More Role Models

The Transformative Power of Visible Examples

The world runs on role models. This is a truth we've seen play out time and again across different domains. In sports, once a record is broken, it's often shattered multiple times in quick succession. Take the milestones in a 100-meter sprint—the 10-second barrier and the 9.5-second barrier, for example. The same pattern repeats itself in competitive exams, professional achievements, world records, and more. Sometimes, just knowing something is possible unleashes a new level of motivation in the human mind.

Also, think about communities that dominate particular professions. While inherited knowledge and resources play a role, there's something more fundamental at work: the power of visible examples. Consider how many kids pursue the same careers as their parents or close relatives, not because they're forced to, but because they genuinely want to. Could we fall in love with a certain type of work simply by seeing others do it with passion? [1] Imagine how many more of us could achieve more in life if we were better connected with others like us who have done it before.

For every trailblazer who achieved the "impossible" because they didn't know any better, there are thousands more who succeeded precisely because they saw someone else do it first. And it's a whole lot easier when that someone resembles them in more ways than one. And it's not like the trailblazers didn't require inspirational role models in their early days, before they became groundbreakers.

Brag, sometimes

This essay is going to be a tad bit personal. It's an attempt to share an important viewpoint I hold and explain something about myself. This essay is also one that could serve as my response to Peter Thiel's famous question: "What important truth do very few people agree with you on?"

If you've read my blog's about-me section or visited my company's about-us page, you've probably noticed that I frequently mention my volunteering efforts. I mention them in my essays and post about them on my Instagram as well. Some might find this off-putting, which raises interesting questions: Why do I continue to talk about it openly? Why do I believe others should do the same? And perhaps most intriguingly, why does this make some people uncomfortable?

Read more

The Essence of Social Causes


Social causes of all kinds can be summed up by the following:
"The needs of the few outweigh the wants of the many."

Or maybe let's expand it and make it more poetic, 
"The needs or rights of any outweigh the wants or desires of the many."

All that changes between various social causes is the specifics of the 'any' here. The 'any' may be a minority group, homeless people, or future generations. Or it may even be voiceless animals or a community of merely a handful of people. Here are some examples of this phrase in action...