Influential Thinkers

As I was listening to a presentation by students in my course on Thought Leadership, my thoughts wandered. To our college days. The reason? Funnily enough, the Age of Reason, and the author who propagated that line of thinking. Ayn Rand was the topic of the presentation. She was as popular back then, as she is now. Rarely would you come across a college student who doesn't adore her books like The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. Difficult to come across such a clear-headed propounder of any philosophy of life.

Another line from an article in a newspaper crossed my mind too. This was a statement made by Edward De Bono, author of Lateral Thinking. He says, we have stopped thinking, for many years. That is a pretty strong statement, but it makes some sense. When was the last time we thought carefully, about anything? If we did, individually and collectively (according to Ayn Rand, collectivism is always a compromise of individual thoughts, because only individuals can think), no problem is without a sensible solution. But instead we usually choose dogma, tradition, or fall prey to false egos and worship false Gods.

We also had a presentation on Wars and their impact on society earlier. It is curious how easy it is for dictators and democrats alike to start a war and continue with it for the flimsiest of reasons. They seem to be inevitable, and even glorified, to always benefit a select few in power at the cost of many others who fight, willingly or unwillingly. I am somewhat pleased that India as a modern country has gone to war only once, in 1971. Though there are all kinds of wars within, and issues that require resolution-hopefully without a war.