This is the account of Jacob. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them. (Gen 37:2NIV)
Going against the popular may be difficult and makes you look like the odd person out. Nothing is as hard as breaking traditions. Nevertheless, I have also come to understanding that nothing helps you break new grounds like daring to be unpopular.
There was this record of an incidence that occurred in a high school where a science teacher was out with forty pupils for a practical with a telescope. The bottom line objective was to view a planet and other heavenly bodies with the use of the instrument. When the first student looked into the instrument and the teacher asked if he sees anything, the student said “no”. That must have being because of his shortsightedness, presumed the teacher. Hence, she showed him how to adjust the focus and finally the boy said he could see the planet and the moon. One after the other, each student stepped in and claimed they saw what they suppose to see until finally the second to the last student looked into the telescope and declared that he could see nothing.
The teacher shouted at him and called him “idiot”. “Don’t you know you supposed to adjust the lenses like others?” said the teacher with annoyance. The boy tried and said again “I can see anything; everything looks black and blank”. Filled with irritation, the teacher thrust the boy aside and took a look at the telescope herself. Now with a strange expression on her face, she looked up. The lens cap is still on the telescope and the truth remains that none of the student has actually seen anything.
There is no doubt that many people look for safety going along with the popular. They believe that if a lot of people go for something, then such must be good and also represent fairness and equality. They wouldn’t even mind going against their own will in order not to be the odd one out. Interestingly, nothing offers false hope like going with the popular.
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Rom 12:2NKJV)
Common thinking will never give to you more than common results. If truly majority thinks rightly, then majority would have been doing things rightly. We must never confuse acceptance with intelligence. Never allow the crowd to run your mind for you. People may say that there is safely in numbers, but that is not always true. Going with popular is like looking for a whale in shallow waters, all you will find is frogs.
However, daring to be unpopular will never leave you without a price to pay. Joseph was hated for doing the uncommon out of his other ten brothers. Notwithstanding his lesser age and the numbers against his unpopular opinion, he refuses to give in to their evil practice. That is surely an uncommon attitude that brings about destiny as bright as coats of many colors.
I believe many follow popular opinions because they desire to take the path of least resistance. They believe it is wisdom doing what everyone else is doing even it is awful. They never know that fulfillment in life requires not what is popular as what is the best.
Note that when Jesus also came, He was much concern about fulfillment than doing the well-known (Mat. 5:17). He never took things the popular way. In fact, this was the origin of His scuffle with the Pharisees who are authorities in the law. He was hated for breaking the traditions of Sabbath, non acceptance of the “normal” business tradition within the temple, eating without washing customs and even with sinners. Yet He never gave in to their traditions.
Challenging popular opinions requires willingness to be unpopular and be made subject to ridicules and castigations. However, if you refuse to allow the shame of being alone to pull you down, be assured that therein such aspirations lays the seeds of vision and opportunity. Even though you may not be in men’s praise book today, but just like Copernicus that went against the popular thinking that the earth was the center of the universe or the Wright Brothers that refuse to believe that no metal can fly in the air or Martin Luther King Jnr whose dream was contrary to the belief that blacks has no place in America; the whole world is waiting to celebrate you. Some may dearly pay the price then, but the whole world will forever keep them and their legacies in mind than those who went against them.
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