Truths in Five Fundamental Treasures of Us
- Ye Myo Zaw
- Oct 8, 2023
- 9 min read
There are many treasures that we value most. Some are earned by trying but some are not.
I believe only five fundamental treasures are most important and priceless.
1. RELIGION
Religion is a particular system of faith and worship according to the Oxford dictionary. There are an estimated 10,000 distinct religions worldwide, but about 84% of the world's population is affiliated with one of the five largest religion groups, namely Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism or forms of folk religion.
In Myanmar, Buddhist 87.9%, Christian 6.2%, Muslim 4.3%, Animist 0.8%, Hindu 0.5%, other 0.2%, none 0.1% based on the 2014 national census.
According to Pew Research Center, in 2021, 63% of the global population identifies as religious.
Approximately 16% of the world’s population identifies as non-religious.
Christianity is the largest religion in the world, with about 31.1% of the global population identifying as Christians.
Islam is the second-largest religion in the world, with about 24.9% of the global population identifying as Muslims.
Hinduism is the third-largest religion in the world, with approximately 15.2% of the global population identifying as Hindus.
In 2010, approximately 68% of people in the world lived in countries with high religious restrictions.
About 5.2% of the global population identifies as part of a religious group other than Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, or Judaism.
In 2016, believers of Islam were expected to grow the fastest among world religions, with an increase of 70% by 2060.
On average, women are more religious than men. Some people follow multiple religions or multiple religious principles at the same time, regardless of whether or not the religious principles they follow traditionally allow for syncretism.
● Religion brings meaning to people’s lives. Without a sense of meaning, people’s lives can seem empty, causing depression, angst, or anxiety. Human beings need some form of motivating force.
● Religion can bring a sense of hope and inspiration to people who otherwise might feel despondent, or desperate.
● Many charities are run by religious organizations, providing essential help to some of the neediest people on the planet.
● Religion can provide social coherence, with people sharing common aims, values, and moral systems.
● Holy teachings and books, such as the Bible, Quran, or Hindu Vedas, contain great wisdom which is beneficial to all mankind and provides useful points of reference.
● Religion has inspired some of the world’s greatest art, architecture, writing, and sculpture.
● In a changing world, religion provides a sense of continuity and reliable foundation stone. Rites and rituals provide comfort and structure for people as they ride the rollercoaster of life.
● Religion can act to curb the worst excesses of man’s instinctive, animal nature.
● Churches, mosques, temples, etc provide places for the community to meet, organize and socialize together.
According to the Oxford dictionary, Life is the period between the birth and death of a living thing, especially a human being.
The age structure of Myanmar is
0-14 years(children): 26.56%,
15-24 years(early working age): 17.51%,
25-54 years(prime working age): 42.51%,
55-64 years(mature working age): 7.75%,
65 years and over(elderly): 5.67%.
The age structure of a population affects a nation's key socioeconomic issues.
Countries with young populations (high percentage under age 15) need to invest more in schools, while countries with older populations (high percentage ages 65 and over) need to invest more in the health sector. The age structure can also be used to help predict potential political issues. For example, the rapid growth of a young adult population unable to find employment can lead to unrest. Birth rate and Death rate of Myanmar are 17.7 births/1,000 population and 7.3 deaths/1,000 population.
There are 22 quality of life (QoL) aspects which were selected on the basis of an extensive literature review on needs, values and human wellbeing in relation to sustainable development and are believed to represent very important domains in people’s lives.
● Health: Being in good health. Having access to adequate healthcare.
● Partner and family: Having an intimate relationship. Having a stable family life and good family relationships.
● Social justice: Having equal opportunities and the same possibilities and rights as others. Being treated in a just manner.
● Freedom: Freedom and control over the course of one’s life, being able to decide for yourself what you will do, when, and how.
● Safety: Being safe at home and in the streets. Being able to avoid accidents and being protected against criminality.
