Charlie Sheen - "Winning"

There has been a great deal of controversy recently over the physical and mental state of American actor Charlie Sheen. Today I have been invited to join groups or watch videos of extremely peculiar and worrying interviews that he has given recently.

It was while watching one of these videos on YouTube that I noticed a link to a video in which Charlie Sheen gave a talk at a conference for people questioning the events of 9/11. During his speech he said something which struck a chord with me:

"Fear is never a good enough reason to do nothing."

I think that one of the main reasons why this statement has had an impact on me is because I honestly do not think I have ever heard anything that I agree more with.

There has always been an aspect of our nature which stops us from standing up for certain things because we fear what the consequences will be, and this fear can be seen from primary school children through to OAPs. Whether it be not standing up for someone who is being bullied at school out of fear that we will then bullied, or whether, like Charlie Sheen it is not standing up or questioning something which you believe in.

Where would we be if people had done nothing out of fear? What if Martin Luther King had never stood up for civil rights out of fear that he would be attacked for it? What if Al Gore had not continued to raise awareness about global warming out of fear that he would be mocked by fellow politicians?

History is filled with iconic people who are admired for doing something even though they may have feared the consequences, and these are the people that history will remember. Martin Luther King, Ghandi, Mother Teresa, Al Gore and countless more people have and will be remembered for making a difference by taking action. The celebrities of the 21st century such as Lady Gaga, Wayne Rooney or Cheryl Cole are not going to be remembered in the timeless way that other people have been.

Fear can stop people doing a great deal of things in their lives, and I ahve respect for anyone who can over come their fears no matter how trivial they may seem to other people.

Sheen has been heavily ridiculed recently for stating that he is continually "winning", and until I heard that statement I have to admit that I ridiculed this too; but after watching him stand up for what he thinks is right, and encouraging others to do the same I am starting to think that possibly he does have a "winning" attitude in some aspects of his life.

I will always admire people like Sheen, who despite what ever else may be happening in their lives, stand up for what they believe are injustices; people who stand up to fear.