Dear Colleagues,
On the eve of these winter holidays, we are, sadly, living in fraught political times that are disrupting the very paradigm of civilization we have attained with great sacrifice. The Euro-Atlantic Romania, where all of us – from grandparents and parents to children and grandchildren – have been shaping our present and future prosperity within a framework complementarily defined by religion and science, has received the startling and surprising blow of a bizarre and isolationist Romania which is anti-science and marked by pseudo-religious tendencies. All of this is fueled by a weak social (education/science/religion) and political background.
We have faltered, but we have not fallen!
The winter holidays – Christmas and New Year – may be a good time for reflection, allowing us to reconnect with authentic traditions, thus gaining a better understanding of the boundaries between religion and pseudo-religion, between true knowledge and pseudo-intellectualism (science vs. pseudoscience), and, for those of us who wish to do so, to reaffirm our commitment to Romanian civilization in the European context.
Romania is right now divided and in crisis, and in such times a celebration like Christmas (the Nativity), celebrated by most religiously or culturally, could bring us together, easing the fear, hatred/rage/disdain and arrogance that polarize us. Yet again, at Christmas, Jesus – whose birth is now feted religiously or culturally – can restore optimism, trust in each other and good cooperation, making us aware of the fact that, at least in these terms, we share a common cause. The New Year celebration can then move us one step further, committing us pragmatically to this common endeavour, reminding us also that the welfare of democracy is not a given, but a thing to be strived for!
When celebrated well, the winter holidays can thus be an antidote not only to personal breakdowns, but also to social breakdowns, by generating meaning and significance in a way that empowers us!
Happy winter holidays, a Merry Christmas and a better New Year!
Prof. psych. Daniel David, PhD
Rector of Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca
Corresponding member of the Romanian Academy
