The Life of Mahatma Gandhi

There are far too many accomplishments in the life of Mohandas Gandhi to be covered in a single essay, for he was and still is one of the most idolized people in history. His beliefs of unity and equality are still shared today by millions of people around the world. Gandhi was India's savior in the country's time of need. He provided hope for people that would have never been given a chance for hope. People referred to as "untouchables" supported Gandhi, because he fought for their equality, and gave them a better place in India's society. Although the caste systems that Gandhi fought so hard to get rid of still exists in India today, he undoubtedly made the biggest impact of any human rights activist.

Gandhi had very strong political views, and knew that he had to speak out against injustices done to people everywhere. His belief of non-cooperation with evil reflects the strength of Gandhi's determination to gain equal rights for all people. Gandhi did what every person would have liked to do, but didn't have the courage to do, which was stand up against unjust laws and beliefs. It seems like most people would have crumbled under the scrutiny and pain that Gandhi endured during the course of his life. Without people like Gandhi in society, as rare as they are, we would have no control over how our lives are run, because there would be no one to stand up against things that are unjust.

Gandhi's economic views are also a very important part of his success. His philosophy of living like a person in poverty, was a very good stance in my opinion. It gained him respect from people who were forced to dress shabbily, which was the

majority of Indians. It gave people the feeling that he was one of them, and that there was no way that he would sell out or deceive them in any way. Gandhi's humbleness definitely was part of his success. The caste system is an unjust system that is partly responsible for the poverty of millions of people worldwide. Unfortunately, poverty is something that we will never get rid of completely. However, the best that we can do is to fight our hardest to keep our minds open, and have compassion for fellow humans, so we can increase the global standard of living.

My theory for why societies use caste systems is that all people crave status and want to feel superior to someone else. It is one of the primal urges of human beings, just like any other animal, to feel the need for superiority. It gives people gratification to know that there are people in a worse situation than them. To Gandhi, and myself, this seems like a weakness of the conscience. This mindset is for the people who feel insecure about themselves. They need a caste system to tell everyone of their superiority in society.

I think that the world would be a much better place if people didn?t think like they do. When I was a small child, I remember thinking to myself how stubborn children are. I remember telling myself that things would get better as I got older, and that people would start to understand me a little better. As I am reaching adulthood, I find it sad that at heart, most people still think like children, only concerned about themselves. I'm given hope when I hear stories of people like Gandhi, because that is when I know that there are actually decent people in the world, unlike the self-centered pigs that I encounter every day. Without people like Gandhi, we would be in an even more horrible situation. I think that it is about time for someone to take a stand in America against the two party system, which is swayed too greatly by financial factors. Americans need a leader like Gandhi to guide them through this corrupt society, and to make changes in the way that society categorizes people. I think that the purpose of life is to live a meaningful existence, which cannot be done if you are always concerned with getting ahead of others.