about the extraordinary capacity of a few is seen at play

when we talk about our expats. Here I speak from a personal experience. Too
often, we are told that our best minds are outside the country and as a
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consequence Pakistan is unable to meet its full potential. Many believe that 
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best people have left the country. This is once again assuming that a small


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fraction of our total population (roughly 4%, as per Overseas Pakistani
Foundation, that includes children) is smarter or more gifted than 96% of the
population that is well over 220 million.
I wish I could say that I am smarter than my colleagues in Pakistan, or that my

intellect supersedes those who work in similar sectors in the country. That is,
unfortunately, simply not true. And it is not true by a long shot. There are
smart people working outside Pakistan, and incredibly gifted people working
in the country. I get to meet remarkably gifted students and scholars every
time I visit the country, or get on a zoom call with colleagues, or advise a
student. Some people move back from abroad and others move from within
Pakistan to countries outside. This movement should not imply that the
national brainpower is diminishing (especially with our population growth
rate). Many of my colleagues at various institutions in Pakistan have no
interest in working outside Pakistan, and continue to work with a sense of
integrity and decency while being happy in Pakistan. Let me remind here as
well that there are also plenty of not very bright (or decent) people outside the
country. There is a sizeable portion of expats (again personal experience!) who
work without a sense of honesty and moral fortitude, just as there are in any
other country.
The saviour – as Tolstoy would argue – is not a single person. It is us, and
people around us. Perhaps if we look around, rather than look above in high
offices, we may find people whose values, decency and dignity is what we have
been looking for all along.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2022.
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4/5/22, 1:09 PM The saviour syndrome

A related argument about the extraordinary capacity of a few is seen at play

LATEST TRENDING our political,

I wish I could say that I am smarter than my colleagues in Pakistan, or that my

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2022.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive

Name (required) Email (required)

Write your comment here

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ

Bushra Bibi's close friend

Aamir Liaquat quits PTI

Imran Khan de-notified

SC resumes ‘Favouritism PM Imran Opp vigilant as ‘Imran never Favouritism in

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USA Job from Home | Search Ads 

AN'S ‘FOREIGN CONSPIRACY’ ALLEGATIONS

Pakistan: The Cost of A Hair Transplant May Surprise You

This Cheap Drone Might Be The Best Selling Gift In Pakistan

Business T.Edit Gold Prices Pakistan Online Advertising Privacy Policy 

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten,

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