Who’s Most Influential In The World……..?

here's an opinion of mine published on the TIME magazine website, in response to their question "Who's most influential in the world?"

Posted by Manisha Gupta in New Delhi, INDIA: /2.5.2008


Who’s Most Influential In The World……..?

The most “influential” in the world is off course TIME (I am NOT talking about the magazine dear!!). Time is what influences the happenings and the non-happenings in the world, influencing minds, mentality, motives and moves. Talking of the most “influential personality” in the world, having the largest “sphere of influence”-both literally and figuratively- it is off course GOD, The Almighty. He is the one who makes the world go round…… literally! He has the influence over every good or bad that happens to each creature on this globe.

But tell me, does “influential” necessarily
mean “visible”, “popular”, “famous”, “well-known”, “most seen” etc ? Then by this criteria, I believe Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan shouldn’t have been left out in the “TIME” list because of their magical, charismatic and “FAN”tastic influence on a global audience. They have the influence to bring tears and cheers in reel and real life to millions and millions and millions far transcending national and cultural boundaries.

On a more philosophical plane, in this era of intangibles being much more worthwhile than tangibles & physical assets, it is thus the ‘invisible influences’ that should be given more weightage than the ‘visible influences’.

So what about the influential ones who may influence the course of many a cause, culture and country, but not be “visible” to the world (read “global media”!) simply because they’re too busy “influencing” lives and making a difference to society and are not bothered about limelight, visibility and following and so will never make it to “The List”.

But, they work and toil for “causes” and not “lists”!! And I believe THEY- individually and collectively-in whichever nation of the world, are the most influential in the world because, after GOD, it is “they” that make the world go round.