In search of Captain Nemo

Thursday, December 2, 2010 - 10:20 in Psychology & Sociology

I have always loved stories. Sometimes, I find stories that my life absorbs. The ancient Sanskrit epic “Mahabharata,” detailing the deeds of valorous heroes and austere sages, is one such tale. Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged,” with its portrayal of the disciplined steel magnate Hank Rearden, is another. One story in particular stands out: Jules Verne’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” Ever since I first read it as a child, I have wanted to be Captain Nemo — a solitary inventor, a man of powerful principles and emotions who roams the oceans in a submarine of his own design. It is motivation from inspiring stories like these that has created my Harvard experience, and that same motivation informs my aims for the future. I applied to Harvard because it was the one institution that harbored the most people who had influenced my thought — an intellectually diverse list that included Joseph Schumpeter, W.E.B. Du...

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