It came to me the other
day while watching a couple of racial drama’s that change; although an evolving
thing takes a special way of thinking. The mindset to not be blinded by
the accepted way of thinking, but rather rebellious reasoning has given us our
way to life we now take for granted.
Gandhi gave up the prestige
of being a lawyer to fight against Indian discrimination and led India
to Independence from English tyranny.
Rosa Parks challenged
the Jim Crow laws of segregation with a single rebellious act and
moved a nation to change.
Nelson Mandela fought
against apartheid and its audacity in South Africa.
These are a few of the
same mindset as the ones we look at with uneasiness whenever they
challenge the accepted norm of society. It takes a certain determination and
fortitude to follow that which you think is right against what is accepted by
the whole. So I pay homage to these pioneers.
So is it that certain
persons are born with this trait, is it only based on the situation or is it
present in all of us waiting on the perfect cocktail of situation and thought
to bring it out ? If Gandhi was not asked to leave the first class area of
the train for being Indian would he still have the passion to lead such a
legendary movement. What would have happened if Nelson Mandela's side of the
family was eligible to succeed to the Thembu throne. No doubt
leading to a more luxurious lifestyle, would he be so against
apartheid? Are we moved to change by atrocities brought on us and those close
to us? I see people who are vehement activist who never gave the time of
day to what they are currently championing before something happened
to them or a loved one. I know this is controversial but bear with
me. Is it a "who feels it knows" kind of situation that is really the
agent for change and the others just followers wanting a cause to champion? Are we that fearful to instigate change to just wait on that one fed up person to lead.
But in any case I have
yet to understand that weird expression and feeling of uneasiness when someone
reaches out and helps another in the presence of a crowd. Why is that? As
humans we all know what is the right thing in our hearts yet we normally choose
the popular path not necessarily the right path. It’s troubling how we can be
drafted to accept ridiculous conditions under the rule of social
norms and leads me to start thinking about some things that we may
need to stop accepting now. Like an education system that prides
on personal goals and aspirations rather than the true focus( I think)
which should be altruism and unselfish duties to one another. Yes
it definitely makes great workers but does it produce great humans? (
look out for this topic). Also a work hierarchy where we perpetuate
slave systems so acutely that only the blind and brainwashed are so oblivious
to it. So......I have given myself a challenge; To search for the truth
in the actions of few and not in the words and rules of many, so that I too may
inspire my own form of change. Let’s hope I can walk the walk and not just talk
the talk.
Will you take the
challenge as well?
'Is it a "who feels it knows" kind of situation that is really the agent for change and the others just followers wanting a cause to champion? Are we that fearful to instigate change to just wait on that one fed up person to lead.'
ReplyDeleteI think there are some persons who are born with a charismatic skill, their effervescence jus bring ppl to them and they want to be apart of whatever they're apart of. As well as I think they are some of us who are born to follow (I'm not downgrading anyone) its just a personality type that needs a champion and doesn't necessarily seek to be one.
I also think most of us are afraid to instigate change, that fear comes from the fear of failing or being ridiculed. As such its easier to jump on someone else's bandwogan who has already initiated something.
I think all of us or most has this need to be something great but we often stifle that small voice saying instead 'what if I don't make it; if I can't cut it' a lot of us afraid to take that risk to be something great- we always hear sayings and quotations 'to be something different, u have to so something different' but we rarely act on them, and it is kinda scary to step away from the norm, but it really should be welcomed and more encouraged so I also agree with wat u said abt the contribution our education system plays-we really r'nt taught to exercise our minds and think out of the box; to dare to deviate- some ppl do and when they do I'm sure they experience some kind of fulfillment and I envy them - to break free from fear and to try no matter what!
What I am trying for my mind to embrace is when doing something, when trying something new/ different to not b attached to an outcome so I'm not controlled by the outcome- I can say I'll try and regardless of what happened I tried- instead of 'I won't because I think this will happen' I'm not saying to do things willy nilly ( and wat wud b so wrong with that anyways :-D) but to dare myself to go out of my comfort zone (@least sometimes :-])
Our minds, our abilities are really limitless- they are as limited as we allow them to be. I often think someone can do it better but I shud say they do it different- I shudnt allow anything to hold me back. Its a all a choice isn't it?
