THE world, at times, can be utterly exhausting. We can sometimes feel like we are constantly giving up parts of ourselves to the world while we receive nothing in return. Every human action takes a certain amount of energy and thought to power it. Actions that are made with the hope of creating large impacts require large amounts of thought and energy to drive them. In order for a flame to burn, there must be some form of fuel that is consumed. In the case of human action, it may seem like positive change is a flame that consumes willpower and energy as its fuel. Thus, those who seek to impact the world and change it are often consumed by their own dreams. They end up spending their entire lives working towards a cause without feeling like they truly created a significant change. Worse still, some people simply give up during the course of their pursuit when they lose the internal energy that motivates their actions. After all, it is predicted that even the sun will eventually run out of light when it no longer has fuel to power it.

Perhaps the pursuit of change can be compared to the Dancing Plague of 1518. During the summer of 1518, a rather strange phenomenon occurred in a French town. This phenomenon has puzzled the general public and researchers for centuries since its occurrence. The phenomenon involved large groups of people being inflicted with an inexplicable condition that led them to dance for days or weeks without end. The plague was triggered when a woman suddenly began to dance in the middle of the town with no control of herself or ability to stop. Eventually, others joined her in the same manner. Various cures were tried for the condition, with none being completely effective. Around 400 people engaged in this behaviour for no apparent reason, and most could not stop until their bodies gave way. The plague was so severe that some people danced themselves to their very death! Slowly, however, the dancing subsided and the plague faded away. Some have claimed that the incident was entirely fabricated. Many have come up with their own potential causes for this bizarre occurrence. Yet, to this day, there is no plausible explanation for the incident.

Many of us battle for change in the same manner that the dancing plague occurred. We dance vehemently to convey a message or to make an impact. We gather crowds of people to join our cause, and we spend not only our own time and energy on the cause but also that of people who have joined us. Yet, like the victims of the dancing plague, there is seemingly no positive outcome for the things we do. We create a small outburst that gradually fades and is forgotten. The initial problem remains unsolved, but now, we feel as if energy and time have also been wasted.

This fear of ‘wasting’ energy is one of the greatest obstacles of our younger generation. Every significant choice that we make is also a small promise that the decision and the energy that goes into executing it will all eventually benefit us in some way. So, it is no wonder that if there is an opportunity that seems to require time and energy in greater amounts than it provides benefits, most people will simply not use it. Change is one of those opportunities that are often ignored.

At first glance, the dancing plague seems like an enormous waste of energy and a great tragedy. However, the plague has inspired nearly five centuries’ worth of artwork, literature, and perhaps even research. It has impacted the world in a bizarre, yet meaningful way.

The process of change is based on trial and error. It involves constantly reshaping your plans and replenishing yourself, all while maintaining your initial passion and zeal. Energy that is invested into something does not simply ‘disappear’. Instead, it will manifest itself in different ways and at different times that we may have expected. If a random group of dancing people have inspired others for five centuries, could you imagine what a group of young people could do if they simply refused to give up on their cause?