Essay – “Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all.”
It is interesting to ponder what differentiates humans from other living things. No, it is not just their ability to think, but rather, it is the act of thinking that sets humans apart. Humans learn to write about their experiences; they are imaginative, which other animal species cannot fathom. Writing and recording experiences give humans a superpower over other animals. This ability to pass knowledge to the next generation is unique to humans. In other species, knowledge has to be acquired from scratch in each generation and is not transferred to the next. It all begins with a thought to write and record.
Thinking Around
Thinking can yield both right and wrong conclusions. The famous philosopher and scholar Friedrich Nietzsche said that morals vary according to the situation and perception. For example, telling a cockroach a hero but killing a beautiful butterfly would be perceived differently. The thoughts of thinking vary too. When Thomas Alva Edison failed 999 times, people said he had failed, but Edison replied, “I have not failed, I’ve just found 999 ways how not to make a bulb.” Therefore, even thinking wrongly is better than not thinking at all. If Edison had not thought of it, the bulb as we know it would never have been invented.
Life without thinking has various repercussions. In recent news, terms like “mob mentality” and “gaslighting” have been brought up. In sociological and psychological contexts, these terms are related to the process of thinking. Mob mentality involves a lack of individual thinking, resulting in actions of violence and killing. Gaslighting refers to situations where individuals are unable to think properly and adopt the thoughts of others. Thinking gives us the choice of action and its consequences. Nature created humans as independent entities with the freedom to think. Life without thinking can lead to many consequences, as evidenced by mob mentality resulting in someone facing loss and prosecution. Gaslighting destroys one’s free will and their precious life.
Strong thoughts can lead to significant changes. It took a strong thought when Dr. B.R. Ambedkar decided to end caste discrimination and fight against injustice. The caste system existed for hundreds of years before the birth of Dr. Ambedkar and Mahatma Jyotiba Phule. Many lives were lost due to caste exploitation. In the 19th century, leaders like Ambedkar and Phule fought against caste injustice. If someone had thought of their ideas before, many lives could have been saved from pain and suffering. It took hundreds of years for social reformers like Ambedkar and Phule to bring about the required change. The focus should not be on what is right or wrong, but on bringing about a better change. Ideas need to be challenged. Gandhi and Ambedkar had differing thoughts or perspectives on the varna system, leading to a better understanding of the Indian varna system later on.
There are various theories associated with the formation of the Indian National Congress, but it all began with an idea. It is better to think wrong than not to think at all. The Indian National Congress was formed as a safety valve, a thought of the British government, while Indian nationalists considered it a lightning conductor. Perhaps the British were wrong, and the Indians were also wrong, but the formation of the Indian National Congress played a major role in India’s independence. It was a blessing in disguise and etched the name of A.O. Hume into India’s historical journey with golden ink.
Thinking requires courage, but it could be catastrophic if someone thinks like Hitler or Osama Bin Laden. On the other hand, William Wordsworth thought of daffodils, Munshi Premchand thought of “Godan,” Amitav Ghosh thought of “The Shadow Lines,” Subhadra Kumari Chauhan thought of Rani of Jhansi. There are infinite thoughts and ideas to ponder, but thinking catastrophically or harmful to humanity cannot be condoned. The majority of the world’s population live in democratic countries, which uphold freedom of thought and expression. Absolute suppression is never welcome in a democracy. Every idea needs to be heard; whether one agrees with it or not, individuals possess the chance to think and express themselves. Nevertheless, there are reasonable restrictions in democracies like India, where actions that disturb fundamental rights Always reserve the right to think.