Like Renaissance humanists who believed in the power of learning and creativity, I too am also really interested in taking inspiration from early generations into the world now.
Just like the individualism emphasized in the renaissance period; Life today is much alike, we recognize self-made success and personal growth, regardless of someone’s social origins. For instance, Celebrities who I really look up to, examples being Elon Musk, the richest man on earth, or successful artists like Beyoncé are admired by the world for their talents and accomplishments rather than their family heritage. Elon Musk was born into a middle-class family whilst Beyoncé’s father, Matthew Knowles, was a sales executive with Xerox and her mother, Tina, owned a hair salon. Their wealth or social class did not affect their successful in the real world. Nowadays, there are also a lot of opportunities available for people from diverse backgrounds to achieve success based on their skills and dedication and I strongly support the idea that individual achievement should be prioritized over class or family background, as it can create equitable society where everyone can succeed through their hard work; I believe everyone’s potential can and should be discovered. Low social class does not mean one does not have the potential to succeed in life one day. These real-life cases have always inspired me to not take anything for granted from my family and made me believe that my life is in my hands and hard work will pay off someday.
On most angles, I strongly agree and resonate with the ideas and philosophies of humanism. However, I only partially agree with the ideas of secularism, as I believe that religion and secularism can coexist in society, as both can inspire and enrich each other, whether in aspect of arts, education or religion. Therefore, I believe that I am 93 percent a humanist.