Page 13 - Issue-27

ELITE

Not everything has a logic

By Prof. Nevine Mossaad
FEPS Professor of Political Science

Classroom
Classroom
it like a parrot . she wanted a definition that explains to her why it
It is as if in a sitting session of her trial, our friend settled in front
is illogical for her to respond to her desire not to have lunch in the
of her husband, explaining to him the unexplainable and
mall and hang out between his shops, a form that explains to her
explaining an incident that was accidental and trivial, which was
why the definition of logic corresponds to the desire of her
Holi da y Rul es
Holi da y Rul es
not logically explained. She had agreed with him to meet at the
husband or any other human being to do what he wants and not
end of a working day for lunch and hanging out among the mall's
what she wants. She knows that she promised and is committed
large shops. Her parents said that they longed to see her children,
and therefore apologized for not keeping her promise and repeated
so she sent them to them with textbooks, iPads, ono and exercise
her apology several times, but she did not understand why the
schedule, so it is time for her to exercise an inspiration and
husband refused to accept an apology for a change in moods
exhalation free of tension due to conflicting commitments and
while he could have forgiven, if the reason was a change the
appointments.
external circumstances.
***
***
A sword hanging over our necks is this logic, it turns us into
Yes, she intended to meet him, she got out of work at 3 p.m. as machines of a predictable behavior because this behavior becomes
usual, sat in her car and ran it as usual, put one of um Kulthoum's governed by known and disciplined rules, and yet most of us if not
all of us experience a moment where he/she rebels on logic.
songs in the cassette as usual, and went on to the promised
whoever did not have the idea to venture swimming when the sea
meeting. At the crossroads preceding the mall, she was attacked
was raging and the black flag was raised. Who ever did not want
by a strong feeling that she did not know its source and urged her
to close the umbrella in a rainy day bathe with the showers of
to deviate left on her way home, she was amazed by this sudden
rain, who ever did not want to stay up day and night to witnesses
feeling, rejected, resisted, she clung to the steering wheel as if it
the wonderful moments of sunset and sunrise …to buy what he
will be protecting her she tried to go the right way, but when
does not need or does not suit him in a moment of weakness, to
traffic went green , she found herself muttering : the right way is
eat the Ghazl Al Banat candy that draws a red halo around his
the way where the mind and heart settle together. She realized of
wrinkled mouth. One might never have thought to be free from the
course that there is a pre-agreement with her husband to meet but
constraint of the job and of family and kids , yet we all had these
for the incomprehensible reason her heart refused to obey her.
illogical tendencies and some of us responded. The rebellion
She swerved to the left, and the voices of horns everywhere
against logic may take on deeper and more serious dimensions, so
surrounded her hesitation, she was resolved and went north. what do we say about a mother who has suffered from chronic
illness but has postponed the chemotherapy session for a few
*** weeks to enjoy the vacation with her son living abroad? This has
already happened and the mother passed away after .Yes lifetime
is a divine matter, but the connection between the behavior of
Now she sits in front of her husband to pour his anger on her
such a mother and logic is non-existent, only the mother's passion
with dozens of questions that begin with why she answers with
explains the longing of motherhood, but rational reasoning is
one answer that begins with “honestly I don ’t know ”. She could
incapable of offering an explanation.
have made up any of the logical reasons to justify changing her
destination, such as saying that her chronic migraine was not
***
calmed by medicine, or that she complained of traffic in the
holiday season, which is a very sufficient reason, by the way, she
One can not for how long husband asks and she answers, you
could have justified the change by a delay in work or. Or.. But
know that in the depths of him , he was afraid of her fluctuations,
she did not find a reason for that, she did not understand why she
he does not trust moody individuals , how do you convey to him
should not tell the truth. But the problem in her case is that her
the feeling that these people are very normal , by God they are,
husband was only accepting the convincing truth, the truth with
and that the origin of their behavior is stability, but a little of
clear logic that explains the thing because of concrete motives
irrationality helps them to endure the difficulties of life. She was
exhausted by the length of the controversy, she was honest when
such as illness or traffic or work, so he kept asking and she kept
he asked her whether she would accept the same from him, and
answering and they missed an evening that would have been nice
she replied “of course yes ”, but he doubted such an answer. She
if this trivial thing was handled differently.
decided to put an end to this exhausting scene, she rose up and he
looked at her wondering with astonishment, she pointed to the
***
watch in her hand and said: the time of is after eleven pm and
When she reflects on what happened today, she found the day,
tomorrow will be an other new and long work day. Now She
despite its triviality, expresses the essence of the difference
talked to him in the logic that he understands , he was in her eyes
between her personality and that of her husband. He is convinced
like the character of Taher Pasha in the movie “The River of
only by logic and she represents the rebellion against logic, or,
Love- Nahr Al Hob ”, although the context was different. She
more precisely, the occasional rebellion on logic. She originally
smiled as she escaped from this tight scene of interrogation that
needs a precise definition of logic not in the form of those vague
was not to stop, she went to their bedroom . and after only two
rules that she studied in class of social studies and kept repeating
steps .she threw up her jacket like a child in an ultimately free
mood.