by Parmjit Singh
Kahlil Gibran wrote: “They tell me: if you see a slave sleeping, do not wake him lest he be dreaming of freedom. I tell them: If you see a slave sleeping, wake him and explain to him freedom”.
What Gibran was speaking of, is not only about physical slavery but also about the slavery of mind and soul, the one we submit so gleefully to the banner of progress, institutions and societies. This lament is also shared by great thinkers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.
They emphasized cultivation of the true self, living by ethics and not simply by rule. They are the ones who blazed the trails through personal hardships and unflinching belief in the greater goodness of humankind.
Society always tries to breed mediocrity, for it perpetuates the semblance of social order in the form of collective hypocrisy.
They did not settle for false freedom and independence afforded by security of herd mentality and took the harder path to true individuality.
Frequently, we settle for false freedom, the freedom that lies at the external material level. At the root level, you may assert this illusory freedom in the form of moving out of your parental home to your ‘own’ place, having your own vehicle, secure job, financial independence, business or even having your ‘own’ mind. On the contrary, however, that is a sham freedom. You are not, in any way, free in the true sense. You just become an unthinking commodity in the larger scheme of utilitarianism.
How free can you be while you are so dearly ‘dependent’ on numerous things? You might have self-delusory rationalization that by moving out of parental home, buying your own car or being independent in numerous seen or unseen ways, you are on the way to an unfettered freedom. But before you really succumb to that line of reasoning, you should analyze the reality of your perceived freedom. Are you really free, as you like to believe? Do not you think that these are bondages too? Subtle, insidious, more powerful, though socially approved.
Most of our social and personal woes are rooted in this erroneous line of reasoning. Our idea of ‘being or having independence’ is perilously flawed and is socially programmed in our mind to make us part of the crowd. It is besides the point that some of you are leaders of that large crowd, what we call society, and others are simple, unresisting followers. But you still are a crowd with no individuality.
The bantering line, ‘even if you win a rat race, you still are a rat’, points toward the erosion of the sense of individuality under the pompous banner of progress and social conformity. As Emerson poignantly noted, “I am ashamed to think how easily we capitulate to badges and names, to large societies and dead institutions”. It is pertinent to note here that this proponent of true individuality was dismissed from Harvard University because of his uncompromising adherence to non-conformity.
The common definition of individuality in our culture is utilitarian. That is why we accord higher respect to the ones who are part of the herd, earn more money or have higher status than to the person who follows personal or professional calling from the heart. Society always tries to breed mediocrity, for it perpetuates the semblance of social order in the form of collective hypocrisy.
Henry David Thoreau was held in contempt by his contemporaries for speaking against legalized slavery in America, however, now his books are a mandatory reading in American schools. William Blake died unsung on the edge of poverty and now his original scribbles bring millions of dollars. History is replete with these sorts of examples.
Nevertheless, that is the price you pay for being a true individual. As Albert Einstein noted, “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds”. Established social structure encourages and rewards mediocrity while penalizing those who have the courage to stand above the pack.
You, too, are infused with the same spirit, which permeated the lives of Gibran, whose books were burnt in Lebanon; Emerson, who spoke for self-reliance and Thoreau who crusaded against slavery when it was legal. It just needs a courageous act of unfettering.
Of course, it is different if you are interested only in becoming part of the crowd rather than seeking your own true personal greatness.
The choice is always yours!
This article was originally published in The Hamilton Spectator as part of the Community Editorial Board assignments.
