JahanKhalili
About myself:
I'm half Iranian and half American. I'm here to say what I think. If you came here to be pleased or flattered, you're in the wrong place. No one owns me. I'm a free individual. I don't bow to anyone's politics, here or in Iran. I'm my own person, and that's too bad if anyone doesn't like it. When people read my stuff, they'll get MY opinion. I alone am responsible for my opinion - no one else is. Likewise, I'm not responsible for your opinion, or your assumptions about me. You are.به زبان فارسی
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How Useful Are Iranian Know-It-Alls And Their Advice? Part 8
23-Nov-2011
The last blog entry in this series concerned what was REALLY in Cyrus the Great's cylinder.
Given all the false claims about it that Iranians were believing, it seems evident that none of them ever actually checked.
Iranians are good at making, sharing and believing rumors. The upper class "Westernized" Iranians are the best at it - better than their lower class religious countrymen.
They have a little "knowledge" economy. Its more advanced than the one Iranian villagers have. They spread rumors and gossip among themselves - across hundreds of kilometers!
With the aid of cellphones and computer chips! Their gossip spreads at the speed of light!
Aren't they superior?
In Iranian culture, knowledge is gained by listening to other Iranians. Since Iranians love to be at the top of their little totem-pole-like society, they want to be the "know-it-all" that everyone listens to.
They are masters at believing bullshit.
They even believe their OWN bullshit.
They made up that stuff about Cyrus's cylinder, and then they believed it.
But independent checking is beyond them.
In Iranian culture, knowledge does NOT come from investigation or research that is independent of authority.
While the Iranian reputation-dorks were busy consulting each other and spreading around bullshit, foreigners ignored them, and discovered things in Iran.
*****************************************
Above is a photo taken of the Behistun inscription.
Its discovery paved the way for ancient Persian to be read and translated.
How was ancient Persian deciphered and translated?
I'm no expert, and am really just beginning to learn about this. Anyone out there who knows more than me, please feel free to correct anything I say here.
However, it appears that the Behistun inscription - Iran's equivalent to the Rosetta Stone, which was an important discovery that helped pave the way for that language to be decoded and understood - was NOT discovered by Iranians.
Iran's past lay buried and forgotten for centuries and centuries - quite Ironically, under big oblivious self-important Iranian noses. Foreigners finally discovered it.
Iranians had of course known about the area before. Iranian poet Firdausi made up some interesting bullshit about it that wasn't true (In fact, it became a real hit. Iranians are good at something, at least).
But an Englishman named Robert Sherley was the first to finally bring it to the attention of Western scholars. He also made up some bullshit about it that wasn't true. (It seems to be part of human nature to make up bullshit about things that they haven't fully investigated).
Carsten Niebuhr published the transcriptions in his book in Europe, allowing Georg Friedrich Grotefend and others to try deciphering them. Grotefend discovered that ancient Persian was alphabetic, and that each word was separated by a slanted symbol. He succeeded in deciphering some of the text.
Sir Henry Rawlinson, a British Army officer, picked up where Grotefend left off.
Two foreigners - a British Army officer and a German scholar - played a key role in uncovering the mystery of ancient Persian cuneiform for the modern world.
Like the Rosetta Stone in Egypt, the Behistun inscription was decoded with the help of Western scholars using ancient Greek. The German scholar Grotefend was able to decipher some of it.
The British army officer - sir Henry Rawlinson - deciphered the rest.
It is thanks to this discovery - and the work of deciphering the characters - that we can read this ancient language Iranian language.
Without this discovery, no one would know what was in the cyrus cylinder.
So the usual question that everyone by now is wincing with anticipation at: why didn't Iranians discover this?
*******************************
Once again, I'm going to state here that the majority of Iranians were probably living under extreme poverty. They didn't have the luxury to care about such things.
They deserve neither scorn nor criticism.
The Iranians at the top of their social hierarchy however probably had at least the material means to engage in things other than a struggle for physical survival.
If they could build palaces and enjoy their wealth, and throw parties for each other, they could have gone out and studied what was in their surroundings. But they didn't.
Perhaps they had to play their role, and couldn't deviate from it, otherwise their competition would gossip about them and overthrow them for being "strange".
Iranian upper class society - as primitive as it is - is very competitive.
The upkeep of pomp is almost a matter of life and death.
Each Iranian is a miniature Shah or Ayatollah, who needs to keep his hold on his domain or get overthrown. All their energy is devoted to controlling things.
So while important Iranian tribal leaders counted their gold coins, received flattery and homage from their underlings, consulted with each other, or frothed at the mouth over some stupid half-imagined insult from another official, foreigners inside Iran ignored the ridiculous Iranian social hubbub because they were never a part of it.
Therefor they had no trouble going out and investigating Iran's wilderness.
I didn't put the picture of either Rawlinson or Grotefend on this blog. An Iranian would have. That's because Iranians worship people. But Westerners are interested in the discovery itself.
This should be a lesson to Iranians who want to do anything similar. A pioneering spirit requires ignoring the distractions of the society and people around you.
Iranian society - with its petty obsession about politics - retards individual creativity and ingenuity.
