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Life Lesson from French Author Jules Verne

Kamlesh Tripathi

    The greatest journey in life is not the journey across continents, but the journey into the unknown. More than 160 years ago, Jules Verne asked his readers to imagine something that seemed impossible, and that was the journey to the centre of the Earth.

    In his classic novel Journey to the Centre of the Earth, by Jules Verne, the chief protagonist, Professor Otto Lidenbrock, discovers a mysterious manuscript written by the Icelandic scholar Arne Saknussemm. It reveals a secret route into the Earth through the crater of an extinct Icelandic volcano. Lidenbrock does not dismiss the idea simply because it sounds impossible. He decides to explore it. And that is where the first lesson of life begins. Never allow the word “impossible” to become the end of your curiosity.

    Lidenbrock sets out with his reluctant nephew Axel and their Icelandic guide Hans. The journey takes them deep beneath the Earth, through dark passages, enormous caverns, underground seas and landscapes populated by prehistoric creatures. But beneath all the adventure lies a much deeper story. It is the story of human beings confronting the unknown. Axel is frightened. He doubts the expedition. He questions whether they will survive. And who among us has never behaved like Axel?

    We all have moments when we stand before an uncertain future and think, What if I fail? What if I get lost? What if I cannot come back? Fear is natural. But fear can’t always be allowed to make our decisions. Then there is Hans. He speaks little, but when difficulties arise, he acts. He reminds us of another important truth: Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is continuing despite fear.

    And then comes one of the most memorable ideas in the novel. Lidenbrock tells Axel that science is made up of mistakes. Mistakes that are useful because they gradually lead us towards truth. What a lesson for life!

     We often consider mistakes to be failures. We hide them. We regret them. Sometimes we allow one mistake to define our entire life. But mistakes can also be teachers. A wrong decision can show us what not to do. A failed attempt can reveal a better direction. A closed door can force us to discover another entrance. Failure is not always the opposite of success. Sometimes it is a part of the road to success.

    The expedition also teaches us something about perseverance. Imagine descending into darkness without knowing what lies ahead. That is life. We rarely have the complete map. We take one step, then another. Sometimes the path disappears. Sometimes we have to turn back. Sometimes we discover something extraordinary precisely because the journey did not go according to plan.

    Jules Verne’s science may not always agree with modern scientific knowledge. The immense heat and pressure deep inside the Earth would make such a journey impossible in reality. But that is not the real point. Verne was teaching us to imagine beyond the boundaries of the familiar.

    Human progress has always begun with somebody asking an unreasonable question. Can we fly? Can we reach the Moon? Can we travel beneath the oceans? Can we communicate instantly across the world? Yesterday’s impossibility can become tomorrow’s reality.

    So perhaps Journey to the Centre of the Earth is not really about reaching the centre of the Earth. It is about reaching the centre of ourselves. Deep inside every person lie unexplored chambers: our courage, creativity, resilience, curiosity and dreams. The greatest discoveries may not be beneath our feet. They may be within us. So, when life presents you with an unknown path, do not immediately turn it away. Take the first step. Make mistakes. Learn. Keep going. Because sometimes the darkest journey leads us to the brightest discovery.

    And perhaps that is Jules Verne’s greatest lesson. To discover the world, we must first have the courage to explore the unknown within ourselves.

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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