Should we always listen to others?

Although people say that listening to others is an important attribute so that you have different perspectives to consider and learn from, having your own opinion and a strong belief in it is the most crucial matter. There are many examples like the Lord of the Flies when Ralph tried to protect the strayed boys with the rule of organization and sticking to his owen decisions without being shaken by Jack the “bad” character. Similarly, Mahatma Gandhi clings to his owen opinion of anti-violence and saves it by accomplishing the Salt March of 240 miles.

In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Ralph makes up his own decision from the very beginning that the only way to survive with 20 other boys in a deserted island is to be organized in a governing way. This plan is at first perfectly fine and seemed as though it was working out, before a jealous older boy, Jack, tries to take over in his own violent way. Through the drama of his best friend being murdered from Jack’s crew and loosing all his trusted friends by the crew’s threatens, Ralph still stood up strongly for his own opinion by firmly believing in it without wavering. Ralph even had moments when his life was in jeopardy, but because he had his mind set on his own opinion without listening to Jack’s sweet tempt, he was able to save himself with the right mind.

Insofar to Ralph and his heavy-set opinion, Mahatma Gandhi of India was also in a similar situation and did a similar thing to save what he really thought was the right thing to do. Gandhi strongly opposed of unfair laws in India with anti-violence, even through severe beating and going to jail several times. No matter what other people told him, he was never wavered to stop his anti-violence curriculum to achieve his goal to free India of unfair laws. Gandhi even took action of a Salt March which was a walk to the very edge of a coastal sea in order to protest against the law, which was the banning of making salts in their own country. This Salt March was a non-violent act which Gandhi lead and showed the people of India how to protest against the enemy without violence.

Through many heros of history and characters of classic literature one can definitely see that having your own opinion and sticking to it is the most important attribute of your life. Of course listening to others is another crucial attribute, people like Ralph and Gandhi were great listeners, they would listen to endless amounts of other people’s opinions, but what they didn’t do was waver. They didn’t waver to change their mind just because someone else said so or from the mere temptation. They fought for their own belief and achieved what they thought was the right thing to do to become a national, and world-wide hero.