Being Different

Great people are different. They are different in so many ways from the society they belong to. They may be subjected to ridicule but many of them are immune to embarrassment. In fact it is a statement made by a great leader who had undergone many embarrassing episodes in life (at least in the eyes of a common man); none other than M.K Gandhi. I think that their different way of life and different outlook for life is the main reason that attracted so many followers to them.

As I mentioned earlier, I am re-reading Gandhiji’s autobiography. As an individual with a lot of social inhibitions I can see how much courage he had to muster to do things in his own way. Pretty much everything he did was against the social norms. One simple example I can think of is about a reception given to him by Gujarati’s on his return to India from South Africa. All the speakers started speaking in English. When Gandhiji’s turn came to give a thank you speech he gave it in local language (Gujarati, I guess). Because he felt it was improper to speak in English in a function attended only by locals. He remembers that he was very worried whether he would offend anyone. But he decided to go ahead with what he thought was right.

The courage to do things one find right. Many of us find it sometime very difficult to do that. I think it a quality that every parent should try to inculcate in his or her children. We all are unique. However, during our childhood most of us are trained to become a subdued self. We are trained to curtail our natural instincts and subscribe to the norms of the society we belong to. Trained not to question authorities, elders, and teachers. Trained to accept certain things as it is. Many genuine queries of kids are ridiculed, thus actively discouraging an individual from being curious and inquisitive. For several reasons it is very convenient for many parents if a child just obey whatever they say without questioning. However, to create free thinkers, innovators and true leaders every parent should get out of their comfort zone and let the children to express themselves. And for those unfortunate ones who got bad childhood training and always followed someone and became confortable with the world as it is, it is worthwhile to be a rebel sometime in life.

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”- Ralph Waldo Emerson