A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. – Muhammad Ali
What if you'd grown up being told all Martians are bad people, but then met this little sweetie? After 30 years of nothing but nice Martians, would you still see them the same as you had in your youth?
What does that mean?
To me, this talks about how our experiences (especially when taken across 3 decades) should change our view. For a person still think the same after all that time has passed, either they were incredibly mature at twenty, or they are incredibly immature at fifty.
Most people at 20 are all about raising Cain, rebellion against the establishment, emphasizing personal freedom (often to the point of irresponsibility) and having a good time. Most people at 50 have raised a family, have become vested (at least partially) in the system, personal responsibility and having a good time (but their definition has changed at least a little bit).
Why is personal growth important?
Personal growth is the improvement you undergo through action (learning from your mistakes), from reading (learning from the experience of others), and contemplation (thinking things through, and determining the relative worth of different possible paths).
What a shame it would be if you went 30 whole years and did none of these things. Each experience you have, each book you read, each time you think about a situation, your opinion changes. It might be more strongly reinforced, or a little bit might get chipped away. You might end up with it pointing in a slightly different direction or radically changed.
Where can I apply this in my life?
This can be as obvious as reading a self-described “self-help” book, or it could be as subtle as your daily interactions. If you had always heard that Martians were mean, and you finally met one in person, you might be prepared for the worst. But what if the Martian was kindly? Would your opinion have been changed, at least a little? A hint of a doubt? What if you ended up working with this particular Martian (still the only one you’ve met), how would you think of Martians after a year or two?
If you then met a mean Martian, which would you put more stock in, the stories you’ve heard or your personal experience? There’s no right or wrong answers to this hypothetical, but I hope it will get you thinking about your life. Are there groups of people you hear about that you have little experience with?
Muhammad Ali spoke this quote when he was asked about something he had said in his youth. I think he was trying to say that, at the time, it was his truth: how he felt and what he believed. His statement also said that he had changed in the intervening years, and no longer feels that way.
As a black growing up in the segregated South, he had plenty of experiences, both verbally and in person, of mean Whites. I’m sure he also knew some nice ones as well, but until he spent significant time out of the South, he had only his experiences with the local Whites to base his opinions on.
However, as his fame and fortune grew, he traveled more and saw other parts of the country and the world, and found that there were good people in all colors and unkind ones as well. As his experiences grew, so did his view of others. This personal growth was supplemented by his study of the Koran, his prayers and his change from a radical Islamic group to a mainstream group.
How has your life changed (presuming the reader is over 20) in the last few years? The last decade? Or two? Or three? What opinions have changed? Perhaps opinions on how to raise children? How to select a mate? What things you spend your money on? How have you grown as a person? Emotionally, as well as psychologically, have you grown?
It might be an interesting exercise to go through your life, recalling how things were back then, and how they are different now. Can you figure out exactly what the turning point was, was it quick or was it gradual? Is there any part of you that you think you should change? What experience might change that, what book might give you insight, what might you think about (or pray, or meditate, or…) to help you make the adjustment?
I know I have changed, and would like to think it is for the better. How about you?
From: Twitter, undocumented feed (my bad)
confirmed at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/muhammadal136675.html
Photo by scragz
