WHAT IS INFLUENCE?
Influence is effect, impact, control, power, sway, rule, guidance,
domination, direction, persuasion, etc.
If you try to influence somebody, you intend to induce,
impel, incite or prompt him.
The word ‘influence’ also signifies the capacity to have an
effect on the character, development and behaviour of someone or something.
To influence is to move, impel, control, or direct a person
or to gain an impact on his actions.
Nobody is free from various influences in his upbringing,
character formation, social etiquette, style
of working, decision-making and way of
thinking. .
Teachers, leaders, friends, relatives, all influence our
thoughts and actions. So do books like the Gita, the Ramayana, the holy Quran,
the Bible and various journals, newspapers and electronic media. We are also influenced by the world history,
religions, ethical beliefs and cultural values. Moreover, there are various past heritages which make us what we
are.
If you want to be an effective influential person, you must
be possessing great qualities of head, heart and soul. To influence is to
persuade, and this requires a huge motivational and inspirational power.
Always be a noble influencer; to be ignoble is to be devilish
and destructive.
Somebody has rightly said : Influence is the exhalation of
character.
According to the German philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
(1749-1832) : He who wishes to exert a useful influence must be careful to
insult nothing. Let him not be troubled by what seems absurd, but consecrate
his energies to the creation of what is good. He must not demolish, but build.
He must raise temples where mankind may come and partake of the purest
pleasures.
The Greek philosopher Socrates (died 15 Feb 399 BC) advised:
Let him that would move the world, first move himself.
Finally, read te words of the British author and government
reformer Samuel Smiles (1812-1904): The
career of a great man remains an enduring monument of human energy. The man dies
and disappears, but his thoughts and acts survive and have an indelible stamp
upon his race.
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G.R.Kanwal
26 February 2025
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