Some are born as princes; some are born to families who plot their way up to power. However there are others who are born in the dark alleys of poverty and have to struggle their way, assiduously to power and glory. This insatiable quest to glory often leads them to perform extraordinary feats that any ordinary human will not dream of. That is the power of a single human mind.

Though the victory of Barack Obama is a significant event in history and real triumph of human spirit, it also raises pertinent questions about the times we live in. Democracy as they say is the rule of the people, the rule of consensus. But never before in a democratic process, has a nation and the world in general, placed so much faith in one individual to pull them out of serious economic quagmire than we have got ourselves into.

Many a nation in the past has placed their bets on a single individual to bail them out from economic and military crises. Some have risen to the challenge; some have misused the power, while some have just been unable to shoulder the responsibility and have withered away.

While there are many examples in the past, but in recent memory, Germany is the prime example of a nation battered economically post World War –I by the draconian Marseilles treaty, placing their entire faith in one man and his ideology.

The first few years of Adolf Hitler’s rule was remarkable, as Germany made rapid progress to reclaim its position as an economic and military super power. However, after Hitler started the First World War, the German people realized the enormity of the situation. Germany soon realized with disastrous consequences that a powerful orator or a charismatic personality does not necessary make a good leader. It took a few more charismatic, but astute leaders like Winston Churchill and Stalin to foil the rampaging German dictator from conquering the world.

Our own Mahatma Gandhi is another individual, who not only took India towards independence, but showed a shining new path which formed the cornerstone of modern human ideology

There are other recent examples in democratic setups like, Indira Gandhi, George Bush Jr & Sr, Fujimori, Robert Mugabe, Vladimir Putin, to name a few, who smartly subverted the democratic process and set up quasi dictatorship governments. They still commanded huge respect from the people whom they represent because of their clever mix of populism and authoritarianism and this ensured their longevity.

Mankind is prone to invoke and deify a single individual to pull it out of many crises. Gautama Buddha, Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohammad actually epitomized the power of a single human mind, it’s myriad and unending power to think, mobilize and change the course of history and thus mankind. In a democratic setup too, this human trait is all pervading and even now, people do expect individuals to weave the magic wand and pull them out of misery.

Barrack Obama has a monumental challenge ahead of him to do exactly this in the 21st Century. And that would be another test of the Power of ONE human mind.