The Higher Lens : 1

Why I Created This Blog & What It Stands For

“The first step to knowledge is to know that we are ignorant.” — Socrates

When I chose the name The Higher Lens, I knew it had to represent more than just a perspective — it had to represent intention. A lens held higher doesn’t mean a superior view; it means a clearer one. A wider one. One that looks beyond the noise. In a world flooded with information, we are constantly absorbing stories that are shaped, edited, and often manipulated before they ever reach us. News outlets choose angles that suit an agenda. Social media algorithms feed us what we already agree with. What we end up with isn’t truth — it’s a filtered reality.

This blog was born from a quiet but persistent frustration with how easily misinformation spreads, how rarely deep questions are asked, and how often certain voices are left out of the conversation. I’ve always wanted to understand — not just react. To be truly aware, not just informed. And that requires going beyond surface-level headlines and binary opinions. It means zooming out, asking uncomfortable questions, and looking at systems, history, faith, and society with nuance and care.

Having studied in the UK for most of my life, I quickly noticed the limitations in how global issues were taught. Concepts like neocolonialism, soft power, international financial institutions like the IMF or World Bank, or the real mechanisms of peacekeeping and international diplomacy — these were hardly covered in depth, if at all. Even in history or politics classes, the curriculum often focused more on national achievements than international accountability. I found myself asking: Why don’t we learn how global power really works? Why do we leave out the uncomfortable truths?

It was through my own long nights of reading, through dusty old academic books and the work of scholars long forgotten by mainstream syllabi, that I started to piece together a more honest picture of how the world operates. And even now, I’m still piecing it together — still questioning, still learning. That’s the point.

Even when I had the opportunity to study sociology — a field deeply rooted in understanding how society functions and evolves — I noticed how it was often dismissed. Labeled as a ‘soft’ subject, feminized, or not “serious” enough compared to economics or politics. But how can a society thrive if it doesn’t understand itself? How can we build a better future if we aren’t willing to analyze the present — its flaws, structures, hierarchies, and possibilities? (This in itself is a subject i will later delve into) 

The Higher Lens is a response to that gap. It is a space for depth, but also for openness. A place where we explore power, culture, identity, belief systems, and everyday life — from multiple angles, not just the dominant ones. And although I’ll be the primary voice for now, this platform is not mine alone. Eventually, I will invite scholars, researchers, academics, and cultural commentators to share their work here. But more importantly, I’ll be inviting you — the readers — to contribute as well. Whether through personal essays, thoughtful commentary, cultural reflections, or questions that deserve conversation, your voice belongs here too.

You can post anonymously or under your name. It’s free. And it’s important. Because if we’re going to understand the world — truly understand it — we need many lenses, not just one.

As Ibn Khaldun wrote in The Muqaddimah, “A civilization is destroyed only when it undermines the institutions that sustain it — social cohesion, knowledge, and justice.” Today, we are witnessing what happens when those very institutions are eroded. Mistrust in the media, rising cultural polarization, ignorance toward faith, growing inequality, and the spread of hollow discourse all signal a kind of slow unraveling — and it’s happening around us.

We live in a time where truth is often hidden beneath the noise, where people are afraid to speak up, and where nuance is drowned out by extremes. But I believe in the power of asking questions. Of slowing down. Of paying attention. This blog is my way of doing that — and of inviting you to do the same. It’s not about being right; it’s about being awake.

So thank you for being here. Whether you’re curious, skeptical, passionate, or simply seeking, you are welcome. This space is built for shared thought, open minds, and deeper understanding.

We’re just getting started.

→ Want to contribute or share your thoughts? Scroll to the contact page — I’d love to hear from you.