Hasan Aftab Saeed

Islamabad

Writer at Pakistan Today

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Articles

‘Villain’ - disparagement

1 month ago | pakistantoday.com.pk | Hasan Aftab Saeed

The devastating consequences of hero worship are well documented and widely known. A similar human weakness, which is scarcely less damaging for men and women, usually gets much less attention. It is the conjugate tendency of ‘villain’ disparagement. It is natural to criticise or loathe villains, of course; just as it is natural to revere or admire heroes. What can be problematic, and very often is, is the fact that as a rule there is no such thing as a pure hero or an unadulterated villain.
The abundant good

1 month ago | pakistantoday.com.pk | Hasan Aftab Saeed

In the final analysis, wisdom and understanding are the only things worth striving for. There are other achievements and considerations no doubt; some of them, up to an extent, being genuine needs of life. When they are considered life goals however, the resulting disillusionment can be a handful for serious-minded individuals. The fact that many people fail to get over their preoccupation with clothes, cars, fame, property and such till their last day cannot be denied.
On acts of God

1 month ago | pakistantoday.com.pk | Hasan Aftab Saeed

In the insurance industry, an ‘Act of God’ refers to an uncontrollable and unpreventable event outside of human control– typically a natural disaster or severe weather event. The adoption of this name for the event class leaves a great deal to be desired, but the term is way too prevalent in the insurance industry for anybody to do anything about it now. The insurance industry, like many others, is best left to its own devices.
Logic

1 month ago | pakistantoday.com.pk | Hasan Aftab Saeed

Few men, and fewer women, understand the place and utility of logic. Of course, there is no shortage of self-proclaimed ‘logical’ types who swear by it and think of it as the instrument that can be relied upon to supply surefire answers to all problems under the sun. (To what extent does logic govern their everyday lives is a completely different story however, but that is for another day.
The theorizing animal

2 months ago | pakistantoday.com.pk | Hasan Aftab Saeed

Mice, so long as they keep finding food in a nook, go to it again and again. Cats, once they get a shock upon touching an electric fence, refrain from repeating the act for a while. From their experiences and observations, animals figure out how the world works and regulate their conduct accordingly. Human beings do the same, but they do more: They tend to make general theories out of specific instances.
The exaggerating animal

Mar 19, 2025 | pakistantoday.com.pk | Hasan Aftab Saeed

A village chieftain was given to narrating over embellished tales of his hunting exploits. Owing to his social standing, none of the poor villagers dared being rude to him. But from the meaningful and amused glances that they exchanged, he knew that his tales were making him a laughingstock in his absence. Still, he could not help magnifying his adventures. To prevent further damage, he tasked his able secretary to cough discreetly whenever he said something that defied belief.
On delusions of knowledge

Feb 26, 2025 | pakistantoday.com.pk | Hasan Aftab Saeed

Correct random guesses can hardly be categorized as knowledge. Since they have been arrived at by virtue of mere chance, they could equally likely have been incorrect, sometimes absurdly so. For mysterious reasons, many people struggle to wrap their heads around this. Way too many people similarly mistake information for knowledge. A man who can memorize and reproduce a great many facts and figures can no more be called knowledgeable than an encyclopaedia can be labelled learned.
On bores

Feb 20, 2025 | pakistantoday.com.pk | Hasan Aftab Saeed

It has been my custom to try and avoid social gatherings for many years now. Of course, I do participate when it would be too impertinent not to– but reluctantly and under protest so to speak. This has not escaped notice, and I have consequently been awarded various epithets from ‘asocial’ to ‘downright misanthropic’, with everything in between. On my part, I plead not guilty to all such allegations.
Two types of everything

Feb 5, 2025 | pakistantoday.com.pk | Hasan Aftab Saeed

There is this time-honoured tradition of dividing everything into three categories. Like numerous other things, this custom traces back to classical Greek thought. Without in any way intending to disrespect the Greek sages however, I have found two to be a much more useful number instead. Male and female, smart and silly, ugly and beautiful, in-tune and tone-deaf, prodigal and dutiful, good and bad (cholesterol, Taliban, etc.), fortune and misfortune… the list goes on.
Who or what is Sufi?

Jan 29, 2025 | pakistantoday.com.pk | Hasan Aftab Saeed

There are many words that, through widespread loose usage, cease to mean anything. Take ‘spiritual’, for instance. Introverts of various degrees, those who like slow music, individuals that are not very particular about their personal hygiene, and the sort of men that are found occupying airport bar stools are all apt to claim from time to time that they are ‘very spiritual’.