Thursday, February 25, 2010

Role Model

Sometimes we dream of being like someone. Someone from the family, some actors, some sportsman, political figures, historical legends, some colleague, peer............ anyone.

Why?

We lack in some qualities. We see those qualities in others. We dream of being like them.

We try to be like them.

But we forget to draw a clear line between viewing role model only for the quality we like and viewing him for all he/she is.

Let me explain: I love Aamir Khan as an actor, a film maker. He is having excellent acting skills and movie making skills. Probably the best in the industry for the time being. I am sure, most of you will agree to that.

But when I see Aamir Khan as a person, I will start having doubts about my liking for him. Why? Because he had a divorce and those gossip magazines are telling that he is having trouble with his second marriage as well. Reading all such things and interpreting, somewhere in my mind a pool of dislike will form for him. He is not a good human being, why he did this, etc. etc. No doubt, I am unaware of the whole story and it is fair enough to go your own separate ways rather than dragging a relationship. But still, as a follower of his qualities, I will feel bad.

Another such example is Tiger Woods. He is still the greatest golf player, but how many of the fans look him with the same respect now - after all the controversies he went through.

So, my point in describing all this is that, never view your role model with any other perspective except the thing you like about him or else you will be hurt and disappointed.

It happened to me. I was following someone as a role model and started loving him for all he was.

And then I started seeing qualities - bad qualities in him, and now it hurts.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

A wise man ought always to follow the paths beaten by great men, and to imitate those who have been supreme, so that if his ability does not equal theirs, at least it will
savour of it.

By Machiavelli : In Book "The Prince"
http://www.constitution.org/mac/prince06.htm