The Rarity of Inspirational People

CrimsonShark Inspiration: The notion of someone whom looks up to and idolizes someone for various reasons, such as success, virtue, morality, etc.

Inspiration is a great thing. For someone to be seen as a major influence for having something unique, which stands out and possess a special impression they could imprint towards other people is flat-out amazing. And yes, there are several people who have reached this notion and looked up by numerous. And of course, everyone has differing opinions of whom they see as an inspiration.

However, times have been changing and from what I'm seeing, Inspirational people has become a term that (To me at least) has become rather obscure and neutered over the years.

Back then, during our childhood, before we were born and even centuries ago, our source of inspiration was made clear, either for religious, motivational, intellectual and various other means. You can say a certain religious leader really motivated you in life or that the awe of watching someone play a sport got you into said game and eventually, a great player. Nowadays, opinions have become incredibly skewed and its becoming common for someone to become mocked upon for appreciating someone. Now, this may have something to do with our world constantly changing, but there is a clear indication that today's famous people have become more prone to getting involved in questionable activities.

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In the Entertainment Industry, opinions are incredibly divided, and while people might look up to someone, there's a good chance that said inspiration is shunned upon by numerous. For example, Justin Bieber is an inspiration for many pre-teen girls, yet at the same time is shunned upon by almost every other demographic. A similar case is also in actors like Mel Gibson; while many look up to his works, lots of other people are not content with the fact that he has said some derogatory phrases towards Homosexuals and Jews. Musical acts like Metallica and Megadeth aren't any better either. They have a massive fanbase and are revered by critics, but are also largely hated thanks to incidents that didn't end well morally for both bands.

The Political Spectrum is arguably the worst. We've reached an age where Politics in itself has become an intense topic, and not even in a good way. Developing countries like India and Pakistan suffer from a terrible government and unsurprising corruption, making both countries stagger heavily in terms of meaningful progress. Politically, Pakistan is garbage. This is a shame because the country has so much potential in many areas and the people there are normally humble and hard-working. India isn't any better either, because a lot of people suffer from largely impoverished rural areas and there is a degree of political manipulation, seeing as a lot of Indians hate on Pakistan too extensively, when really, hating and wishing eradication on another country isn't going to do any good. I know India is a lot better than how they are now. Gandhi and Ambedkar were incredibly effective leaders during their time and are still relevant, but in a contemporary stance, it seems as if someone like Gurmeet Ram Rahim gets more notice, in spite of his several criminal activities, whereas other deserving people like Neerja Bhanot and Om Prakash Gurjar are ignored.

Meanwhile in the Developed world, the United States has reached a point where you're not fully comfortable with any governmental side. Democrat or Republican, there's hardly anyone you can really look up to. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are widely appreciated, but are incredibly loathed at the same time. Why is that? Maybe its to do with both's personal characters. Clinton is an unethical liar and Trump is a pompous jerk, almost every detractor of them will outright agree. Other politicians don't fare well either, but that's another story. Other countries like the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany also tread on the same line, although they're not as bad as the United States. Prominent leaders like Theresa May, Justin Trudeau and Angela Merkel have had their fair share of success, but they're also very widely panned, and I can understand why.

We also have the terminologies of Feminism and Social Justice Warriors. Both started off as promising and to this day, they have good intentions and want to change the status quo, something which I will give credit for.

However, Feminism has become rather stale. In today's world, women are now more independent and capable than ever, though I will not deny that they do feel overshadowed and disrespected at times. I feel bad for them in this regard. It should be noted that Feminism isn't very new (It started sometime after World War I), thus the concept has had its changes. But nowadays, it seems as if Feminism is being used to complain on trivial matters in the Developed world, much of which really isn't that significant. In today's Developed countries, women have lots of rights and are able to stand up for themselves, but many decide to just complain on something that doesn't just affect women. And let's not get into the extreme variants which distorts everything Feminism is meant to stand up for and giving it a bad reputation at the same time. Because of this, I find it difficult to find a Feminist whom I could genuinely like

Now, if this were to be about Developing countries, then yes, this is evidence that Feminism is relevant. There's still countries and areas where women are still kept under shadow and not given much attention and opportunity, and yes this is a very large issue that is ongoing. Unfortunately, today's Feminism is too focused on Developed countries where aside from a few very serious issues, it doesn't have the same spark and reputation as it did years ago. I respect Feminists who know what is more serious to debate upon, know what to talk about and has a good level of understanding towards both men and women, but sadly, there's just too little.

Social Justice Warrior is, as of now, a derogatory term. I can understand the fact that they want to contribute to positive change, but what makes SJW's ineffective is that they have very little experience in debating with someone on an opposing side and not gathering up enough strong information to support their own cause. Many SJW's also come across as being emotional. This can potentially reinforce one's viewpoint on something, but to indulge on it too much can backfire on you badly. It also doesn't help that the majority of SJW's are teenagers and young adults, hence the emphasis on emotion can be quite excessive. Now, there are SJW's who are good at what they want to represent and respectful towards others, but like modern Feminists, they're actually pretty rare to come across.

