There is a particular type of person found everywhere, but especially online. They stand at the side-lines of life, watching others take risks, chase ambitions, follow visions, and pursue goals that may seem impossible. They rarely create anything themselves. Instead, they appoint themselves judges of other people's dreams.
When they see someone striving for something unconventional, they reach for a familiar word:
"Delusion."
Recently, Harry Munker described John Wanoa's life as having been "wasted in delusion" and suggested he should serve as a warning to others.
The statement says far more about Harry Munker than it does about John Wanoa.
Who Decides What Is Delusion?
History is full of people who were dismissed as dreamers, fools, fanatics, or delusional visionaries.
Inventors.
Explorers.
Religious leaders.
Political reformers.
Artists.
Scientists.
Every one of them was told at some point that their ideas were ridiculous. Had they failed, many would simply be remembered as eccentrics. Because they succeeded, they are celebrated as pioneers.
Success often determines whether society labels a person a visionary or a delusionist.
The Relativity of Human Judgement.
We already understand this principle in countless other areas of life.
One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist.
One man's rubbish is another man's treasure.
One man's hero is another man's villain.
One man's dream is another man's delusion.
These statements all recognise a simple truth: Human judgement is subjective.
People interpret the world through their own experiences, beliefs, prejudices, fears, and ambitions.
When Harry Munker calls another person's aspirations "delusion," he is not making an objective observation. He is expressing a personal opinion.
The question then becomes: What gives him the authority to decide which dreams are valid and which are not?
The Psychology of the Spectator.
Often, people who ridicule ambition are uncomfortable with ambition itself.
A person who never attempts anything extraordinary can protect themselves from failure.
If you never chase a dream, you never risk disappointment.
If you never stand out, you never risk ridicule.
But there is a hidden price for that safety.
You also never discover what might have been possible.
It is much easier to mock a dreamer than to become one.
It is easier to criticise a man building something than to build something yourself.
The spectator enjoys the comfort of certainty.
The dreamer accepts the risk of being wrong.
A Life Is More Than Its Outcome.
Even if someone pursues a goal and never achieves it, does that automatically mean their life was wasted? Many would argue the opposite.
A life spent pursuing meaning, purpose, conviction, and hope can hardly be called wasted.
The real tragedy may not be failing to achieve a dream.
The real tragedy may be never having a dream at all.
At least the dreamer lived according to his own vision.
At least he tried.
At least he dared.
What Does Harry Munker's Comment Reveal?
His comment reveals certainty where humility might have been wiser. It reveals a willingness to reduce an entire human life to a dismissive one-line judgement. It reveals a belief that he possesses enough knowledge to pronounce final verdicts on another person's aspirations.
Perhaps most importantly, it reveals a lack of curiosity.
Instead of asking why a person believed what they believed, what motivated them, what inspired them, or what they hoped to achieve, the judgement arrives first and the understanding never comes. That is rarely a sign of wisdom.
Final Thoughts
Every significant achievement in human history began as an idea that somebody else thought was absurd. Dreams often look like delusions until they succeed.
The people who mock them frequently disappear into history unnoticed, while the dreamers they laughed at become the people remembered.
Whether one agreed with John Wanoa or not is ultimately beside the point.
The larger question is whether we should be in the business of sneering at the aspirations of others. Because when someone dismisses another person's entire life as "delusion," they may reveal something far more significant about themselves than about the person they are trying to condemn. And perhaps that should serve as a warning to others.
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