Conversation with Rickard Sagirbay on Islam, Giftedness, and People: Member, World Genius Directory (2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Publisher: In-Sight Publishing

Publisher Founding: March 1, 2014

Web Domain: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com

Location: Fort Langley, Township of Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Journal: In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal

Journal Founding: August 2, 2012

Frequency: Three (3) Times Per Year

Review Status: Non-Peer-Reviewed

Access: Electronic/Digital & Open Access

Fees: None (Free)

Volume Numbering: 12

Issue Numbering: 3

Section: A

Theme Type: Idea

Theme Premise: “Outliers and Outsiders”

Theme Part: 31

Formal Sub-Theme: None

Individual Publication Date: July 15, 2024

Issue Publication Date: September 1, 2024

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Word Count: 2,519

Image Credits: Rickard Sagirbay.

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2369-6885

*Please see the footnotes, bibliography, and citations, after the publication.*

Abstract

Rickard Sagirbay is a Member of the World Genius Directory. Sagirbay discusses: name etymology; Sweden; Islam; father; bullying; active learning; noteworthy people; and philosophies.

Keywords: benefits of dual citizenship, secular Islam in Turkey, Kemal Ataturk’s influence, personal experiences with Islam, self-defense recommendations, memory’s impact on intelligence, Rudiger Gamm’s contributions, Tony Buzan’s legacy, importance of secularism, coping strategies for bullying.

Conversation with Rickard Sagirbay on Islam, Giftedness, and People: Member, World Genius Directory (2)

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Thank you for the compliment about the high level of honesty and integrity in the journal and interviews; it’s, in a way, therapeutic for the interviewee to be seen authentically and for the audience who resonate with them to see themselves in others. Do you have much more family history in the military other than the uncle?

Rickard Sagirbay: No.

Jacobsen: Do you get any confused people from the double name etymology?

Sagirbay: No.

Jacobsen: Do you get any benefits from the dual citizenships? Any troubles?

Sagirbay: No comments.

Jacobsen: Did you like the time in Sweden growing up?

Sagirbay: Sure, I had a lot of fun. 

Jacobsen: What sect of Islam is your family? How does this differentiate from other interpretations of Islam that are noteworthy in Turkey? 

Sagirbay: My family has never been strictly religious (but yet had faith in God), but I guess we are Sunni Muslims then. Sect sounds too ambitious and extreme for me to relate to. The only person who never drank alcohol and prayed five times a day was my grandmother (she still does). Summary:  A much less strict version of Islam with highly secularized implemented elements.

Jacobsen: How did your father reconcile being a pub owner with being a Muslim? 

Sagirbay: Very quickly. Turkey is a secularised country, so alcohol and tobacco are NOT a big deal. I guess Kemal Ataturk brought us into the modern world; further, he is a big “ideal” figure of mine. It’s a big difference in comparison with countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia, where “religion becomes law.” 

Jacobsen: What were the forms of bullying against you?

Sagirbay: No comments. This is KEY and shows my rebellious mindset, not blindly abiding by authority. “People should not be afraid of their governments; instead, governments should be afraid of their people.” (Alan Moore)

Jacobsen: How about the violent episodes of note?

Sagirbay: No comments.

Jacobsen: What was the style of the verbal abuse against you?

Sagirbay: No comments.

Jacobsen: How did you rebel against authority?

Sagirbay: No comments. (which is TRUE) 😉 

Jacobsen: Where does the phrase “dance on roses” originate? I’ve never heard it.

Sagirbay: Maybe from Guns n Roses singer Axl Roses? 😉 ha ha. Maybe life is not always a dance on roses, yet who said it should be? I always hope for the best but EXPECT the worst; this is my survival philosophy. You will then NEVER be disappointed.  Even if you get a bit better than worse(or worse), you will still be happy because you were already prepared. Ultimately, it’s about accepting things you can’t change and trying to change the things within your power to do so. Don’t fight the cosmos’ power; move and dance with it. 

Jacobsen: For those young, gifted kids who happen to live in a bullying environment, would you recommend going to a self-defense program, e.g., jiu-jitsu or judo?

