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Rohan Bhatia '16 ~ "Moral Introspection"

 

To live in the presence of great truths and eternal laws, to be led by permanent ideals, that is what keeps a man patient when the world ignores him and calm and unspoiled when the world praises him.

“These words encapsulate the essence of moral introspection and can be a key to the transition from boyhood to manhood," said Rohan Bhatia '16 at the beginning of the Alumni Chapel talk he delivered on Friday, December 13 to this year's seventh and eighth graders. The quote he referenced was from my opening letter for the 2015-2016 school year when "Deliberate Moral Introspection" was our school-wide theme. Rohan was in the eighth grade at the time. During his Chapel, he used it as a foundation when speaking to our boys about harnessing moral introspection to build a life of character and purpose.

Rohan's talk featured so many valuable messages around this theme. Excerpted, below, are some of his words of wisdom:

"The goal of successful deliberate moral introspection is to trust your own internal decision making-framework, without being misguided by the ignorance or praise of others."

"There is a certain beauty in understanding things as they are, not as you may want them to be. Embrace truths and the learning process that comes with understanding them."

"Ask the questions that mean the most to you, rather than focusing on giving the correct answers. You will find yourself much more fulfilled when you are 22, like me, if you spend your time thinking about the questions most useful to ask in a situation. Passions are uncovered deliberately in this way, through curiosity and questioning."

"Permanent ideals, to me, mean virtues like honesty, integrity, perseverance, humility—qualities that stand the test of time. Use permanent ideals as a compass and you will not be misguided by what others tell you." 

"Patience, humility, and confidence weave together. There will be times when you will be overlooked, and your efforts not recognized. There will also be times when the world praises you. Remain calm, show your gratitude, avoid arrogance and keep your perspective. Remain guided by those virtues and you will not be so attached to the outcome of your actions, but rather the intentions of the actions themselves."

"The transition from boyhood to manhood doesn't happen overnight. You don't wake up one day and say, 'I have a lot of responsibility; I am suddenly a man'. Becoming a man is not marked by an event, it is marked by continuous small choices."

"Challenge yourself to pick one aspect of your life, whether it be academics, relationships, or athletics and examine it honestly,  Ask where you can push yourself more constructively, what steps you can take to improve, to show more patience and humility. Focus on the improvement."

"I encourage you to engage with this school community, you will always find a way back here. Seek guidance from your teachers, peers, mentors. This will allow you to build a system of trust early, which will carry on."

"The man that you become is going to be shaped by consistency, intention, and effort: not by medals, not by grades, not by winning on the baseball field."

" Take on more responsibility, encourage yourself to build not destroy; lift others, don't put them down; challenge yourself to be a contributor to society no matter how young you are."

At the start of his Chapel talk, Rohan referenced Saint David's as his "first home."  It was wonderful to welcome him back 'home.' We thank Rohan for taking the time to speak with our boys. You could hear a pin drop in the Chapel, so fully did he command the boys' attention. There is little more powerful than boys learning life lessons from a relatable young alumnus, for they see their potential futures in that figure before them ...Ut viri boni sint.

Rohan is a graduate of Saint David's School '16, Horace Mann '20, and Vanderbilt University '24.


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