Egypt's fearful development

Egyptians are slowly overcoming their fear of authority, but old habits die hard

Khaled Diab
guardian.co.uk, Monday 26 October 2009

Note: I usually do not post his comments, but in this comment he makes many good points.

"....
To my mind, all of Egyptian society's major institutions – the family, the education system, religious institutions, the business sector, the state and the military – are founded, particularly when it comes to the poorer classes, on a culture of stern obedience, with defiance often leading to punishment and, worse, exclusion and marginalisation. But fear alone is not enough. Egyptian institutions, particularly the family, are apt at locking in its individual members through a sense of love and loyalty.

There are, of course, umpteen exceptions to this rule, but it holds often enough to ensure that most people comply passively – and almost voluntarily – with the status quo, making most forms of defiance also an exception and not the rule.

With independent choice often not welcome at home, independent thought not welcome at school and independent initiative not welcome in business or academia, it is unsurprising that not enough people are willing to think out of the box – because doing so runs the risk of landing them in an abyss, rather than on greener pastures."