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Now, I might have sounded really cynical beforehand, but yes, I do have my selection of people whom I look up to. In spite of the rarity of it nowadays, there's still some shining stars you could find gleaming, I guess.

My parents are the very first people I would like to mention. But considering this is an extremely cliche choice, I'll just leave it there.

I've said it various times before, but Nikola Tesla is the one scientist that I admire the most. He was weird, but from what I've known, he really did invent a plethora of things and had something not many tend to express often; a Heart of Gold. His inventions would have been phenomenal, given how he wanted to envision his projects like. But then, he got ridiculed upon, had his efforts stripped, and died broke. Hence why I don't look up to Capitalism.

Another example I look up to is Abdul Sattar Edhi, who found the Edhi Foundation. Guy was a true humanitarian who never gave up on helping other people. He even tried to deliver aid to those who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. In addition, despite the fame and reverence he had, he still kept to his ideals, even going as far as to dress modestly throughout the rest of his life. Says a lot when actor Sean Penn visited Edhi when he went around Pakistan. Thus far, Edhi is my favorite Pakistani and for good reason; almost everyone loves him for how humble and determined he was in his life.

Another influence for me is Stanislav Petrov, who actually managed to prevent a potential World War III from happening, thanks to quick thinking and has been rewarded, though he was never really bought up in limelight.

Like I've mentioned before, Neerja Bhanot and Om Prakash Gurjar deserve just as much respect and praise for what they did in their lives; the former sacrificed herself, whereas the latter would escape child enslavement and contribute to advocating.

I've done a lot to talk about children who've done a lot, so I'll keep this short. Do me a favor and search for people like Iqbal Masih, Alexandra Scott, Nkosi Johnson, Gabriella Miller, Samantha Smith and Ryan White, because they really did try to contribute and I'm incredibly proud of them.

While the list of celebrities I look up to isn't exactly big, it's still there. I've mentioned Bruce Lee before, but Keanu Reeves is up there as well. He's done a lot to persevere and the guy has already gone through enough tragedy. Another one is Christina Grimmie. She's mostly known for two reason; a contestant on The Voice and her tragic murder, but I took time in knowing about her before becoming a fan. Turns out, she's among the most humble and nicest celebrities I've ever seen. That kind of personality was incredibly rare, even towards other celebrities who are known to be cool. Chuck Schuldiner is the definitive individual whom you'd look at in regards to Death Metal, but then you also realize he was incredibly humble and supportive. Sure there are actors, actresses and musicians who tend to display creative skills to be appreciatively, and I understand that, but their personality also plays a large deciding factor. Maybe there are some, but I think its appropriate to name the best examples for now.

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Most of the people I mentioned above are not very well known, or at least to my understanding, and in my opinion, they should be given more appreciation in a wider scope. But then again, whatever is popular or publicized is what ultimately gets the notice. This wouldn't be so bad if the people shown were actually good. For the most part, we're given a series of figures who aren't just good on the creative or professional side, but they also come as unlikable as a character. I'm surprised the Kardashians still have fans in spite of the amount of criticism they've received. Controversial political figures from around the world are still really loved, but give it enough notice, and you'll see its part of a large-scale propaganda. In addition, we have to deal with said individuals for years or (if their influence proves strong enough) even decades.

Also, with current-day society not faring any better, its really outright ugly. Seems as if a lot of people can't seem to realize the dire situation we're all entangled in today. We're all too indulged in a series of behavioral actions that further alienates a lot people. How come suicide rates are becoming more prominent, or a murder happening not too long ago. And even then, people tend to contribute making society better. We're too immobilized by our fear and the prospect of enjoying life that we fail to really consider making what's around us better.

Hence why I find inspirational people difficult to be seen. Not that I want to belittle you (The viewer) of anything, but what I'm saying is you, me and I can definitely do better. In addition, we also need to find people who can stand up and prove that many of us can be seen as an example of talent, morality and guidance. Sure there's a long way to go, but we can make it worth...

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Sure inspirational people these days are difficult to find, the added benefit is that they can make a difference and they can give you an indirect lesson or guidance. I might be a cynical dude with depression and anxiety, but I'm doing my best to ensure that I can provide something at the very least that can prove beneficial to someone. Find the right people, spread the word and give them some much-needed attention. And no, not by spamming or any of that crap. Pass it on to other people and see if it makes an impact.

Also, in the comments, (If you like to) try to comment about someone whom you look up to, how they influenced you, why do you find them inspirational, etc. It should help in building up some understanding. Also, feel free to agree or disagree with this post.

Thanks for Reading :).

Comments

Very well put together and thought out post. I agree with all you've said. It really is unfortunate how people who inspire others in a more positive way is rare. I honestly think this is because of bad parenting (parents who influence their kids to act and think negatively). People should really think of becoming better parents if they want more good role models in the world (and being a parent is one of the biggest responsibilities you'll ever have so you really need to be serious about it because you've pretty much created life). - visitor

This post is like, perfect - NightmareCinema

Excellent post. - visitor

Brilliant post Hussain. - visitor