The Handicap that Helped

Mahatma Gandhi’s world renown as a spiritual leader tends to obscure the fact that he was by nature a very shy person. Those who are unacquainted with the details of his rise to leadership are generally surprised to learn that in his early career, he had often been reduced to silence by sheer nervousness.

Once when he was a student in London, he was asked to make a speech at a meeting of a vegetarian society which he had joined. He stood up to speak, but was unable to express himself. Finally, he muttered a few words of thanks and sat down. On another occasion, when he was invited to speak on vegetarianism, he set his thoughts down on paper, but was not even able to read out what he had written. It was left to someone else to perform that service for him.

After passing his law examinations in London, he started his practice in Bombay, but on his very first appearance in court, he was so nervous that he could not plead his client’s case and had to ask his client to choose another lawyer.

But, as Gandhiji writes, this apparent disadvantage turned to his advantage:

“My hesitancy in speech, which was once an annoyance, is now a pleasure. Its greatest benefit has been that it has taught me the economy of words. I have naturally formed the habit of restraining my thoughts. And I can now give myself a certificate that a thoughtless word has hardly ever escaped my tongue or pen.”

Mahatma Gandhi was well-known for his thoughtful and terse manner of speech. But this outstanding trait only came from another trait which few would consider outstanding. Initially, his shyness prevented him from speaking in public; later on, it made him thoughtful and succinct when he spoke.

Mahatma Gandhi was well-known for his economy of words and well thought-out speeches. There were few, however, who realized that this very positive virtue had been derived from what had once been a serious handicap.