Gandhi: Experiments with Truth Part I

The story of my experiments with Truth is Gandhi’s autobiography. In the first part of it, he writes about the period between his birth in 1869 and the end of his barrister studies in England.

The shyness of Gandhi

What shocked me about Gandhi when I read the first part of his autobiography was the complete contrast between how I perceived him and how he really was.

Having only a general understanding of him, I primarily associated Gandhi with leadership traits like strength, fearlessness, and confidence. I never really considered his shyness or lack of self-confidence as defining aspects of his character.

For a long time, I hadn’t seen those traits as strengths until I read about people who embraced them. Then, I recognized them in myself and realized how they are helping me, sometimes.

Weakness can transform into something powerful if it’s properly understood and appreciated. Self-awareness, then, is essential in creating that balance. I think that the story of Gandhi helps us grasp this. It’s inspiring that he addressed it.

A lawyer without confidence

He was a lawyer, so he had to plead and talk a lot, often in large gatherings. He experienced some painful moments where fear overcame him and made him look like a fool, sometimes making him quit his speech and just sit while people were waiting for more explanations. He felt humiliated quite often.

He lacked a natural confidence. Thus, he was forced to become a listener. What strikes me is that it didn’t break him; it didn’t affect his spirit or stop him from pursuing whatever his mind set out to achieve.

He was a shy individual and never fully overcame this, even in his later life. He was always uncomfortable giving speeches, yet he transformed this discomfort into a strength. But how?

Listening and then, speaking with purpose

Not being a natural speaker forced him to truly listen. That way, he learned a lot and his empathy grew; he genuinely cared about what people said.

He was more concerned with understanding others than with crafting responses, unlike many people who focus more on the latter. His desire to speak as little as possible made him choose his words carefully. This made him more precise and impactful.

Avoiding exaggeration or unnecessary rhetoric became a goal, and this restraint added to his credibility. Over time, it enabled him to lead people effectively.

This practice wasn’t just a natural trait; it also stemmed from his beliefs and religion: Hinduism. It aligned with the principles of Brahmacharya (self-restraint) and Satyagraha (asserting Truth through non-violence).

Quotes of Gandhi, self-reflecting

“Experience has taught me that silence is part of the spiritual discipline of a votary of Truth. Proneness to exaggerate, to suppress or modify the Truth, wittingly or unwittingly, is a natural weakness of man, and silence is necessary in order to surmount it.”

“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.”

“My shyness has helped me in my discernment of Truth.”

Where are the new Gandhis?

With extremism on the rise, and a global appetite for “strong” leaders growing, there is an increasing aversion to qualities often seen as weakness: compromise, tolerance, and restraint.

Yet Gandhi’s life offers a real counterpoint. He showed that even in times of profound conflict, inequality, and immense pressure, one can lead effectively and with deep humanity, despite not being a flawless or “perfect” individual.

Embracing your own character, that will never match conventional ideals of the “perfect” human, is key to me. We are unique and we can grow qualities from what we think are disastrous flaws.

We can strive to improve, but first, let’s deepen our understanding of the things we pursue and reflect on what we truly want. Others are valuable sources of insights. So, let’s adopt some of Gandhi’s habits: listen more, speak less.