Triple Stream

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT FROM THE CROWD

Democracy is not a true democracy when people do not have individuality and think for themselves. Every person is expected to possess certain characteristics which distinguish or mark him out from others. In other words one should be original and assert his will and personality. One should have belief in one’s initiative. There are always those who run with the herd. Political parties and Governments have a vested interest in illiteracy so that they can sway their thinking and do things to suit their purpose and keep themselves in power. But today there is an urgent need to train and bring the individual up from the dumb driven mass and use his potentialities to exercise his right to elect the right kind of people to run the government or any branch of society. The average man including the educated man likes to travel with the crowd. He does not want to stray far from his own herd, especially if the herd has good pasture.

We must think to be free. Are we doing it? Assaulted by all the arts of mass persuasion like the news and electronic media, the individual faces a growing challenge to think about his thinking. Thinking is not a pleasant pastime but a painful exercise. It is pursuit of an idea to its logical conclusion.

As Oscar Wilde said “Most men are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives are a mimicry and their passions are a quotation.” Gautam Buddha prescribed the rule of independent thinking: “Believe nothing because a wise man said it. Believe nothing because it is generally held. Believe nothing because it is written. There is nothing sacrosanct about a book. Believe only what you yourself judge to be true.” Einstein said “Don’t stop questioning.”

Because a person is educated, it does not follow that he is capable of thinking independently. Thinking is an independent process. It is a sifting, correlating and weighing of facts in their relation to each other and spiritual standards which govern human lives. If this active process lapses into inertia, into tardiness and a readiness to adopt others’ thoughts and opinions, we surrender the ability and the right to act out of our own free will. The mind which has not disciplined itself ‘will swallow things whole’ without discriminating and a sensitiveness to subtle stimuli which comes with the habit of giving attention to minute differences of quality.

Therefore we should cultivate the habit of thinking. Out of thinking come ideas. Ideas beget action and deeds impelled by good thought bring individual and social evolution. When this active process slides into inertia, into a willingness to absorb others’ thoughts as our own without bothering to test them against the standards of righteousness and freedom, we are surrendering our judgement.

There is a struggle for the minds of men and women not only in the political and commercial fields but also in our every day life. Catchy headlines, advertisements, slogans, attractive pictures of film stars and models and subtle suggestions that it costs nothing to buy a car, a house or an alluring trip to go round the world because you can meet the cost in easy installments make luxuries appear like needs. Such aggressive advertisements breakdown our sales resistance unless we think. If we think, may be our answer will be “Sure, I like it but I don’t need it now. I can’t afford it now. I have better use for my money. If I save, I can get it later.” Such tempting advertisements are a warning to individuals to watch their thoughts and reject outside suggestions flashed into consciousness. Modern psychology is used by commercial establishments and political agencies to influence our conscious thinking in many ways. Modern technology is an ally of the business and industry. One should learn to control such impulses and feelings which lure us into acceptance of subtle insidious suggestions. There is no preventive legislation or the least government regulations to protect the public today.

Professional groups, national societies of one sort or another any organized group aspiring for power through increase in numbers will tend to influence people to suit their own ends. The challenge of the present times is to think about thinking, to take possession of our own thoughts and assert ourselves to govern our lives. Thinking is a mature process requiring mellowed judgement. Youngsters who are unsure of themselves feel secure in the company of their friends when they are wearing the same kind of dress, using the same expressions, doing the same things that all the rest are doing. Adults too depend upon congenial groups for the same reason. This is herd instinct. Because hundreds of people are on a road, it does not necessarily mean that it will lead you where you want to go. You have to look at the signs and take your own direction. For this you should have a road map and know your own destination. The man or woman who thinks, will be able to do this. It is easy to let others do our thinking for us! A vast conspiracy is going on around us to twist and distort facts to exploit us.

Nowadays we have access to information on both sides of a public question. Diversity of opinion is popular in an educated society. It is true that a T. V. commentator or a newspaper column writer or a popular author may set forth his views on a national or international issue or on modes and politics to colour the opinions of thousands of listeners and readers. Media moguls engage such column writers and commentators to endorse their own interests. There are eloquent heads of religious groups who promise instant nirvana. Thinking is a defense, a safe guard. Enquiry naturally leads to know the other side of the question to search for facts and to look at more than one side of the issue. ‘Why’ is a legitimate question in a free society. The individual cannot be submerged in the mass as long as he learns to question. Panel discussions and leadership training courses should promote alert thinkers and enquiring minds.

To think is to see ahead. We should support the trend towards individual independent thinking resisting the clamour of those who would seek to control and silence it. To think is to have vision without which a nation perishes to think not only in terms of the present but of the future.

We feel that we are on a conveyor belt which moves fast without allowing us to think. The notion that every individual should be moulded to a premeditated pattern is dated and dusted. Man is not one of the dumb-driven sheep. He should dare to be different to stand up and be counted.