Cerebration Paper

After watching the movie entitled “My name is Khan”, directed by Karan Johar, I have 5
quotations selected from this movie which I find interesting. I also have 5 realizations and 5
practical applications of those realizations which are related to the two theories of Adler and
Horney. Also, I have 5 questions that I think the movie is able to answer
I. 5 direct quotations or lines from the movie
“There are only two kinds of people in this world. Good people who do good deeds. And bad
people who do bad. That's the only difference in human beings. There's no other difference.”
-Razia Khan
This quote is as simple as its meaning but its simplicity gives great impact to us. We do really
have different classifications of people. They could be based on social status/class, nationality,
races, religion, age, gender, and many more. However, this quote tells us that those differences
are not different at all instead there are only good people and bad. How interesting right? It made
me now think which of these two concepts I belong.
“Prayers should never depend upon the place or the people. It should depend only on your
belief” –Rizvan Khan
This quote deserves two thumbs up. As I heard this from Rizvan, I was moved by it. This is
really the right thing to do to express your faith in God. No matter how tiff the situation is, we
should not forget Him and make our belief an instrument to go nearer with Him. This quote
made me think again if my faithfulness to God is strong enough to show to Him that I am His
servant and child.
“The death of one innocent is equal to the death of humanity”-Rizvan Khan from Quran in
chapter five, verse 32.
This is another quote which shows the importance of justice. It is interesting in a way that people
should realize that each of us have something to fight for. The feeling of having no chance to
fight for innocence of one man is same as the feeling of having no chance to save the innocence
of whole nation.
“There is nothing wrong in being scared ... just don't let your fear be so big ... that it stops you
from achieving your goal”-Mandira Khan
This quote tells us that having positivity is strong enough to continue going on. It shows that
having a fear and being scared is normal because everyone feels this same feeling. However, it
should not be a hindrance to move ahead and continue our life. It is good to feel that we know in
ourselves that for somehow, we can be brave and stand along the darkness. This quote can be our
quote in times when we feel alone and empty.
“Relations are not only made from blood ... they are also made with love”
This quote captured my heart. It is really interesting because nowadays, the love is minimal and
sometimes we became so selfish that we can’t share our love to others. This is right that relations
are not only made from blood because what real relations are made with love. Our family,
friends and special someone should be made of love and not only with blood. However, just like
what my professor said before, relations are not only between boyfriend and girlfriend but it is
between different people that we encounter. So, to mix these two ideas, I could come up with the
conclusion of spreading the love everywhere because there are existing relationships everywhere
not only among your ties.
II. 5 realizations after watching the movie

