Standing Up for Ideas by Gwyneth

Standing Up for Ideas by Gwyneth - October 2018 Scholarship Essay

Ridicule. Scandal. Banned books. Excommunication. Persecution. Death.
Arthur Schopenhauer, a German philosopher, once stated, "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." Humans are very judgmental creatures who don't like things they don't understand. That includes people, nations, inventions, and especially ideas. The list at the top of this essay are common punishments for people who thought "outside the box."
We've all heard the phrase "think outside the box" before: bosses, teachers, and parents all have said this to us before. It's such a common term that most of us don't think about it when it's brought up. We put it on the same shelf as "be creative" and "be yourself" and "try your best." We all know it's something we should do. We just don't really have time to do something outside the box. But we all think we should. Because then we would get the best project, maybe get a promotion, and people would be proud of us.
Judging by history, we may want to rethink that expectation. Orville and Wilbur Wright announced they were going to make a flying machine and were instantly ridiculed. Rosa Parks was arrested multiple times for claiming that segregation was wrong and bus seats belonged to everyone. Claude Monet's Impressionist paintings were considered "less effort than wallpaper", and Martin Luther was excommunicated and nearly killed for questioning the teachings of the Catholic Church. Contrary to popular belief, truly unique thought is usually unpopular, even hated.
How brave they all were.
To stand up and say their truth, even when the world called it falsehood.
To me, to "think outside the box" means to be brave. It means to put your head above water and ask, "What are we swimming in?" It means asking questions nobody else is asking. It means being willing to say "No," when everyone else is saying, "Yes." It means being willing to defend your beliefs even in the face of public opinion.
It means being willing to face the consequences for what you believe is true.
So, thinking outside the box is scary. But it's the people that had the guts to do it that went down in history, and ultimately changed our world for the better.