Sagirbay:  Yes, I would. Another hint: 

– Everything is permitted in love and war. If a guy is much more robust than you and holds you captured in a locked position, I would say: – Squeeze his balls! After that, I promise he will let you go or be ball-less or little-ball-left, haha. This is my humor, and I don’t care if a couple of un-independent “weaklings” and “hypocrites” disagree with me. I am independent in thought, ethics, and emotions and do NOT care what you or anyone else thinks about it, especially not that chicken-::- P.C (all intelligent people will know who I am referring to, Scott; this includes you). Another hint: I am not talking about computers or rocket science. To me, he is a man without testosterone and a half-nazi eugenic whimp who deserves a proper beating. Everybody is entitled to an opinion, and this is mine (he is entitled to his). Don’t ask who it is, P.C., because the answer will be “No comments.” He lacks testosterone and guts, so he is naturally weak in ethics, opinions, ideas, etc. Of course, he will encounter criticism and resistance from most people since most people sense they have nothing or very little to gain by supporting his ideas. If he is the genius he claims to be, he ought to have considered this before he opens his mouth. He once complained about something referred to as “editorial corruption” and “scums”; now that is funny. I see him as a scum, and what that particular newspaper did to him was his karma coming after him, and I laughed my ass off when I read it. He had it coming.  I don’t even look upon him as a man but as a “little girl” trying to preach bull -::- to humanity. I laugh at him openly as I know he (and his peers) will NEVER be in power of humanity’s governance, and this pleases me VERY much. A toast for that! 🙂 Maybe it’s written in his genes, “Weakling-Man”? LOL 

Jacobsen: I have had mild anxiety in life and then major depression at one dip due to environmental circumstances. I have warned people sending crazies to me or crazy people. I did not and do not mean the mentally ill. That’s a diagnosis by a professional, treatable. By crazy persons, I mean lunatics completely disconnected who intend harm, may be part of a cult, etc. How has bipolar affected you? How does it feel bringing this up in conversation?

Sagirbay: No comments.

Jacobsen: What have been the areas of most active independent learning, self-study?

Sagirbay: Self-discovery. I also learned one important lesson. Having depression in your DNA doesn’t necessarily make you a mentally weaker person, but I can imagine many people still hold that prejudice. It’s also about food, exercise, and religious beliefs (life is suffering). These will affect your mind and several other variables. If you believe you are weak, then that is what you will become. Further, it decreases attachment and expectations in life. 

Jacobsen: How does the institutional discrimination faced by Galileo differ from general bullying of the gifted? Neil deGrasse Tyson harps on the point: Galileo was being unpleasant. My thought: So, what? Religious authoritarians forced house arrest over jokes–get real, get some perspective. Tyson has kept the same argument since, at least, the mid-2000s. It has the same vein of the defense of people who killed others over offensive cartoons rather than the right to offend inherent in free expression. People were killed over cartoons–hard to defend when stated plainly.

Sagirbay: Let me put it like this: We are all human beings and interact with each other constantly. The gifted children also have a responsibility; they shouldn’t be placed in the front seat unchecked, as if they had a higher human value than the rest because they don`t. If they are gifted and brilliant (genius), they will automatically be able to learn what to say and what NOT to say to different individuals. They should be intelligent enough to determine what would be in their best interest (and everybody as a whole). If they want to apply for special gifted children’s academy, they should be able to do so. However, I do NOT feel this should be embedded in the law (like Tor Arne Jörgensen), which states that they should have this privilege simply because it would create unnecessary heated debates, envy, anger, division, etc. Are we indeed equal to the law, then do you think? And if we are not theoretically equal to the law, why apply laws? (Total anarchy might be more justified) . Except Tor Arne Jörgensen, could we invent a breakthrough medicine or technical gadget that would allow humanity not to feel cheated and perfectly happy about this idea? If he could do this, not only would I agree, but I would also be VERY impressed by his innovative mind. LOL, I think the idea is both good and bad. The good part is you will take away people perceived as obstacles to “their improved development” and perceived benefit. (Is it that good if you think deeply about it?)  But they will still meet these people later (after their education in society). It might as well be a benefit to take the risk and mix them up with a little bit of everything (this is by nature). But the best part is to ask them instead if they want to attend public school or other alternatives.

