Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | The Speaking Tree | January 03, 2017 | The Times of india
The concept of underdeveloped nations is generally understood and accepted – though the term preferred today is “developing nations” -- but perhaps the concept of an underdeveloped personality is not so well appreciated. The reason for this is that there are many people worldwide who have underdeveloped personalities and few are able to explore their true potential before their life concludes.
Every person is born with great potential. But this potential does not unfold in the manner of the growth of a plant. You have to recognise your potential and through wise planning, convert it into actuality. But this kind of self-planning is well-nigh impossible. This is because the individual’s personality begins to form in childhood and, by the time he reaches the age of maturity, his personality has become conditioned – a factor which renders him incapable of independent thinking.
The solution is inherent in one’s very own nature. Just give your nature a chance and it will, of its own, develop your potential in the right direction.
To give one’s nature a chance means to refrain from negative thinking.
If you are receptive to criticism, this initiates a process of correction within you. This process continues under the guidance of nature until, unhindered, it reaches its culmination. On the contrary, if you become offended at criticism, you are refusing to give your nature a chance. Consequently, the process of self-development will not take place and your nature will remain untapped.
The greatest quality needed to avail of your potential is scientific temper. This activates your inner dynamic, which helps you differentiate between right and wrong, developing your personality along the right lines.
Developing scientific temper is by no means easy. The easiest formula for success in this matter is for a person to become modest in the complete sense of the term. He should see things in an impersonal way, thus giving his nature the opportunity to come into play. The workings of nature combined with positive thinking will certainly initiate the desired transformation. Thus it can be said with certainty that a person will be eminently able to turn his potential into actuality and develop such a personality as will take him towards the goal of super-achievement.
Nature, being a master teacher for all human beings, can guide a person in the perfect sense. This is a gift to mankind by the Creator just as eyes and ears are. When a person sees with his eyes, there is no barrier between his eyes and what he sees. But when nature guides a person, he is often unable to accept what is before him due to some bias, complex or prejudice. The result is that nature is unable to perform its task. If, however, you are able to listen to the voice of your nature without any prejudice, just as you hear uninterruptedly with your ears, you will be able to avail of every opportunity to turn your personality into a developed one.
A developed personality is another name for a complex-free personality. One who is complex-free is completely untrammelled by negative thinking. Such a person, being the product of self-development, and not of any automatic process, is able to maintain his positive thinking in all situations, regardless of how adverse they may be.