"We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done." -Alan Turing.
It is important to have morals, and usually, we tend to hold them as close to ourselves as possible, and they each impact us in some way, whether it be our decision or how we hold ourselves. Each person has a different set from another, and while it can create conflict, such diversity should be appreciated, as it gives us a better sense of how other people see things. In some cases, while knowledge can equal power, too much of it could be determined to be a bad thing. Alan Turing is an example of a man who held morals and allowed them to impact his life. I feel like if the world had more people similar to him, it would be a much different place.
While most people may know the man because of his character in the movie The Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley, Alan was real, as were his achievements and unfortunately, his "indecent" crimes. As you may or may not know, Enigma was a German invention; a machine used by codebreakers in Britain to sift through and decode German messages and signals during World War Two. And Alan Turing himself, did, in fact, crack it, which has become one of his largest achievements. Many of those who worked with him didn't like how he functioned. However, in the end, an invention created by Turing, which was called Christopher, was what cracked the so-called "unbreakable" machine.
Though it may not seem necessarily a large deal, Alan Turing did change the world, in a way that no one really knew about. We, as humans, crave a certain amount of attention and recognition of our deeds, because it encourages us to work harder, to achieve better. However, Alan Turing didn't immediately gain that recognition. Instead, he shared his accomplishments with his peers only, even if it wasn't primarily by choice. What is even more gratifying is that he took his creation and he worked to improve it, even after their goal was completed. We should learn from his example, in the sense that we all shouldn't rely on the opinions of others to gain respect for what we've done. We should learn for ourselves and then move on to teach others to respect themselves and be proud of themselves first and foremost, before seeking such from anyone else.
In addition, Turing was increasingly different in terms of religion and sexuality in those days, when it was severely punishable, and considered to be "indecent." But that does not change the fact that he made an incredible impact on the war, and on the lives of others. It shouldn't matter that someone might be a different race or religion from the rest of us because that is only one part of a person. There is so much more to a person, and Alan Turing proved that. Each person in this world has the opportunity to make a difference and to help others, and who they are shouldn't necessarily change that. However, I would like to disclaim that this isn't the same case in all situations.
In many ways, we all are different, in the way that we think or act and that often can lead to a large amount of successes when our minds and methods are put together, and it is genuinely neat, I think, what we can create out of just a few ideas when we work together. This is something that not many people understand, necessarily, when they are put with someone not like them. Having differences is not always a bad thing, as it means that we just have one extra mind and hand, which contributes to the end result. Alan Turing was certainly seen as different, odd even, but that didn't stop him, nor did it stop others from working alongside him in the end, because we can learn from such oddities, just like they did. Sometimes, the oddest things can be perfect learning experiences and it can improve and rather enlighten someone's perspective.
In conclusion, I would like to state that there were mistakes made in Alan Turing's process and decisions he followed through with that might not have been the best, but they eventually led up to his success, proving that sometimes mistakes are made in order to work harder and to improve, so that they can develop into something better. We all could use a little bit of Turing's spark and inspirational drive inside of each of us, and perhaps, if we work hard enough, such attributes could help us change the future.