One last thing: the legend of Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, his father was a rich and powerful emperor. A wise sage one day approached Siddharta`s Castle. He told the emperor that he predicted his son would become either an emperor (as his father) or a powerful sage. His father did not want Siddharta to become a sage; he wanted him to follow in his father’s footsteps, preserve the throne, etc.  So basically, he pulled the curtains before his son’s eyes, not allowing him to wander outside the palace and explore what life was like. Aging, sickness, death, and suffering are inevitable parts of life. One day, the young prince decided he had enough of this and went outside the palace walls to pursue the truth. The bottom line is to let children explore life for themselves without intervening exaggeratedly. If they fall, then by all means, let them know that it’s the learning curve of life that is supposed to flow naturally. True, at its worst, it can lead to bodily death, yet maybe it was meant to be like that.  Don’t be afraid; we are all dead men one way or the other, and it might be a big recycle wheel on this planet as well as in the cosmos. This means our entire view about life and death might be an illusion!

Jacobsen: How was the time at the University of Jönköping?

Sagirbay:  No comments.

Jacobsen: What were the major contributions of Rudiger Gamm?

Sagirbay: He is skilled at mental arithmetic and quick, precise overhead calculations. There is a profound quote by Rüdiger Gamm: ‘We human beings consist of atoms, we originate from the universe, and we are conscious. Therefore, the universe ought to be conscious.’

Jacobsen: What are the talents and achievements of Dominic O’Brien?

Sagirbay: He is a former memory champion of the world and has written several great books on memory and learning. I strongly recommend them to anyone who wants to expand their mental horizons. It’s true that intelligence is strongly correlated with genetics, but it might be possible to maximize your personal talent while enriching your experience of life, thus living a life worth remembering. Another important note I’d like to add is that memory, of course, influences and has a strong impact on the intelligence level of all individuals. Logically, it has to correlate. If I remember programming, code, information, it will lead to a stronger and more powerful association centre. You will easier realize incommons, differences, quantities, same surname (related?), she/he likes number 19, but not number 18, etc.  This is connected to memory and learning both chess and poker. Thinking frames: What’s the probability for that ? How often do the person do this ? Is the person answering you at all ?  how quickly and intense ?  (on a dating site as an example).  It becomes easier to draw assumptions, this one is not interested, otherwise he/she would have answered by now (if there is not an other possibility?). Conclusion trust your experience, if someone REALLY is interested they will call you back in 3-4 weeks and say: – Sorry but I was abroad etc.  Why would they bluff about that ? (unless you can figure a very good reason, they are probably for REAL) 

Jacobsen: How did Tony Buzan revolutionary some things?

Sagirbay: Please remember the following text:

“Mind maps and a series of memory and learning books. His legacy is essentially based on the most effective methods to learn, thus applying techniques that are closely linked to how the mind operates in general. (There will always be exceptions in individuals in regards to this, I believe).

Jacobsen: How would you characterize the philosophy of Kemal Ataturk?

Sagirbay: Secularism with a strong scientific approach to operating a state more optimally. Yet, I believe faith is something reasonable as long as it doesn’t touch the extreme ends and measures (in accordance with Pascal).”

Jacobsen: What are some insights into sales gained from working in telemarketing? I’ve worked, very briefly, in medical marketing research. I quit after a month, as I hated that job and didn’t fit. It was near Vancouver.

Sagirbay: The inevitable interaction of humanity in terms of chess and poker correlates with Sales both on the phone and lajv, that is at least my insight and experience. 

Jacobsen: What are the issues folks should keep in mind for the elderly in terms of their own aging? Nature tends to stop caring about us somewhere past age 18 in most capacities. So, most of life is maintenance. 

Sagirbay: The elders are you and you are the elders, the flowing river of life and the cosmos.

