NYAC | 3min Read
Published on May 26, 2026
The Echo of Our Choices
The Echo of Our Choices
‘It is our choices, far more than our abilities, that show who we truly are’- Albus Dumbledore, ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’. Countless times in life, we encounter people who may be very intelligent, very talented. However, sometimes no matter how talented they are, you just can’t seem to like them because of certain choices they made. Choices are an important part of life that determine what kind of person you are.
Indeed it has been proven time and again in history, and continues to be proven even today.
What better way than to prove it with examples?
One of the prominent figures from history that proves this quote is Hitler: the cruel, ruthless politician who was responsible for instigating World War II. Under him, Nazi Germany committed mass murder on an unparalleled level. The Jews were killed in several locations using several methods. It was a holocaust. It may be hard to believe, but Hitler had good intentions. He was a determined and encouraging individual. His ideologies caused him to put the whole world into a state of devastation while being under the misconception that he was making his nation better. Hitler had the ability to reshape the world in a positive way. He had the ability to paint well. However, it was his rapacious choice to dictate the whole nation- rather the whole world- into a frenzy. Despite his extraordinary abilities, to us, he is no more than a vile dictator.
Another notable figure, who further proves the quote is Socrates: “the founder of western philosophies”. Socrates had never been politically sound, nor did he have any military experience. In his time, such skills were conventional, and his disinterest caused his unpopularity and eventual condemnation. He lacked ability. Yet, just the mention of his name rings a bell today. Despite the absence of capability in times that valued everything but what
Socrates stood for, he managed to make his mark in history; a positive one too. Socrates chose to question the unjust authorities. It was his choice to dedicate his life towards knowledge and virtue. Despite the paucity of ability, to us, Socrates is a figure to look up to. He is a philosopher. Choices define what you do. Choices define how you do something. But most importantly, choices define YOU. Of course, ability is a vital aspect of who you are too; but it is worthy to note that it isn’t the ONLY aspect. Everyone has an ability. You could be born with it, or you could develop one over time. What is important is how you choose to use these abilities: whether you do it for the greater good, or you end up being the root of all evil. To conclude, I would like to say that good choices are made by good people. Yet, one bad choice doesn’t make someone evil; it makes them human. At the end of the day, what you do will always be more memorable than what you can do.
