Across most countries and curricula, students master one subject above all else: conformity. The rigid selection processes of these intellectual temples we call "the Ivy League," combined with limited exposure to diverse backgrounds—not just viewpoints—produce a fundamentally conformist workforce dedicated to serving the god of our millennium: capitalism.

Don’t get me wrong: I don’t condemn learning, nor do I believe that these institutions are anything less than some of the best. But in my limited experience on this planet, I have come to appreciate the inherent dichotomy that underpins all things and phenomena. A wide range of examples from across existence has led me to this conclusion.

Take cinema, for example, a medium we all find relatable. I’m a huge movie buff: Hindi films, English films, international cinema—I devour it all.

But for every Tom Cruise film that delivers a fictional, edge-of-your-seat thrill without forcing you to confront anything deep or meaningful, there is a Robin Williams film that offers a bird’s-eye view of your life and the world around you. It compels you to evaluate your beliefs, your past, your actions, and those of the people around you, while searching for the source of the tears that follow you out of the theatre. This balance—between escapism and reflection—is essential.

The same principle applies on a larger scale in political systems. The most powerful and successful countries in the world maintain balance through opposition, a counterweight that keeps leadership in check. The absence of such balance has given rise to states like Afghanistan and North Korea, where unchecked authority spirals into chaos.

Whether through personal or societal examples, the point remains simple: get to know more people. It doesn’t matter if you’re an Ivy League student, a genius mathematician teaching a class, or even a dropout. Expose yourself to diverse viewpoints rooted in experience and knowledge—not just the mindless consumption of books written by authors who themselves were inspired by other authors.

See things unfold in real time. Observe everything around you with a lens sharp enough to make Sherlock Holmes envious. Compare circumstances, events, and outcomes to draw your own hypotheses. Then test those hypotheses in conversations with new people—people different enough from your usual circle to bring a fresh perspective. Be prepared to be proven wrong. Be ready to face humiliation so intense that it leaves you laughed out of the room. But do not concede. Do not surrender to the mindless gloating of mildly smart individuals. Go home, reflect, read, learn, refine your hypotheses if necessary, and try again.

This exercise—which many might dismiss as futile—is, with clear thought and a willingness to act on the beliefs you form along the way, the stuff leaders are made of.

Don’t bend to your environment. Seek out change. Seek out adventure. Most importantly, seek out new people—people who come from different families, different places, and experiences far removed from your own reality. That’s where true growth begins.

Its said that "To prepare for the known is like learning just that one song on the guitar. Familiarise yourself with the sound and the strings, suddenly you can play every song you've ever heard."