Like the fear of 'getting hurt again' so we don't fall in love again, forget marriage, or even have one partner? The fear that causes us to make "love" something that "hurts". The world is blinded by fear. Afraid to bless our food in public before we eat. Afraid to declare our love for God or sincerely thank Him (without some gimic to make it look almost like a mockery).
ReplyDeleteAfraid to stand up to our bosses and say "look, I am tired of being treated like a slave...I am selling my services to you and I expect to be treated as an equal". Afraid to even fill in the amount of money we expect to be paid when in the interview. "The Audacity of Change" is the title of a book by Barrack Obama. Though I haven't read it, the title speaks for itself. To get real change in this world we definitely have to challenge the social norm. You both have pretty much said it all.
I don't think it takes a personal experience to influence the need to be different. For, example, I, having never cheated before, having had my heart torn apart quite a few times, had people in my ears telling me how dumb I am for falling in love over and over again. Being determined to constantly break that chain of getting hurt and in turn becoming cold and hurting another. I think in my own little way I am doing it...I am going against the laws of modern day relationship for the sake of righteousness. It hurts like hell sometimes but it's the right thing. Hearing my exes telling me over and over that I'm a great guy while they lie and cheat and conform to the weakness of their flesh is very painful!
I'm a great guy, so what else do you want from me? And the answer is..."nothing" or "i don't know".
Why did u cheat on me?
"I don't know".
I asked u to just keep it real and be honest with me, why did u lie to me?
"I don't know".
That's painful. What's even more painful is to know the amount of girls that, if given the chance, would strip me down and...well...u know where this is going. But, for the sake of righteousness, I stay faithful, I tell them I have a girlfriend and I'm committed to her. I even chase some of them away...for what? Some promiscuous, giddy-headed low life who I happen to really care about? No. Not for her...for righteousness.
It's hard. Doing it against the common rule is hard! But Martin Luther King Jr. had to do it. Rosa Parks had to do it. Malcom X had to do it. Marcus Garvey, Paul Bogle and the rest had to do it. Jesus Christ had to do it. Almost all of the above died for it...especially Christ who did no wrong. He suffered and died the worst way possible in his time for righteousness sake.
All of the above contributed to our freedom today and with the bondages that we now have left, some of us still have to fight for a better tomorrow.
Will you?
@Zee & Gerrard - I personally dont know where to even start. there are so many things that have been aroused in my head about this topic, that if i begin to write about some of them, i could go on for days. I can appreciate both your views and am now of the belief that we all think it, but we dont necessarily act upon it.
ReplyDeleteMost of the time i dont conform to what society dictates to be the norm or that which is acceptable, but there are those moments wen i do. This can be link with the previous topic of what is considered as being ideal. We often go with the flow from fear of being an outcast or fear of being persecuted; whether emotionally, physically or psychologically.
To effect change, one has to begin with self. One has to be willing to make that first step, willing to take that chance. One is not only prodded to make that step from a personal experience but often times from simply having had enuff.
in the work places, ppl accept being treated like crap and being disregarded in fear of being without a steady pay. There are persons who are willing to take the first step, but they dont want to do it alone. As the common saying goes; "we are stronger in numbers". If people will stand together for a commmon cause, it would definitely get the gears on change warming up then slowly but surely accelerate.
The saying "no man is an island, no man stands alone", not only applies to an individual trying to do things on their own (personally) it also applies to getting things done, in the workplace, in the church, in the schools, in the community, in OUR country. The immediate outcome of a single act is usually what we first dwell on, and as a result we are urged or deterred from acting up on our thoughts.
If we were to look beyond our noses and see further ahead we would or would not complete the actions that we often do.
i love the feedback on this blog - bwoie tunx Psylo u a engage the mind so much.
ReplyDeletei agree wholeheartedly Kwints we are stronger in numbers and its hard to take a step without having backitive. but that shudnt hold us back, we wait for that support and sometimes it never gets done. i also believe things happen for a reason, and it could b a reason why i didnt do that thing, but i probably could've tried. something was said in 1 of my econ classes the other day - the world is flat, watever can be done will be done, if i dont some1 else will.
should we just act on our urges? then there is the 'think before you leap' condition that really helps to hold us back, not that we shouldnt think it out, but alot of those we consider great in this world - acted on those urges - did they analyse and over analyse before they acted? i'd like to ask 1 of them.