Give care to those who need it more. I realize from this movie that we should give more
care to those who have lesser capacity to stand alone. Rizvan Khan has Asperger's syndrome
which is part of the broader category called Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). He needs more
care and guide from his mother, Razia Khan, than his younger brother, Zakir Khan, because he is
not normal. His mother does the right thing on focussing more to him. However, this situation
makes his brother felt inferior. Adler quoted, "To be human means to feel inferior". In individual
psychology of Adler, he tells that the feeling of inferiority started since we are child. Just like
what Zakir felt when they were young. Zakir got lesser attention than Rizvan. However, it should
not be turned out like this because if I am in the situation of Zakir, I should have more patience
and give more to my disabled brother because I already have enough. The theory of Horney also
has the concept of childhood experiences in forming our personality. Zakir's experiences when
they are young were carried until they became adult. His mother failed to make her two sons feel
the same love and care that’s why Zakir developed the feeling of basic hostility towards his
mother. He tends to move away and go to America to make his own life. I realized that anyone
have different options just like what Horney says. We could move towards, against and away
from people. It is really hard for someone to share equal care with your siblings from your
parents especially in this kind of situation.
Need for genuine love. Since Rizvan was a child, his life was really different from others.
Horney is right about her psychoanalytic social theory. She states that social and cultural
conditions, especially childhood experiences, are largely responsible for shaping personality.
Rizvan can only feel genuine love from his mother. He experienced limited acceptance from
others especially in his school. These experiences lead him to feel basic anxiety until he became
adult. It’s hard for him to socialize with others not only because of his disease but also because
he can only feel comfort with his mother. When his mother died, he was alone and always
scared. According to Horney, there are four ways of protecting themselves against feelings of
being alone and in a potentially hostile world. One of them is what Rizvan did; affection. When
he went to America, he met Mandira. He fell in love with her and seemed to be dependent on
her. Horney states that the protective devices is normal but when they become unhealthy and
people feel compelled to rely on them and employ a variety of interpersonal strategies they are
called compulsions. However, in the case of Rizvan, it is still a normal thing and there is no
compulsions happened maybe because Mandira can also return his love. If the situation became
uneasy for Rizvan to get Mandira as his wife, maybe he could feel neurotic need for affection. It
is because Rizvan found safety with Mandira. When they took apart, what he feel when his
mother died also the same as with the situation when he left Mandira. I also realized that, as long
as you love someone, you can do everything just to get him/her back to you.
Empathy for others. I observed in the movie that Sameer, son of Mandira, has good
protection against basic anxiety. It is because he was born with sufficient care and love from his
mother. He became best friend of Rizvan. He treated him well without any feeling of inferiority.
He didn’t mind sharing his mother’s love with Rizvan. Adler called this concept of giving
empathy and cooperates with others as a social interest. According to him, this concept is about
caring others and an individual do not feel sorry for himself. Just like what Sameer did, he didn’t
develop any hostility with his parents and instead he became a positive individual and accept
Rizvan not only his new father but also as a new friend. In the situation whereas he experienced
bullying at school, I admire him for being strong enough to cope up with these struggles alone.
He didn’t want to tell his problem to his parents because he thinks that they already have a lot of
problems in mind. However, his cause of death was not a sign that he moved against people. It is
just his way to fight for himself because those students bullied him too much. His feeling to fight
was still normal. I think those other students that bullying him are the one who are neurotic.
They wanted to be superior by exploiting person’s vulnerability or weakness.
Religion should not be a barrier for unity. In this movie, it shows that religion should not
be the basis for having good treatment from others. Muslims seemed to be outcasts in the society.
There are situations in the movie like, Rizvan and his wife, Mandira, lost their business; Sameer,
son of Mandira, was bullied in their school; and Hasina, wife of Zakir, experience harassment in
her workplace; these are all happen because they are Muslims. According to Adler, the feeling of
inferiority could also get from religion. This social factor affects the behaviour of an individual.
In the movie, Muslims felt inferior and became frustrated because of the rejections of society to
them. The terrorist attack of some Muslims made other innocent Muslims’ life in anguish. It
seemed like being a Muslim is a sinful thing that will make their lives miserable. In the extreme
case in the movie, Sameer was killed due to bullying. In this part, I realized that, Sameer tried his
best to overcome their situation. He didn’t even blame his mother for marrying Rizvan, a
Muslim. However, Mandira can’t overcome the situation. “We shall overcome”, this song that
they always sing doesn’t make Mandira to realize that they can do it that’s why he pushed
Rizvan away. According to Adler, sometimes people deal with inferiority by solving the
problem. Just like what Mandira did. She wanted Rizvan to leave because she thinks that he is
the reason why her son died and this is the solution to stop from making the situation
worst. Another thing, Hasina and her husband tried to change their lifestyle as being a Muslim.
She removed her hijab in order to gain acceptance from others and this is absurd.
“My name is Khan, am I’m not a terrorist”. This statement said it all. Bad and good, as
he always said this quote from his mother, he wanted to tell to the president that he is a good
person. As I watched this scenario, he, himself, is not only the one to prove that he is not a
terrorist. It actually represents all the innocent Muslims who became involved with the chaos
created by different terrorist attacks. I think those terrorists also experience the neurotic trend.
They are aggressive and they have neurotic need for power; they are classified as moving against
