Malcolm X Intro Draft

                Decisions people make often define the life they lead later on. So, often when people have to make a decision that could have a huge impact on their life, they take a while to think about the decision and make sure that they make the right, and most sensible, decision that would most positively influence their life, or is in their best interest. This is so commonly done because it would seem to make sense- you spend time on important things to make sure you make the proper choice, instead of rushing a decision and maybe getting it wrong.

            Even though taking your time would seem to be a normal action to do when making decisions, Malcolm X changes his views from views he had strongly agreed with for over 12 years to almost the complete opposite in a very short amount of time after his experiences in Mecca. This seems odd to me, because the change Malcolm undergoes is certainly a massive one, and one with great impact on his life- yet he still changes in no time at all. It is very intriguing that Malcolm could so profoundly change his entire system of beliefs without seemingly giving it very much effort or thought at all, because of the short amount of time in which he changed. If taking time to make the right decision when you have a potentially life-changing decision at hand is often thought of as the right approach, but Malcolm makes a massive change to his beliefs, changing from something he believed for 12 years to close to the opposite in such a short time after Mecca, then what enabled Malcolm to make the decision without having to spend time on making sure it was a good choice and one that would benefit him? Understanding this crucial change in a crucial point in the book can give us a deeper understanding of how Malcolm viewed the world, and what he saw change in the world to be, which is extremely vital to understanding Malcolm’s life as a whole, due to the fast-paced and often changing lifestyle Malcolm led for much of his life.

            One way to think about how Malcolm changed so quickly and decisively after Mecca is to consider the role of Malcolm’s new religion, “true” Islam, or the Islam practiced in the East, on the changes he made in his life, making Malcolm not worried about what he previously believed, but instead focusing him on the challenges that had always been a part of his life, and a new way that, perhaps, Malcolm could look to solve those issues.