The social prattle of Iranians is noise to people who are truly curious about the world. There is nothing more fascinating to an explorer than the world, and nothing less so than exchanging flattery with idiots who aren't interested in it.
Even the most upper class Iranians who live in the West and who fancy themselves to be the most well-endowed fruits of their country, are sorry specimens.
They remain Iranians, despite everything.
None of them have that spirit of discovery that Westerners have had. All they are good at is bullshitting, getting titles, recognitions, and the mundane sort of social prizes that bureaucrats get.
They live to get a pat on their little heads from others.
No discoveries and certainly nothing groundbreaking has been achieved by these Iranians.
They gather in flocks, and fight over their titles the way little birds fight over crumbs, and they prance about in each other's company, competing to see who has the best plumage.
Meanwhile, American eagles and Western falcons soar the skies alone, looking for things.
They avoided gatherings and flocks, and struck out towards the unknown alone.
Their friend was the sky, their domain the earth.
The thrill of discovery awaits them, not Iranians.
So there you have it.
Its the Persian paradox.
Iranian know-it-alls are the enemies of knowledge.
| Recently by JahanKhalili | Comments | Date |
|---|---|---|
| German News From the Second World War - Die Deutsche Wochenschau Nr. 752 | 39 | Dec 11, 2011 |
| How Useful Are Iranian Know-It-Alls And Their Advice? Part 9 | 144 | Dec 09, 2011 |
| How Useful Are Iranian Know-It-Alls And Their Advice? Part 7 | 38 | Nov 20, 2011 |
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Yes, from a scientific standpoint
by JahanKhalili on Mon Nov 28, 2011 07:53 AM PSTHumans are animals, and races of humans are breeds - just like in dogs and horses.
Me, Perfect?
by JahanKhalili on Mon Nov 28, 2011 07:50 AM PSTI thought it was Cyrus the Great?
What's the big deal with perfection, anyhow?
Iranians are the ones who can't admit they're imperfect.
All I had to do was point it out to them, and they went berserk.
VPK Is A Genius
by JahanKhalili on Mon Nov 28, 2011 07:46 AM PST"What is that? "Full Blooded" sounds pretty racist to me. "Pure" that sounds more racist."
Very good!
Re: I'm full-blooded Iranian
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Mon Nov 28, 2011 04:46 AM PSTWhat is that? "Full Blooded" sounds pretty racist to me. "Pure" that sounds more racist. IFA you speak for yourself and just that. I recognize no concept of "full blood pure". Iran is a multiracial nation.
The whole pure makes me sick. A racist pile of *** made up by ignorant people with no accomplishments grasping at race. How dare you pile your baggage on rest of Iranians.
We are not talking about dog or horse breeding.
Purse: dog breed
Pure: horse breed
Pure: my a**.
amirkabear4u
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Mon Nov 28, 2011 04:36 AM PSTFor your information and as far as I can remember no one on IC believes we are perfect
I am thinking of one who thinks he is perfect: JK. I hope that I am wrong.
Not surprised
by amirkabear4u on Mon Nov 28, 2011 01:20 AM PSTyou DO NOT UNDERSTAND.
You are not as intelligent as you think you are and that is why you make such comments.
You remind me of those Iranian low educated teachers who verbally abuse their students for not learning.
On this site they are a lot of caring people who do not share the same political view BUT have one thing in common. They respect others. But considering you are half american, respect means nothing to you, does it?
For your information and as far as I can remember no one on IC believes we are perfect. And there is a good reason for it. No nation is perfect. This brings us to your american side. SHALL WE TALK ABOUT THEM??????
Probably NOT.
I'm full-blooded Iranian and I support Jahan Khalili
by Iranian for Aryans on Sun Nov 27, 2011 11:17 PM PSTMr. Khalili brings up valid points. You blowhards attack him instead of looking in the mirror.
Iranians have done nothing to analyze their heritage. It took Europeans to do it. This is an problem. Stop it with your lame-Iranian excuses which are even bigger than your noses.
Jahan doesn't have a problem. He's just telling us Iranians why we are failures. And, guess what? He's right! Iranians are the problem.
Instead of accepting the truth and attempting to rectify the situation, you attack Jahan and show the world what children and narcissists you are by putting your image above all else.
Iranians and "aaberoo". I'm pure Iranian and I'm sick of Iranians, too.
Sign me up, Jahan!
Its funny
by JahanKhalili on Sun Nov 27, 2011 10:03 AM PSTJudging from the time foreigners spent studying Iran's wildlife and archeology and ignoring Iranians, it seems that Iranians weren't quite the most interesting thing in Iran, to them.
Its not hard to understand why.
Yes
by JahanKhalili on Sun Nov 27, 2011 09:33 AM PSTWhite people built America.
I don't understand your English, amirkabear4u.
Can you get a translator?
VPK
by amirkabear4u on Sun Nov 27, 2011 02:12 AM PSTDo not give any credit to this JK aka Baldrick. He should not be treated like a hero he is sick and needs help. My experience in Iranian society shows he is not the only half Iranian who is like this. The only difference is this one has a big mouth!
