POPULARITY AS A TEST OF MERIT

POPULARITY AS A TEST OF MERIT

Outline:-

1.      What is the real meaning of “popularity”?

2.       Have the greatest men been popular?

3.      Are not bad and worthless men sometimes popular?

4.      Can we arrive at definite conclusion?

In daily life, we often hear it said of someone “He is a good fellow and immensely popular”. Can we decide form this that a man who is very popular is really a good and deserving man? Is it not possible that a man who is good and deserving may be sometimes very unpopular? Popular means “belonging to the people”, and it must be admitted that the masses of the people are not always the best judges of real merit. The Roman emperors sometimes gave free food and displays of games to the people to buy popularity, and they were often evil men. Yet, in a sense, they succeeded in making themselves popular.

Let us look at two of the greatest in our own times, Sir Sayyed Ahmad and Hitler, the German Fuehrer. Sir Sayyed was a man of the most saintly character, working for the poor and suffering, thinking nothing of his own needs and safety, preaching peace and love. Hitler was furious militarist, planning world domination, prepared to sacrifice the lives of millions to gratify his ambitions. The contrast could not well be greater and they were far apart in their aims and ideals. Yet both men were immensely popular, that is, they each had virtue and evil can both be popular, but they will attract vastly different types of support.

Sometimes popularity is a cheap affair, gained by weakness and at the expense of truth. A weak master who exercise no control may have a certain type of popularity. Dr. Arnold of Rugby School was a severe headmaster, quick to punish and stern in his character. it is related that an old pupil, on being asked what he thought of his late testimonial is better than the cheap popularity which consists of the applause of the foolish. True men are quick to appreciate justice. Many of post carriers unpopularity. How often duty, do we hear of a popular judge or tax-collector? To do your duty, and, “Because right is right, to follow right,” is far better than to try please people by being lenient and giving concessions at the wrong time.