Are We Falling Behind Time?

nasiraijaz September 2, 2025

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Like many other nations, our very survival now faces immense challenges. We cannot afford even a moment more of laziness and idleness

Our society is largely consumed by laziness, idleness, and the theft of work. Among these idle people is an army of unemployed graduates waiting for some comfortable government job

Ali Nawaz Rahimoo

Time is the very thing we all complain about lacking, yet it is the same time that we waste most mercilessly. A wise man once said: “It is indeed strange that we are filled with sorrow at the mere thought of losing life, but when we squander life piece by piece, we feel no regret at all.”

When we hear the news of someone’s death, we grieve, but every day, millions waste their precious time as if it were cheap in truth, dying small deaths daily, and we show no concern for them.

We often forget that life is like a building, made up of small blocks of years, months, days, and hours. I once read that it is far more important to reflect on how we use our short and limited time than to think about conquering other planets or unlocking the mysteries of the universe. Time is a wild, merciless horse that tramples anyone who dares to undervalue it. And this ruthless force of time impacts not only individuals but also the destiny of nations.

Our society is largely consumed by laziness, idleness, and the theft of work. Among these idle people is an army of unemployed graduates waiting for some comfortable government job in the shade, unwilling to put in honest effort. On the other hand, there are officials, office-holders, and people of influence who spend their days doing nothing, just to save themselves from responsibility or hardship. Their behavior suggests that if they were to use their hands, feet, or even a little intellect, they might lose their jobs.

Except for rare exceptions, people here do not work with dedication, nor with the thought of how their efforts might benefit themselves and society. A selfish attitude has taken root: “If I cannot eat, I won’t let others eat either.” People neither want to work themselves nor allow others the space to work. Too often, the powerful appoint incompetent relatives or favorites to lead our most sacred institutions, and the only qualification these leaders have is kinship or village ties. Nepotism and bribery have eaten our institutions like termites.

Sadly, even those who are fortunate enough to sit on the throne rarely make sincere efforts to prove their worth or to honor their position with integrity. Our refusal to use our minds has rendered us ineffective. In our universities, schools, and colleges, there are very few teachers who serve with true commitment. Students are no better: they simply memorize outdated notes, generation after generation, without ever exercising their minds.

As an English saying goes: “The human mind is like a parachute; it only works when it opens.” If idle minds refuse to work, then they must be forced into activity. We can only rule the world if we first learn to rule ourselves. Across the globe, people work hard five or six days a week, taking their work seriously with honesty and commitment. Only then do they earn the right to enjoy their weekends.

By contrast, in our land especially in Sindh, people neither have the time nor the resources to enjoy life, simply because we lack the culture of working with absorption. Leisure is only meaningful to those who work. Those who don’t work do not deserve leisure. Worse still, work is done only for salaries and personal benefits. To think beyond money or personal connections is considered almost a crime. The result is that we sink into idleness, unable to think, to dream, to progress, or to aspire to anything greater.

This is why true professionals and high performers are so rare that their names could be counted on fingers. Those who do work with passion, joy, and commitment are mocked as “fools” or “over-ambitious.” I still remember in my university days: the students who skipped classes and tricked their way out of assignments mocked the hardworking ones who stayed up nights to complete their tasks. This is not only the condition of students; the entire country is plagued by this attitude. In every field education, health, law, bureaucracy capable and committed people are treated as obstacles by the incompetent.

Humans gained superiority over all creatures because of their minds. Yet it is the same mind that becomes the cause of our rise or our downfall. According to Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest, only those species survive that are strong and fit. The weak can only survive if they strengthen themselves and reduce their weaknesses. History is full of examples of nations that faced crises far worse than ours, yet they revived themselves with new spirit. Had they not acted in time, they would have vanished completely. Perhaps time only respects those who respect it.

Our society, however, has fallen into a pitiful state, and not just Sindh but all of Pakistan — indeed, much of South Asia. Dishonesty is considered cleverness, while honesty is mocked. If you arrive on time at an event, people are surprised, thinking you must be jobless; but if you arrive late, you are treated as a VIP.

The need of the hour is to break these destructive habits. Each of us must start with self-accountability and, above all, drive out laziness and idleness from our lives. Of course, laziness and work theft are not unique to Sindhis. Around the world, capitalists invest heavily to reduce worker idleness and increase efficiency. But the tragedy for us is that we don’t even realize our own flaws. The first step to solving a problem is to recognize it. Like many other nations, our very survival now faces immense challenges. We cannot afford even a moment more of laziness and idleness. Not only must we face economic and political challenges, but we must also fight for our very existence. Struggles and victories do not come by sitting idle.