Jacobsen: Lots of famous people are Muslim. Islam is on track to being the most prominent global faith in numbers, no the wealthiest, though. Christianity holds that spot. Although, Hinduism and no religious affiliation have over 1 billion people ticking those boxes too. A truly cosmopolitan world in terms of worldviews. What were the positives gained from Islam for you?

Sagirbay: No comments. 

Jacobsen: What were the positives and negatives of growing up in a Muslim home?

Sagirbay: No comments.

Jacobsen: What were the negatives about Islam for you? What seemed like the better reasons, above the positives and negatives of Islam, to follow Buddhism. Other than the idea of reincarnation.

Sagirbay: No comments.

Jacobsen: Many people use the word pantheism. However, they mean a lot of things by it. They mean a distant god everywhere, a spirit ever present, the laws of nature, etc. What do you mean by the term when you are leaning towards it? How does science play into this leaning as it plays more of part in your worldview than when you were a teenager?

Sagirbay: No comments.

Jacobsen: “For me the struggle to reach perfection as a human being is comparable with the same madness and despair similar to catching your own shadow.” How close have you gotten to catching yours, ever?

Sagirbay: Like “Lucky Luke”.

Jacobsen: What is transhumanism as applied to social philosophy?

Sagirbay: No comments.

Jacobsen: What country better represents a libertarian philosophy in action?

Sagirbay:  No comments.

Jacobsen: How do you gauge the right direction for humanity? What grounds this ethic?

Sagirbay: “When people are able to accept others for who they truly are and do not try to force them to change, they allow them to decide for themselves if they want to change or not. Some people conform to rules and laws like little sheep without questioning the norm, while others do not. I’ll leave it to you and the readers to figure out who is who.” LOL 

Jacobsen: If you could only do one, would you rather weight lift or run?

Sagirbay: No comments.

Bibliography

None

Footnotes

None

Citations

American Medical Association (AMA 11th Edition): Jacobsen S. Conversation with Rickard Sagirbay on Islam, Giftedness, and People: Member, World Genius Directory (2). July 2024; 12(3). http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/sagirbay-2

American Psychological Association (APA 7th Edition): Jacobsen, S. (2024, July 15). Conversation with Rickard Sagirbay on Islam, Giftedness, and People: Member, World Genius Directory (2). In-Sight Publishing. 12(3).

Brazilian National Standards (ABNT): JACOBSEN, S. Conversation with Rickard Sagirbay on Islam, Giftedness, and People: Member, World Genius Directory (2). In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, Fort Langley, v. 12, n. 3, 2024.

Chicago/Turabian, Author-Date (17th Edition): Jacobsen, Scott. 2024. “Conversation with Rickard Sagirbay on Islam, Giftedness, and People: Member, World Genius Directory (2).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal 12, no. 3 (Summer). http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/sagirbay-2.

Chicago/Turabian, Notes & Bibliography (17th Edition): Jacobsen, S “Conversation with Rickard Sagirbay on Islam, Giftedness, and People: Member, World Genius Directory (2).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal 12, no. 3 (July 2024).http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/sagirbay-2.

Harvard: Jacobsen, S. (2024) ‘Conversation with Rickard Sagirbay on Islam, Giftedness, and People: Member, World Genius Directory (2)’, In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, 12(3). <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/sagirbay-2>.

Harvard (Australian): Jacobsen, S 2024, ‘Conversation with Rickard Sagirbay on Islam, Giftedness, and People: Member, World Genius Directory (2)’, In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, vol. 12, no. 3, <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/sagirbay-2>.

Modern Language Association (MLA, 9th Edition): Jacobsen, Scott. “Conversation with Rickard Sagirbay on Islam, Giftedness, and People: Member, World Genius Directory (2).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, vo.12, no. 3, 2024, http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/sagirbay-2.

Vancouver/ICMJE: Scott J. Conversation with Rickard Sagirbay on Islam, Giftedness, and People: Member, World Genius Directory (2) [Internet]. 2024 Jul; 12(3). Available from: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/sagirbay-2.

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