Baldrick Know-It-All
by amirkabear4u on Sun Nov 27, 2011 02:08 AM PSTYou keep bragging about Iranians done nothing for their country. Here is a question and I promiss you can not respond to it.
IF IT WAS NOT FOR EUROPEANS AND OTHER IMMIGRANTS WHO WOULD BUILD USA? Yes Bladrick what do you say to that????
Let see you probably do not have an answer for this questions too.
The old Testament...
by JahanKhalili on Sat Nov 26, 2011 06:22 PM PST... is a self-pleasing dildo for Jewish egos, just as much as the falsified history of the Cyrus cylinder is for the Iranians.
Its the dumbest thing to imagine that any people were as much the heroes of their own story as they say they are.
Objection stays!
by Waders on Sat Nov 26, 2011 01:41 PM PSTBible is not a history book, JK
by Rea on Sat Nov 26, 2011 01:13 PM PSTA proud atheist, I'm not a great connaisseur of religious books.
But even I know that Cyrus is in the Bible.
Regarding anger
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Sat Nov 26, 2011 12:39 PM PSTI sort of understand where JK is coming from because I went through it. Or at least something similar to it. After the hostage business I was really ashamed of being Iranian. What kind of people would do that. Once the war started my feelings changed a bit. I felt a great deal more sympathy for the people of Iran.
A major change was when flight 655 got shot down. The jingoism and lies by Navy changed my perception. But I was still angry at Iranian people for backing IRI.
Once I had children I decided I am not going to burden them with shame. That I will raise them to be at peace with who they are. Then the 2009 fake elections happened. Protests that followed showed me people are not behind the IRI.
Since then I have a very different view of Iranians back home. The new generation is not behind the IRI. They want freedom. It is heart warming to see.
JK you are funny and occasionally says something interesting. I wonder how you will be feeling 20 years from now.
For now I advise you not to use the cylinder for the purpose you suggested. It is a very bad idea even with a replica.
MM, you ain't seen nothing yet.
by JahanKhalili on Sat Nov 26, 2011 12:23 PM PSTMore blogs are on the way!
Iranian bulls will have their little horns sagging after reading them, and their bullshitting will be interrupted for a few moments (before it carries on again).
occupy Persepolis, occupy a desk or enjoy both!
by MM on Sat Nov 26, 2011 12:16 PM PSTJK,
Reading your blogs, you sound like an angry 2nd generation Iranian-American, analogous to what the Japanese call a bull with broken horns. As opposed to fully horned (fully Japanese) and no-horned (completely Americanized).
Since you are here on IC, blogging and commenting, my guess is that you are trying to adjust and see some good in the past you are partially familiar with.
You can channel that anger into a movement to find yourself and build a bridge with your father's heritage, and I may say that you are not alone here. Or, break the remaining horns, but honor thy father and his past. And, alternatively, i can tell you that there is nothing wrong with a bull with broken horns since that bull has the opportunity to enjoy the good of both cultures.
wish you a happy journey
Not Adios
by JahanKhalili on Sat Nov 26, 2011 11:40 AM PSTIts "Heil Cyrus".
nothing
by Waders on Sat Nov 26, 2011 11:37 AM PSTthat why you need to bag it.
Adios
Nobody wants to destroy that which is good
by JahanKhalili on Sat Nov 26, 2011 11:32 AM PSTWhat's good about bullshit?
No! is that an ignorant assumption?
by Waders on Sat Nov 26, 2011 11:30 AM PSTObjection overruled
by JahanKhalili on Sat Nov 26, 2011 11:09 AM PSTAnything else, unhappy Waders?
yet another ignorant statement!!
by Waders on Sat Nov 26, 2011 11:14 AM PSTI heard that they found a fossilized piece of sh-t from Cyrus
by JahanKhalili on Sat Nov 26, 2011 11:02 AM PSTAll bow before it!
What really matters about Cyrus
by JahanKhalili on Sat Nov 26, 2011 11:00 AM PSTIs whether he was good for his own people; not whether he was good for Jews.
Once again, the best artifacts we have on him were unearthed by Western archeologists.
The Bible has no historic value.
It has such ridiculous claims in it as God first creating the earth and all this stuff, and then stepping back and seeing that it was good.
Its another example of Middle Eastern culture, too.
Cyrus in the Bible?
by JahanKhalili on Sat Nov 26, 2011 10:55 AM PSTNow you're REALLY showing disrespect to him.
Regarding: great cylinder
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Sat Nov 26, 2011 10:55 AM PSTWho knows? certainly not you!
by Waders on Sat Nov 26, 2011 10:48 AM PSTVery interesting, Waders
by JahanKhalili on Sat Nov 26, 2011 10:32 AM PSTGreat analysis of the subject.
what u have shown!!
by Waders on Sat Nov 26, 2011 10:27 AM PSTis the incompetency, lack of qualification in the subject matter and hypocricy of your every half.
you are just as BISAVAAD as the iranians you fault and as ignorant as the rednecks you flaunt.
And ofcourse we like to dismiss that as the matter of growing pain and lack of common sense.