Captain Ali Burçin Eke's Traditional New Year’s Reflection
"Esse est percipi" — to be is to be perceived.
Have you ever asked yourself, “I exist, but am I truly perceived?”
In today’s world, answering this question has grown increasingly difficult. In an era where information flows more fluidly than ever before, we find ourselves drowning in its abundance and distortion. The ease with which information can be manipulated has undoubtedly made our lives more complex.
Could the answer lie in the paradox that what was once challenging has become simple, and what was once simple has now become insurmountable?
While material possessions are more accessible than ever, have we not drifted further from the spiritual essence of life? We yearn for the simplicity of a taste, a texture, a feeling — elements now overshadowed by the complexity of existence. The soaring cost of living, coupled with growing egos and unchecked ambitions, tilts the scales of justice, leaving our thoughts and souls battered, fragmented, and perhaps even ailing.
Every era bears its unique mental afflictions. In ours, exhaustion, burnout, and a "society of fatigue" seem to define the zeitgeist. Why does everyone feel so weary and depleted?
The last century was characterized as a society of discipline, while our era is marked as a performance society. Capitalism, with its promises of individual freedom, paired with technology’s rapid advancements, should have simplified our lives. Yet, in chasing speed, ambition, and relentless performance, we find ourselves stripped of emotions, left drained by the unyielding demands of modern existence.
No matter the era, our existence must have a deeper purpose. Yet, surely, that purpose cannot be confined to the material. It must not reduce us to servitude under the guise of spiritual fulfillment. Have we even noticed that we no longer have time to ask the essential questions?
Immanuel Kant once said, “Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made.” Are we indeed no more than warped timber, incapable of refinement?
This past year, we witnessed a world where ideological leaders gained strength in the East and wealth-driven leaders solidified their power in the West. The previous century saw the downfall of monarchies through the rise of republics. Yet now, we face a new wave of leaders seeking to rebuild monarchies under the guise of financial empires, leaving us to wonder how the coming year will steer our world into further peril.
Economist Daron Acemoglu, a scholar rooted in the soil of our nation, highlighted in his Nobel-winning work the stark disparities in global income equality and economic development. He pointed to North and South Korea — the same ethnicity, divided by governance — as a striking example of how leadership shapes prosperity. The technological revolution, especially with advancements in artificial intelligence, has tilted the scales toward capital over labor, accelerating a shift that diminishes human involvement. Coupled with declining fertility rates and aging populations in advanced economies, this transformation threatens the well-being of developing and underdeveloped nations, undermining global peace and prosperity.
The unresolved inequities in income and governance exacerbate geopolitical tensions, as nations turn inward under the banner of nationalism, spiraling into a volatile future. Meanwhile, the existential threat of climate change, humanity’s greatest challenge, fades into the background amid rising global conflicts.
The year 2025 looms as a year of reckoning and chaos for us all.
This reality demands that we guide our youth with clarity. We must illustrate that while the metrics of today may differ from yesterday, the essence remains unchanged. Universal truths persist. The eternal struggle between good and evil will endure, only the methods will evolve. We must teach our youth that those who are remembered are the righteous, and those who are forgotten are those we wish to leave behind.
To truly become a developed society in every sense, our singular salvation lies in the principles of our great founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. His legacy of modern thought must continue to light our path.
How fortunate we are to have been guided by such a visionary leader a century ago. As a society, we must return to the enlightened road he set before us, for we can no longer afford to lose even a single day.
Wishing everyone a happy and enlightened new year,
Captain Ali Burçin Eke
