When I was young, my mother read me a story about a naked man—I’m not kidding! He was an emperor who convinced everyone he was wearing extravagant clothes when he was actually naked. The townspeople believed him, and raved about his ‘great robes’ until one child asked a question that shattered their beliefs: “Why is he naked?”
The question revolutionized the town and they all realized the truth that nobody was speaking up for fear of being different or wrong. The boy who spoke up changed the game. This may seem like a weird story to have carried around in the back of my mind for 20 years, but it taught me a lesson: we need to start speaking up when we can. We need to realize these small moments are preparing us for bigger ones.
Right now, it seems trivial. If you have a question in class and you don’t ask it, you can just ask the person next to you. If you don’t understand an assignment, you can just copy someone’s paper. If you're feelings are hurt when your friends tease you, it'll pass; they're your friends, right? Right now, this stuff is acceptable. Right now, not speaking up in the small moments isn't a big deal. But someday in the real world, this lack of courage to speak up will catch up to you.
Not speaking up in class turns into not speaking up at work. Not understanding an assignment translates into being unable to ask for clarification from your boss. The inability to stand up to your friends turns into the inability to stand up for your friends or the inability to stand up for strangers for that matter.
We need to start acting like this little boy every chance we can. We need not be afraid of the things that other people are or are not saying. It’s crucial to speak up now, so we can speak up later. We need to speak up for the small things and the small moments so when the big moments happen, we aren’t frozen in silence. We have to build that courage muscle little by little so we can become strong enough when we reach a big moment.
The lesson we need to learn is to ask questions and make statements even if people disagree or are uncomfortable because of them.
So the next time you have a moment when you think of saying something but decide "nah, better not," remember the emperor has no clothes. Remember to yell that he’s naked. Remember to talk about what’s going on. Remember to ask questions. Say what you think. Do not be passive. Don't be afraid to say what you're thinking. If one person is thinking it, chances are someone else is thinking it, too--someone just has to break the silence.