● Education: Having the opportunity to get a good education and to develop one’s general knowledge.
● Identity/self-respect: Having sufficient self-respect and being able to develop one’s own identity.
● Privacy: Having the opportunity to be yourself, to do your own thing, and to have a place of your own.
● Environmental quality: Having access to clean air, water, and soil. Having and maintaining good environmental quality.
● Social relations: Having good relationships with friends, colleagues, and neighbors. Being able to maintain contacts and to make new ones.
● Work: Having or being able to find a job, and being able to fulfill it as pleasantly as possible.
● Security: Feeling attended to and cared for by others.
● Nature/biodiversity: Being able to enjoy natural landscapes, parks, and forests. Assurance of the continued existence of plants and animals and maintain biodiversity.
● Leisure time: Having enough time after work and household work, and being able to spend this time satisfactorily.
● Money/income: Having enough money to buy and to do things that are necessary and pleasing.
● Comfort: Having a comfortable and easy daily life.
● Aesthetic beauty: Being able to enjoy the beauty of nature and culture.
● Change/variation: Having a varied life. Experiencing as many things as possible.
● Challenge/excitement: Having challenges and experiencing pleasant and exciting things.
● Status/recognition: Being appreciated and respected by others.
● Spirituality/religion: Being able to live a life with the emphasis on spirituality and/or with your own religious persuasion.
● Material beauty: Having nice possessions in and around the house.
3.GENERATION
Generation means a group of things that were developed from something else, or from which better things were developed, mentioned in the Longman dictionary of contemporary English.
Currently, there are five different generations in the workplace: Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y/Millennials, and Generation Z.
GI Generation; The youngest of this generation are in their early 90’s so they are almost non-existent in the workplace. They are our oldest living generation and were born at the beginning of the 19th century. Most of the soldiers during WWII came from this generation.
Traditionalists; make up 2% of the current workforce which is the smallest percentage. However, they represent the institutional memory of the workplace. They know and remember the organization’s past and founding goals. Typically born between 1927 and 1945, they went through their formative years during the Great Depression and its aftermath.
Baby Boomers; Born between the years of 1946 and 1964, they are the post-World War II generation. The Baby Boomers represent about 29% of the workforce; that number is declining by the day.
Generation X; is bookended by the two largest generations, Baby Boomers and Generation Y. They are born between 1965 and 1980. They make up approximately 23% of the workforce.
Generation Y; also known as the Millenials are born between 1981 and 2000. The Millenials are currently about 42% of the workforce, which makes them the largest working generation. They have their own values and characteristics (as do the other generations) their numbers make them a force to be reckoned with.
Generation Z; is our newest generation. They’re currently around 4% of the workforce and growing. They grew up during the great recession after the early 2000s. We are learning about what Generation Z’s value and their characteristics as each day passes.
Population Pyramid for Myanmar
Image courtesy of; https://www.cia.gov
4. PROPERTY
Property means a thing or things belonging to someone; possessions collectively, according to the Oxford dictionary. The concept of property and ownership are very closely related to each other. There can be no property without ownership and ownership without property.
The concept of property occupies an important place in human life because it is impossible to live without property.
Property is essentially of two kinds Corporeal Property and Incorporeal Property. Corporeal Property can be further divided into Movable and Immovable Property and real and personal property. Incorporeal property is of two kinds-in re propria and rights in re aliena or encumbrances.
1) Corporeal And Incorporeal Property -
(I) Corporeal Property -
Corporeal property is the right of ownership in material things. Corporeal property is always visible and tangible. Corporeal property can be perceived by the senses. It can be seen or touched. Examples -A House, Land, Car, Bike etc
Corporeal property may be divided into two classes-
(1) Movable Property (Chattels) and Immovable property. (Land and buildings) and
(2) Real Property and Personal Property.
