Is something rotten in the states or in the people?

The past week has been marked with stupidity, which caused this restlessness inside me. It had to come out in a way, so rather than being upset, I’m gonna write about it.

Last week Malala Yousafzai was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. That was the least a teenage girl fighting for a right to an education of women could get. For those of you who are not familiar with the situation – this inspirational Pakistani girl has been shot by the Talibans after she refused not getting an education only because she is a woman. Since what she was doing was “forbidden” she had to pay for it. Luckily, she survived and continued fighting for the education of women in Pakistan. So the fact that Malala Yousafzai was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize is something every Pakistani, moreover every person in the world should be proud of. However the reactions of a lot of her countrymen have been more than upsetting.

She has been accused of being a CIA agent, and comments such as: “What good had she done to Pakistan? Many other Pakistanis deserve this more than her”; “She is the enemy of Pakistan and the Pakistani army, and you congratulate her?” have been posted on many social networks. Of course there were also people who gave their support, but this is a case that should be supported by everyone! After all we are talking about a teenage girl fighting for women’s right to an education! And if we do consider the fact that there is always going to be a lot of dust behind a good horse, isn’t it still devastating that people seem to find something bad and vicious even in the purest things? Even in the attempt to fight for a right to an education? Are people afraid of good things? Are people afraid of others being smarter than them? Or are they simply so bored they have to invent all these conspiracy theories in order to make their lives more interesting?

“Extremist have shown what frightens them most: A girl with a book.” – Malala Yousafzai

I’ve spoken to an old University friend recently. He mentioned how I am the subject of many conversations in the group of my University colleagues. Not that I understand why, but they seem to have some strong opinions on what I am doing with my life. And unfortunately, very negative ones. Because what is the point of traveling and writing? Why would anybody do what they love? We should all hate our jobs and lives, shouldn’t we? So the typical comments are: “Oh please, she’s just showing off!”; “Where did she get the money to travel?”; “Someone must have given her money, how could she make it otherwise?” – Well dear friend, if you bothered to read the article I wrote on how to travel on a budget and see more with less, maybe your assumptions would be proven wrong. Maybe you’d even be challenged to do something with your life as well. These people have shown what frightens them most: people with balls.

Hearing what my friend told me was like an instant reminder of why I left my beautiful country. A country so beautiful that it’s impossible not to ask yourself: How can people be so bitter in a wonderful place like that? How can resentment and disrespect towards its own people be what creates the atmosphere in Croatia? Why is talking shit about someone the characteristic of thank God not every, but most of the Croats? If criticizing others without having the slightest idea on what’s really going on would be a sport, I am sure nobody would even remember that Croatia won the 3^rd place in the ’98 World Cup!

This phenomenon of misevaluation seems to outshine all the positive things in Croatia, Pakistan or any other country dealing with such an issue. Unfortunately, people are the ones that make the country and not it’s wonderful nature. Therefore there’s something wrong with these countries, as there is obviously something wrong with these people. How can a place with the inability to recognize something good and a constant desire to underestimate make any progress? How can a place with smart ass behavior, which relishes on one’s misery, rather than recognizing his success grow?

With a huge respect for everyone that does not judge and criticize before walking a mile in someone else’s shoes, to the ones that do so I can just say: Shame on you! Not only for showing disrespect, but for wasting time speaking about others, while you could have invested that time in developing yourself, the society and the country. The thing is: if you keep your mouth open all the time, chances are you’ll be eating the horse’s dust rather than ever becoming one.