people. Terrorists, who are known as a Muslim, created different attacks in America that make
other innocent Muslim suffer the prejudiced of other people. Rizvan wanted to grant what
Mandira told to him to do. He did his best just to talk to the president and told him that he and
his son are not terrorists. I realized that as long as we have our goal we can do everything just to
reach it. Adler also states that we are basically goal-oriented and the feeling of not accomplishing
and satisfying it, will make us frustrated.
III. 5 practical applications of my realizations
In my realizations, I can relate easily because these are happening in real life. The feeling
of inferiority with the influence of birth order is applicable to me. In my family, there is an
existing favouritism. However, in our situation, I am the one who are the best among my siblings
in the eyes of my parents. I have good grades, I excel in my classes and I am not “gimikera”.
These things about me seemed to pressure my youngest brother who is next to me. I feel that he
wanted to take over me just to get greater attention from my parents. This is a sign of being
neurotic. As I observed him, he is actually suffering from self-frustrations due to basic anxiety.
He acted like he didn’t treat me as sister but as a competitor. He also disobeys my mother most
of the time and I think it is a basic hostility. However, we’re trying to discipline him because it is
hard for us to do it when he gets older. We should make him feel that we care for him and there
are things he should not do to avoid misbehaviour. On the other hand, just like him, I also
experienced this kind of neurotic need for social recognition and prestige. I always wanted to
excel and always worry about how I do things well in order to gain recognition. Adler states that,
individuals have the self-ideal. I have goals in life that are based on my ideal self. I’m striving in
order to be not inferior and be superior in my own ways. However, this kind of behaviour makes
me feel also the personal frustrations. I feel frustrated in every time I didn’t achieve what I want
or my goal. I think, since I already knew about this, I should have make changes with these
behaviours until it is early. I should accept myself and I should lower my ideal self and just be
me. I think there could be more pleasant environment for me especially at home and in school.
Due to feeling of being scared to be alone, I tend to move towards people. But I think my
defense against anxiety is normal. I just have friendly characteristic and I show love for others.
Nobody wanted to be alone in life unless you are suffering from the feeling of isolation to others.
My realization about having affection to other should be well-controlled. I think I’m actually
practicing this behaviour. I don’t push myself too much to others just to get their acceptance. I
don’t care if they don’t like me because I don’t like them too. I believe that there is a simple
process in life; accept those who accepted you and reject those who rejected you. This for me is a
give and take concept. It’s good to know that I am not suffering the neurotic need for affection.
Why should I please others to accept me? There are a lot of people in the world and this world is
very small to meet them all.
My realization about social interest is very applicable to make our environment
harmonious. Just like what Sameer did, we should have empathy to others. In my situation, I
should avoid the feeling of competition especially in our class. I think it is happier if we can all
surpass the challenges in college life. I think I should help my classmates if there are things that
they can’t understand that I think I know how to do. It is better to move and feel as a team rather
than to feel alone and sorry for self or feel superior because of the thinking that he is the best.
We should stop the isolation and become united to survive in this world full of
misunderstandings. Although it is hard to remove competition because there is actually a
competition anywhere, we should minimize it and instead fight together against the existing
competition.
Another thing that triggers the feeling of inferiority is that we have different religion
which became our differences. This situation really happens to us. In our community, sometimes,
when I see Muslims in different places, the thoughts about massacre and rebellion acts came
across my mind. This kind of thought is inevitable especially because of the different attacks
happened in Mindanao particularly in Marawi City. There are same situation between the movie
and in the actual situation in Marawi. The terrorists, Maute group, have something in themselves
to fight for and I think they also wanted to get power in the society. This situation makes other
Muslim get unequal treatment in the society. However, I don’t know if they do the same with
what the characters in the movie did. The problem solving concept of Adler whereas we see the
situation as something that can be solved should not turned out like in the movie. Muslims
should not change their lifestyle just to gain acceptance. However, the existing impression is
really hard to change. So, the best solution for this is to

The last realization is good to apply in our lives. Rizvan didn’t gave up just to do his
promise to Mandira that he would tell to the president that they are not terrorists. In my situation,
I wanted to be like him. No matter how hard our life is, we should not give up with our goals. In
his journey, he believes that their Allah will not ignore his prayers and will guide him until he
reaches his mission. There are times that I lose hope because I am tired. However, good to know
that there is really other self inside me telling that I should continue and strive more. I should
finish my studies, I should have good life, and I should make every minute of my life the best of
it because I’m human, and I feel inferiority. I am neurotic person and I need to overcome myself
in order to survive and I should not be eaten by the system. I knew these theories, I read different
articles and I watched different documentaries; I think I should move now and repair myself.

IV. 5 questions that I think the movie is able to answer

 How can we repair our chaotic society?

 Is bad person will remain bad even though he do good deeds sometimes? The same as good
person; is he remain good even though he do bad things sometimes?
 How can we classify a deed as good or bad? Is it based on purpose or based on how we did
it?
 What if we only have one religion, will there be more unity?
 When someone brings bad effects on you, do you need to move him away or leave him
immediately?
How can this movie change the existing perception about differences1