(II) Incorporeal Property -
Incorporeal property also called intellectual or conventional property. it includes all those valuable interests which are protected by law. Incorporeal property is intangible. It cannot be Perceived by the Senses. Examples - Patents, Copyrights, Trademarks etc.
Incorporeal property is divided into two classes-
(a) Jura in re propria Over Material things (for example patents, copyrights, trademarks etc)
(b) Jura in re Aliena encumbrances, whether over material or immaterial things, for example, Lease, Mortgages and Servitude etc.
2) Movable Property and Immovable Property - All Corporeal Property is either movable or immovable. These are termed as chattels and land respectively.
(I) Movable Property - Movable property is one, which can be transferred from one place to another place with the human efforts.
(II) Immovable Property - "Immovable property includes land, benefits arising out of land and things attached to the earth or permanently fastened or anything attached to the earth."
3) Real and Personal Property - This division is identical to a great extent with that of immovable or movable. The division into real and personal is not based on any logical principle.
a) Real property - The real property includes all rights over land with such additions and exceptions, as the law has deemed fit.
b) Personal property - The law of personal property includes all other proprietary rights whether they are in rem or in personam.
4) Public property and private property - Having regard ownership property is either public or private.
(a) Public property - Public property is that owned by the public as such in some governmental capacity. Public property is used as a designation of which are Public Juris and therefore, are considered as being owned by the public. the entire state or the community and not restricted to the domain of private person or that which belongs to a state or political constituents like provinces etc.
(b) Private property - The private property is that which is owned by an individual or some other private person.
5. WISDOM
The words wisdom is defined as “The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.” A person who wants to gain wisdom must know that time is a factor. Albert Einstein said,
“Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.”
This is why many times people who are older or seasoned leaders have wisdom. However, this does not mean a younger person or leader can’t gain or have wisdom. It requires wisdom to receive the many benefits that come from having it.
Below are 4 benefits you can look forward to when you gain and have wisdom:
1. Good judgment; A leader who has wisdom can better handle the challenges that arise from leading. This is because good judgment comes to those who are wise. Wisdom like, good judgment, comes with experience. Will Rogers said, “Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.” The important thing is to grow and learn from your experiences. When you have good judgment you will always be solving problems, seeing better results, and moving forward.
2. Strong character; I believe having strong character should be the foundation of a leader’s life. This starts when you know and follow your Leadership Core. Strong character produces wisdom which leads to the ability to positively impact others. This is because wise leaders have been through many different experiences and have maintained their integrity through it. If you are intentional in maintaining your character and growing in wisdom then you will be unstoppable.
3. It brings honor; Wisdom brings honor within your personal and professional life. Over time this honor will lead to your Lasting Legacy. H.L. Menchen said, “Honor is simply the morality of superior men.” When you grow in wisdom then your honor among others starts to rise. This is because your life is an example of someone worth following.
4. Grows influence; Your wisdom will increase your ability to influence others. This is because who you are and what you do attracts like minded people. Those who have wisdom, talent, and a good track record will want to follow you because of your wisdom. It’s like the old saying, “birds of a feather stick together.” When you grow and have wisdom it will increase your reach and influence.
In conclusion, I believe religion, life, generation, property and wisdom are the most valuable factors for everyone. They give almost perfectibility to us only if we apply those in right and smart way. Let's get started!
References;
1. African Studies Association; University of Michigan (2005). History in Af2000s32. p. 119.
2. "The Global Religious Landscape". 18 December 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
3. "pass Index of Religiosity and Atheism" (PDF). WIN-Gallup International. 27 July 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 September 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
4. "Losing our Religion? Two-Thirds of People Still Claim to be Religious" (PDF). WIN/Gallup International. WIN/Gallup International. 13 April 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 April 2015.
5. "Women More Religious Than Men". Livescience.com. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
6. Environmental psychology: an introduction / edited by Linda Steg, Agnes van den Berg and Judith de Groot (2013). Environment and quality of life. p. 112.
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