It takes nothing to join the crowd: This inspirational quote from Hans F Hansen is about expressing your individuality, listening to your thoughts and staying strong to the course of action. Let’s ask this question – it takes nothing to join the crowd can you recollect all the significant decisions in your life? Have you done things and questioned yourself – why did I do that? If you have not, then today perhaps is a good opportunity to reflect on yourself slightly and think about what you’d like your life to be.
The truth is – we are all influenced by people around us and something is a great thing. On some other occasions, it also stifles our ability to think and do things that make the most difference to us. Particularly at times where you’ve to make a decision, you’ve got to identify what is motivating your decision – desire or society/peer pressure?
Table of Contents
It takes nothing to join the crowd
The crowd represents safety in the herd mentality. If you are a part of the herd, you feel safe, no one can single you out and attack. This is the same as being in a group of deer that feels safety in numbers against a predator. It might work very well for the deer but for us humans, it might work against us. For starters, no one is out there to get us or trying to hunt us. We are all trying to live a life where we find fulfilment, joy and achievement.
But, it takes nothing to join the crowd. It is Easy to become a part of the crowd. Just follow what everyone else is doing. And there you are. It is as simple as that. Now, going against the ground – This will take a bit of work. It will demand that you have a lot of confidence and self-assurance.
People around you are going to test you and prove you otherwise because you’re challenging their herd mentality. It goes against their belief systems – hence they will protect it with whatever they’ve got. So, you see, going against the crowd is not easy. The simpler and easier route is often to just follow what everyone else is doing.
Why do you have to stand alone?
When it is so easy to be a part of the crowd, why do we need to stand alone or standup for ourselves? Why bother going against the crowd when it demands so much energy, conviction and consistent effort? Why not just Give up and become a part of the Process? The thing that’s stopping us from doing it is our integrity, passion and desire to be original. To be yourself in a world that’s trying to make you into someone else
For all, this we must stand alone and protect what’s dear to us. Life will not be easy when you set out on this path as you are bound to oppose a few people who swear by this approach. Remember, it takes nothing to join the crowd! But you don’t have to worry about them – they will find other things to worry about. You just must worry about yourself and listen to what your heart is telling you.
This is the one skill most people struggle with because the voice of the heart is quietened by the external factors. The heart tells us something which is most dear to us, and it is the best type of truth that you can find. If there’s one skill we need to develop, it is the ability to listen to the heart. If we master this skill, then we can set a different course of life which is filled with difficulty but loads of fun.
It takes everything to stand alone
What does it take to stand alone in life? The complete quote by Hans F Hansen has two parts – it takes nothing to join the crowd – this is simply because you’ll face no resistance if you want to be like everyone else. The second part states – it takes everything to stand alone – this is because you’ll face resistance from all corners.
It sounds so easy and romantic to stand alone because it represents courage, integrity, solidarity and resilience. But these things sound great in the textbook – but out there in the real world, the challenges will test you. It will make you wonder and question your approach and whether you’re better off joining the crowd – Afterall it takes nothing to join the crowd. But to stand alone on your own – that’s a very different task.
Standing alone demands a lot of things, but the main things that we can think of are:
Strength
We can’t emphasise this enough. This strength is not physical but an emotional one. Sometimes the people opposing you are your loved ones. They may try different tactics including hatred, blackmail and even giving up on you. You’ll have to find your source of strength to face these if you decide to stand alone.
It doesn’t mean you’re wrong, but it only means that it takes everything to stand alone. This has got nothing to do with you but with the way people want their life to be – easier to resist than support right? The resistance aids the perpetual culture of following the group.
Conviction
When there’s no one out there to give you support, you’ve to find the belief in yourself. Your conviction helps you fight the tough battles. But this conviction needs consistent support and upkeep. The reason is simple you see – no one wants a challenge or to see people who are different. It makes them ask uncomfortable questions about themself. It makes them question whether they’re listening to their own emotions or desires. You see, this is hard work – and the first natural response is to resist something which is different.
Courage
Standing alone needs courage. Courage to defy the world and go in your path is never easy. Our mind wavers and considers various options. But these options can be distractions that hold you back from being yourself. In a world constantly trying to make you into someone
Are you being true to yourself? If you listen deeply to your emotions, they always tell you the truth about what you feel and how you want life to be. You at least owe your life that much. It might not all be wonderful and it takes everything to stand alone. But, this is life on your terms. Perhaps it is all worth it or you’ll find a way to make it worth the effort. But don’t just accept defeat before you even start.
It takes nothing to join the crowd, it takes everything to stand alone
Hans F Hansen
References:
Ha ha, I completely hear the decision dilemma Anjana. I suppose that’s something which makes decision points so pivotal and influential. I went through something very similar during my early days of entrepreneurship.
The data points of joining the herd are indeed very valuable. We know where it can lead to, the risks are low and returns are fairly predictable. Although there will be challenges in the process, we can still bank on collective experience of people around us and get together. And this is perfectly reasonable if this is the journey we want to take.
The flip side with decisions is what we stand to lose by going away from the crowd. I think that’s something which makes decisions really hard and complicated. I do agree – grass is always greener on the other side. The best answer I’ve known for that is – we will never know. We only know what we have with us and what we really strongly feel for. I suppose we all have a gut and maybe that gut needs a bit of training to make sure its voice is clearly heard.
End of the day, a decision is a point to move ahead from. We cannot afford to take it more seriously than it deserves. Then again this leads me to the book – Don’t sweat the small stuff, it is all the small stuff :D .. So the dilemma continues.
Humour aside, I think there is a lot of value in establishing the awareness about our own selves and taking charge of that. These decision points will always be present. With each decision we take, we get better at it regardless of whether it is with the crowd or away from it. We will definitely base our future decisions on some of the past ones.
Now I am wondering if I have gone all over the place as I type this reply :D .. Would love to know your thoughts.
Thank you Shruthi :).. Very glad to hear that you liked it.
amazing post
I would say that joining the crowd most of the time works for everyone because we fairly have an idea of the rise and fall, the outcomes etc but when you bravely take an offbeat decision and chose to walk on that path, then of course you are bound to face all kinds of surprises in life which might sometimes stress you, not stress you, make you feel proud not make you feel proud…can be just about anything.
Personally, I followed the herd… until date I regret. Had I followed my abilities, I would have been at a better place and space. Yes, then of course grass is always greener on the other side. So, are we ever satisfied??? That is another discussion altogether.