FOR THE BIG LEAP

History of mankind is the history of quantum leaps amidst plateaus of status quo. Till 1954 it was believed that human beings cannot run a mile in less than Four minutes. And this belief was nursed since ages. But on May 6, 1954 a British Medical Student Roger Bannister broke that barrier by running the one mile distance in less than a minute. Even though it was just a shade less it was a gigantic leap for mankind. ‘Yes, it could be done’. That is what Roger Bannister’s feat established that afternoon as he became the first runner to break the mythical 4 minute barrier that seemed to be an obsession for several centuries. The Roman kings had tried all the tricks in their bags, from training under controlled conditions to chasing runners by lions. Yet, they did not succeed, and the conclusion was that man is not made to run one mile in less than four minutes. We remember Roger Bannister not just for running one mile in less than four minutes but for his contribution to the power of the belief system. Bannister, who died early this month has proved the point that human potential is immense. But to harness it one must have the faith in his/her belief system. The fact that the barrier of four minutes mile was broken several times in the same year tells a very basic story about the human nature. It is the psychological barriers that are the biggest stumbling blocks in progress of the human kind. Only someone has to believe in himself, persist wholeheartedly and do it. And others will follow suit. As Roger Bannister had himself said that if you can run a mile in four minutes, you can certainly do it in less. As a medical student conversant with human physiology he knew that psychological and not physical barriers stop man’s progress. Many have expressed doubts when a popular psychological assertion is quoted that humans realize at best 10 percent of their latent capabilities. Mythical or real, the assertion makes a lot of sense if we juxtapose it with the actual human behaviours in a wide array of fields. Individual differences, notwithstanding, the effort potential gap is a real problem for most. We often hear people boast that they could have done this or that, yet do not do it. Potential unutilized is potential wasted. There is no dearth of knowledge or skill. The problem lies with their application. Motivation is a magical force that has the power to drive human beings to achieve seemingly impossible feats. The only problem is that there is a huge difference between wishing and desiring. Wishing is fantasizing and desiring is trying to realize the desired objectives. What motivates is not the allurement of the goal, but that fire in the belly that keeps one pushing towards the goal. Motivation is not out there. It is an intrinsic force. When it is powered with a firm belief in one self and backed with commensurate efforts, it can move mountains. This is the message of one of the most motivating statements attributed to Archimedes — “give me a place to stand and I shall move the earth”. Human potential is immense and it can work wonders. The past century saw Everest humiliated, moon conquered and the mile myth broken. Let us hope more in the present century as we wait for the next big leap of mankind.