[Liberation of Mind - A Journey]
[Scene 1 - 2nd Year of High School] (Classroom. Idris sits in the middle row, staring at the blackboard with deep thought. The teacher is explaining the lesson, but something bothers him. He raises his hand.)
Idris: "Sir, if this theory is correct, what if we consider a different perspective? Is there a possibility that this theory has flaws?"
(The room falls silent. The teacher pauses, then narrows his eyes, feeling cornered. Some students suppress their laughter.)
Teacher: "That’s a strange question. It seems like you're overthinking unnecessary things. Just focus on what I teach, don’t act too smart."
(Other students laugh. Idris lowers his head, his face turning red. From that day on, he chooses silence. He stops asking, stops thinking critically. Over time, his grades drop, and his confidence fades.)
[Scene 2 - University Orientation] (School auditorium. University representatives are speaking in front of students about the competition for college admission. Their words strike a chord with Idris.)
University Representative: "The acceptance rate for our architecture program is only around 5%. The competition is fierce, and only the best can get in."
(Idris feels something stir within him. A challenge. For the first time in a long while, he wants to fight again.)
[Scene 3 - Counseling Session] (Counseling room. Several students sit in line, waiting for their turn. When it's Idris's turn, he takes a deep breath.)
Counselor: "Alright, what are your plans for college?"
Idris: (in a low voice) "I want to study architecture."
(Silence. Some students suppress their laughter, some immediately mock him.)
Other Student: "Hah? You? Architecture? No way! Your grades dropped, are you even sure you can do it?"
(Idris feels a wave of doubt creeping back in. But after the session ends, the counselor calls him back to the room.)
Counselor: "Why are you hesitating? What are you afraid of? Tell me everything."
(That’s when everything pours out—the trauma, the fear, the social rejection. The counselor listens quietly, then speaks.)
Counselor: "History has recorded many great thinkers who were rejected by their society. Galileo, Copernicus, Socrates—they were all seen as threats because they dared to think. But did they stop? No. They chose to keep going. The same applies to you. If you seek freedom of thought, you must be ready to face a world that dislikes it."
(Those words open something within Idris. For the first time, he sees his path clearly.)
[Scene 4 - Final Exams & Graduation] (Months later. Exam results are announced. Idris’s name stands at the top as the highest-ranking student.)
(The school falls silent. No one congratulates him. They just stare, their expressions unreadable. Jealous? Disbelieving? They choose to stay silent.)
(During the graduation ceremony, tradition dictates that the top-ranked student delivers the graduation speech.)
[Scene 5 - Graduation Speech] (Idris walks to the podium calmly. All eyes from students and teachers follow his steps. Some students whisper, others cross their arms as if indifferent. Idris stands tall in front of the microphone, takes a slow breath, and begins speaking in a flat tone.)
"Throughout history, humanity has always faced two choices: to think or to follow. Those who chose to think were often isolated, seen as threats, or even punished. Meanwhile, those who followed—without questioning, without rejecting—were welcomed by society with open arms.
During the Dark Ages, Galileo Galilei was condemned for saying that the Earth revolved around the Sun. At that time, truth was not something that could be accepted easily, especially when it contradicted deeply rooted dogmas. One interesting fact remains—truth remains truth, even if the world chooses to deny it.
The same applies to our environment. There are invisible boundaries that control us, not with chains, but with norms. We are taught to accept without questioning, to obey without thinking. Not because we are incapable, but because thinking is risky—the risk of being seen as different, of being punished with mockery and exclusion.
I have experienced it. Punished not for being wrong, but for asking. Mocked not for being ignorant, but for daring to question. So I chose the safer path—following, letting my thoughts wither away, until there was almost nothing left. And at that moment, I was no longer myself. I was merely a shadow of others' expectations.
However, as history has taught us, thought cannot be caged forever. There comes a point where one must choose: to remain a slave to norms or to rise above them.
Today, I stand here not as someone seeking validation. I stand here as a reminder—that the limitation of thought is not an inheritance to be accepted without question. That the dogma which binds us should not be passed down to the next generation. And that truth does not change, even when everyone chooses to close their eyes.
History has shown that those who limit thought are the ones who fear losing control. But history also proves that no boundary can restrain a free mind.
Today, I am not here to prove who is right or wrong. I am only here as a reminder... that truth does not need recognition, and free thought does not need permission."
(Idris pauses for a moment, gazing at the crowd with an expressionless face. The room is silent. No applause, no noise, only an unsettling stillness hanging in the air. Calmly, Idris turns around, stepping down from the podium, leaving them in silence.)
(As his steps grow distant from the podium, a faint voice from the corner of the room murmurs, almost like a whisper, "He's right.")