What is Advancement?

 

What is Advancement?

In today’s world, we seem to have misunderstood the true meaning of advancement. Many people interpret it as:

• Wearing trendy and fashionable clothes

• Buying the latest mobile phone without assessing their actual needs

• Redesigning homes based on modern styles and aesthetics

• Purchasing the newest gadgets simply for show

• Imitating the lifestyles of people from other countries

The issue is not with these actions themselves, but with how we define advancement. We believe we're becoming “advanced” by following these trends, yet we are not advancing our thinking—and that’s where true progress lies. Material possessions can be bought with money, but real advancement only happens when we grow mentally, intellectually, and socially.

What Advancement Really Means

Advancement means moving forward—not moving away from our roots, values, or loved ones. We must learn to distinguish between modernization and westernization. Becoming advanced does not require abandoning our culture. If we continue to confuse the two, we risk losing our ancient traditions, which would be a great loss for both society and the country.

What Should We Focus On?

In my view, real advancement lies in asking ourselves the following:

• How can we preserve our country's traditions and cultural heritage?

• How can we create more employment opportunities within our country?

• How can we empower women, especially those living in rural areas?

• How can we improve literacy and access to education for everyone?

These are the questions that should shape our understanding of advancement.

Many people might not realize it, but if you observe carefully, you’ll see that a lot of us are simply copying trends and spending money on things that add little value. Advancement means development and improvement—and for that, we need to change our mindset, not our traditions.