What we say can make or break others
SWABI: The culture of criticism has been prevailing in our society for long. Each of the society members is suffering from it at their own level. Students, members of a family, servants, etc. all fall prey to this at some point in their life. For some, the mental pressure developed from constant criticism causes them to commit suicide. It is just too much for them to stand and they somehow convince themselves that everything will be better without them.
Some two centuries ago, we have an example of Thomas Edison who was expelled from school on account of being mentally deficient. He was given a written letter by his school teacher which was to be handed over to his mother. When the mother opened the letter she burst into tears because the letter said that her son was mentally deficient and he could not be accommodated in the school anymore. Thomas asks his mother about the letter. Now what is interesting is her reply. She told Thomas that he was so intelligent that the school lacks the skills and expertise to teach him, therefore it would be better for him to learn at home. Positive words from Thomas’s mother turned him into a genius of the century. He soon went on to invent many devices and contributed greatly in the fields of science and technology. The single line of his mother changed his life and made him a renowned scientist. We often forget that what we say can make or break others. We ought not to discourage anyone. We have to be supportive in words, if not in actions. No one should be discouraged. It causes demoralisation. A few words of encouragement work wonders.
Numan Bacha
Published in The Express Tribune, September 20th, 2019.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
