The power of youth is boundless; it is emotion that grants it a unique momentum. In the words of Herbert Hoover, “Older men declare war. But it is youth that must fight and die.” The unstoppable force of youth provides the inspiration to reshape one’s surroundings. A spirit to challenge society and its so-called norms constantly works within their inner world. Yet, when harsh reality strikes back at this youthful energy, a vast majority of these young warriors fall. But why do talents capable of shaking the world fade away so prematurely? Let us analyze this through five logical perspectives.
1. The Trap of Livelihood:
From early childhood, fear is instilled in us—”Study hard, or you will starve. Get good grades, or you won’t get a good job.” In essence, instead of encouraging the pursuit of knowledge, our guardians replace it with a fear centered around livelihood. It is as if earning money through education is the sole purpose of life. Society, institutions, and teachers all chant the same mantra: money is everything. Consequently, when money becomes necessary to move forward, young crusaders quickly compromise. Without thinking of revolutionizing alternative paths, most young people choose the safe shelter of a 9-to-5 job. Writing stops right there. The pen makes a compromise with the necessity of livelihood.
2. Practical Wisdom:
It is an undeniable truth that reality is incredibly tough. Situations will not always be favorable, and success is not served on a silver platter. One has to navigate through countless adversities with their songs, poetry, and literature. Therefore, one must find their own way to handle the pressure of these circumstances. Otherwise, there is no option but to pack up and seek a safe haven. Thus, whether one is an artist, a poet, or a writer, they require practical survival wisdom alongside their emotions.
3. Firmness of Purpose:
We often hear people say that they were once formidable soldiers of the pen, but after entering professional life, that energy no longer remains. They claim to be extremely busy now, labeling their past desires as mere fantasies. In reality, people like these never truly thought about giving something back to society or the country from within. With a mix of talent and emotion, they ran for a while and then changed their path. There is ample room to question the honesty and firmness of their purpose here. Why should a dreamer give up so easily? They were supposed to fight much longer, weren’t they? One can continue cultural activities alongside a professional career; there are countless global examples of this. Therefore, whatever one chooses to do, it should be done with unwavering resolve.
4. Training and Dedication (Sadhana):
We see many trying to move forward relying solely on emotion. Factional narrowness and polluted politics often exploit this. Everyone is eager to harvest the fruits of art and literature from a worker, but no one thinks about their training. As a result, poets write poetry without knowledge of rhythm and meter. Many focus on songs and verses with a very limited vocabulary. Novices are often seen trying to advance their singing, recitation, or acting with poor language skills and numerous grammatical errors. Yet, without a mentor (Guru) and rigorous training, progressing far in these fields is nearly impossible.
5. Professionalism in Arts:
Life cannot run on writing stories, poems, or songs alone. In light of economic reality, proper commercialization and marketing of these works are essential. Ensuring financial return from art is the demand of the time. Otherwise, the artist will inevitably have to think of something else. Many might speak of “ideals.” But let’s be practical—when even a glass of filtered water costs money, how can artists, poets, writers, or singers survive on dry, hollow ideals? They have stomachs to feed too, right? Therefore, figuring out how to establish one’s art and culture practice economically is a crucial thought. I condemn those who emotionally blackmail artists by preaching empty idealism.
In conclusion, we do not want the newcomers to get lost. We pray that their dreams and emotions reach a positive fruition. I hope this analysis will assist cultural warriors in moving forward logically.