Don’t Follow In Other’s Footsteps; You Can’t Borrow Other’s Feet
Don’t follow in other’s footsteps because those are other’s footsteps. Your footsteps are yours; created by your feet. Simply, you can’t borrow other’s feet, can you? The answer is a big NO.
So, how can you follow other’s footsteps even if they are created by the wisest of all wise people? Instead of doing that, you should create your footsteps and walk through them.
If you blindly follow in other’s footsteps, you would end up reaching nowhere. You would not even know where the wise man has gone or whose footsteps you are following.
People often misread the famous quote of Matsuo Basho.
What Exactly did Matsuo Basho want to Convey?
Some three hundred years ago Matsuo Basho (1644–1694) once said “Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought.”
Basho was a great Japanese poet known for his haiku poems. He said not to simply follow in others’ footsteps, rather try to seek what they sought.
Everybody’s path is different, created by his own feet. When we follow other’s footsteps, especially, wise person, we should not only follow in his path but also try to understand what he conveyed, what he did, how he could create path towards greatness, and eventually towards enlightenment.
You should try to understand the internal meaning of great people’s life and work. You should not simply follow in their work or lifestyle; instead seek to understand how they could achieve greatness.
That would inspire you indirectly to create your footsteps by finding your path of journey.
Follow the First Mile: Create Your Next Miles
It is not always recommended that you should not follow/ get influenced by/ imitate others in the initial phase of your journey in whatever life or profession you are pursuing.
In the initial years, you should understand how the masters have traveled the path. But later you should create your footsteps or path of journey.
A scientist should understand what others have done and get acquainted with different styles propagated by others before he could create his/her style.
Here you don’t follow in the footsteps of others but understand the intricacies and inner meaning of others’ journey towards greatness.
Examples of Great People who Followed Others but Found their Path
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