Today's question: Are you what you are?

JAKARTA (JP): You are what you are, an old adage says. But today you might be at a loss to say who you are. It depends on the type of person who asks the question. It also depends on what kind of situation you are in. Many people today have found themselves confused as to who and what they are.

If you happen to have a friend among the nouveau riche, he or she might help you by answering, "You are what you drive." What if you don't have a car?

While another member of the same group, who is adequately aware of the importance of nutritious food, might say "You are what you eat." But some might say the notion of the statement lacks any indication of what social class you belong to. So the statement should be "You are where you eat."

However, an article in the March 16 issue of The Jakarta Post told readers the latest truth: "You are what you don't eat." A recent report in the European Heart Journal said that the old health message of "eating a low fat, low cholesterol diet will reduce the risk of heart disease" is not effective in preventing and reversing heart disease. People should increase their consumption of fruits, vegetables, olive oil and fish oil.

This debate was really unheard of several decades ago, when we might have heard something like, "You are what you read." This is quite different contrasted with the present information age: "You are what you observe in electronic media."

With the trend of globalization and winds of change sweeping our beloved planet Earth, our TV screens get bombarded by, among other things, junk films from Latin America and other sub- continents. Watching these films makes you forget that you have a brain between your ears.

However, for those who can only take time to watch TV in the evenings, "You are what you listen to." If you only listen to the same old hollow statements, which are full of outdated anecdotes that have been repeated for decades, you'll be in the same boat with those who watch daytime TV. They lead nowhere except to a misty world of insignificance.

A man once asked me, "Don't you notice that people here, because they fail to introduce new ideas, enjoy making long, protracted speeches in chaotic Indonesian, full of superfluous synonyms?"

The media believes simple people are always hungry for its advice on how to be good and sincere citizens, without themselves being good examples. The positive thing about this type of speaker is that he or she does not care whether viewers switch off their TV or are bored to sleep.

Thinking people, he said, understand that speech stands between thought and action. Confusing speeches show you how confused speakers' thoughts are, which surely leads to chaos.

Some old chap, who know today's system very well, had advised this writer not to care so much about the above-mentioned variation of "you". Just look into your own mirror. "You are an editor, aren't you? Remember, you are not what you write, but what you do not write."

"If you say you are what you write, it means you have been affected by the virus of liberal democracy," he sermonized. Before I could say "Amen," he continued -- with his mouth frothing -- "You are the factual reports you kill."

According to him, there will come a day when a good editor stops writing, but continues listening -- hearing that haunting statement.

For simple earthlings, things are different. Some are so sincere that they don't have the capability to suppress the truth within themselves.

Five years ago, two domestic workers who worked for a friend of mine in South Jakarta told him about an experience they had during a holy mission to their village.

They had gone there to cast their vote for a certain political contestant, by order of Pak Lurah, the village leader. For these meek village gals, such an order was the eleventh commandment.

They said that after ballot counting, which was witnessed by many villagers, two votes were found to have been cast for PPP, the Moslem-dominated party.

Pak Lurah was very angry and asked: "Who cast these two votes?"

Amidst the tense situation, the two maids -- without any hesitation -- raised their hands. The village chief stared at them and then looked to the ground.

He said nothing. So did the villagers, who looked paranoid because they had always believed that they were "not what they were, but what they were told to do".

Courage of the two women struck deep into the heart of the village.

-- TIS