Make Your Own Path
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Imagine standing alone in a forest. You have a choice between two different directions to go in. In one direction, there is a clear, stable, paved path. It is safe and reliable, but it doesn’t lead exactly to where you want to go. Then there’s the other direction. Over on that side is no path, just bushes and plants. Getting through this side will be extremely difficult compared to the other. It will be exhausting and monotonous. Even though this direction may be much harder, it will give you freedom. You are the one that gets to decide where the path takes you. You can go wherever you want. Most people would choose the path that’s already there. Why wouldn’t they? It’s safe, easy, and can get you somewhat of what you want. However, the path that is already there started the same way the other way is.
Like I said, most people would choose to walk the path that is already there. This path gives them the comfort of certainty. It promises a reward at the end of the path, along with an easier journey to get there. We choose this path because of our fear of failure, and our fear of being different. We do it because everyone else does it, and they’re doing just fine. But maybe that’s the point, that they’re doing just fine. Are they doing amazing? Not necessarily, because they didn’t pave the path they walked across. They are restricted by the boundaries of the existing path. It may be okay, but it also may not be what they truly want. So what is the result of choosing the other path?
Let me give you an example. In 1978, Sir James Dyson had the idea to create a vacuum that didn’t lose suction. Traditional manufacturers completely rejected his idea, so he chose to make his own path. He spent 15 years creating 5,127 failed prototypes, while surviving on his wife’s salary. Because he endured this grueling hard work, he retained 100% ownership of his company. Not only did this give him the total freedom to engineer whatever products he wanted without any shareholder interference, but it also allowed him to build one of the world's most successful engineering companies. Today, Dyson’s net worth has reached $14.9 billion (Forbes). This shows that sometimes freedom is more valuable than comfort.
This does not mean to avoid every existing path, however. In reality, sometimes the existing path is the right one. The important thing is to choose your own path because you believe in it. Leave the example you want to leave, create the things that you want to create. Don’t do things because they are easy, do them because they will give you the results you want. At the end of the day, it takes great strength to be the first, but the freedom to go where you want to go is much greater. Thank you for reading Social Science 43, and have a congenial day.
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