Small Minded Lilliputians

As we grow up, authoritative figures preach traits such as kindness and respect, and it seems as if it is second nature for us to understand that these are important, but there is always one that is slightly confusing. This so called virtue was usually labeled as “To-See-Far” and I always wondered what did that really mean? They obviously aren’t talking in the literal sense so, to me, it means two things that are closely correlated. One, that you are able to see the possible outcome of decisions that you make and can educated reactions based off of those reads, and second, you can see things from every point of view and from every aspect, so you fully understand the effect of the things you do. In the first voyage of Gulliver’s Travels, he meets 6 inch people called Lilliputians. The largest fault of the Lilliputians is that they can see the second definition; they can’t see the big picture. This drives out maybe the greatest figure that this race has ever encountered, Gulliver, and they lose the leverage they had over their enemies, the Blefuscudians. If we can’t see the bigger picture, whether it is in government, education, or just daily life, we will mess up the great opportunities that present themselves before us.

As the Lilliputian government compiled articles on all the accounts where Gulliver broke the law they failed to see what he has done for the Lilliputian people. The premiere example of this is when the Lilliputian palace is engulfed in flames. With quick think Gulliver urinates on the palace putting out the fire, but the Lilliputian authorities -- especially Skyresh Bolgolam -- fail to see the deed that he has done for them only think of him as disposing his waste on their sacred home of the Emperor. This is just one of the instances where the Lilliputians exhibit their lack of the ability to see the bigger picture. The second exhibit of the Lilliputians not being able to “see far” is the way they elect people of honor. Candidates do physical competitions to elect someone to a position where your mind is being constantly challenged and rivaled. High honor Lilliputians are then not fit for the roles that are to carry out, and as you may think the problems that arise are ones of epic proportions.

The United States of America understand, for the most part, on how to elect and place people into high responsibility roles. If you take a look at most of the successful people throughout history you will find that they were able to soak in the information around them, analyze it, and then make the decision that they believe is correct. In life, we have found that one that reasons will always outweigh the one who makes rash decisions and for that the politicians, the educators, and the leaders of the future should be taught this trait just as they are now. If we are blind to some of the options that are available, we will make decisions that could bring serious repercussions, and, government-wise, could send a country, even one of great prestige, back to a state of utter chaos.

Though Jonathon Swift did not tell the Reader about what happened to Lilliput, because he was not there, it is possible to make guesses on what may have taken place. First, I believe that it would start back slowly in the fact that in some tasks that were simple with Gulliver was now tedious and time consuming. Then that would eventually escalate to maybe the Lilliputians to be over taken during the time that they were rebuilding from the loss of Gulliver. All of this would occur just because they looked at the cons of Gulliver instead of the pros.

When we don’t look at every aspect of each situation we will end up making irrational decisions and karma may come back at tear you apart. Take time and look around you. Take each detail and lock it in your memory. Then, apply these details to whatever crisis you are dealing with and make the correct decision. This will help you avoid the problems which will bury you alive and you can be a successful individual in a confusing world. So now, as the teachers tell us to see far take their advice and stay true to it and help yourself and whoever else your working with become the leader that you were meant to be.