Few days ago we, the FS Team were discussing about arranging our 3rd FS Talk in our weekly meeting. Our Chief Coordinator, My friend, my Comrade Mr. Ruhul Kader suggests us to write some posts regarding the idea FS Talk. The idea is already in the field, playing well, enchanting the participants and audiences. Obviously there are some tangible benefits of FS Talk that motivates people to participate there. It’s good to talk about those benefits but I will not go this way. I better delve into the deeper part of the idea, why common people gets motivated by the successful person.
In a sense, I think, what significantly contributes to the idea of FS Talk is Heroism, its charismatic influence on common people. In FS Talk, generally, 3 successful entrepreneurs share their story of failure, success and challenges with young people. These stories enchant young mind as they get heroic touch there. Just think for a minute, a person takes an initiative to solve a problem of the society and by serving the society she gets some return. She is facing hundreds of problems that are coming out of status quo of the society. She is fixing one after another and going ahead to achieve her goal. She organizes different elements of society (like human resources, capital, land etc) blend those , convert those in a productive format and drive those to a problem solving state with her entrepreneurial capability. She is persistent, she goes her own way and creates new direction to walk, to run, to live. It’s the heroic touch that captivates young minds. In capitalistic form of life people need to go ahead always, work hard to live and entrepreneurs serve as an idol for them.
Thomas Carlyle, Scottish writer, Philosopher, has comprehensive work on the idea of Heroism. His lectures on Hero is compiled in his book “On Heroes, Hero-Worship and the Heroic in History” (1841). Carlyle was very practical man and he chooses hero from different background. For example, He chooses Paganism: Scandinavian Mythology as The Hero as Divinity; chooses Muhammad as The Hero as Prophet; Dante, Shakespeare as The Hero as Poet , Luther of Puritanism as the Hero as Priest; Rousseau as the Hero as Man of Letters; Cromwell & Napoleon as the Hero as King. “But he was sure that no ballot could discover the hero, and as a realist he transferred his attention from the parliamentary talkers to the man who turns the wheels of the new civilization: the industrialists. He cites with approval the work of benevolent Quaker employer. He hopes at times that captains of Industry will be a new aristocracy.” (Bently, 1947)
To understand the similarity between the Hero of Carlyle and the entrepreneur the philosophy and functions of Hero needs to be clarified. “The hero (i.e. man of courage and nobility) is ‘sincere’ and does his ‘duty’; he acts intuitively, without the interference of mechanical philosophies or restrictive codes. He co-operates with ‘the real tendency of the world, and becomes an instrument of history and progress. Through the recognition of necessity, he becomes free.” (Reproduced, Bently 1947)
“The philosophy of heroism is partly practical pragmatic. The hero recognizes facts squarely and acts boldly. He therefore prefers intuition to reflection, faith to philosophy, ardor to detachment, reverence to urbanity, temerity to caution, speed to the suspension of judgment.” (Reproduced, Bently 1947)
“The hero’s function is dual. First, he is pattern for others to imitate; in himself a justification of life. Second, he is a creator, and through him history moves forward and backward: history is the biography of great man.” (Reproduced, Bently, 1947)
Thinking broadly, Today’s great entrepreneurs are no less than the heroes of Carlyle’s time in terms of Philosophy, functions and inspiration of people. So, be an entrepreneur, act as a Hero.
