Most Indians go into education. Their parents just push them

When Mahesh Bhupathi observed, “Most Indians go into education. Their parents just push them into education like parents in Australia push them into sports,” he spoke of the powerful force of cultural expectation, the unseen hand that guides young lives onto particular paths. His words reveal that what parents prize most in society—whether it be education or sports—often becomes the destiny of their children, shaping their identities and futures before they have chosen for themselves.

The ancients too saw this truth. In Sparta, children were guided toward war from birth, their entire youth molded into the shape of the soldier. In Athens, by contrast, parents pushed their children toward philosophy, rhetoric, and the arts, believing these pursuits to be the highest calling. Bhupathi’s reflection is no different: India holds education as the sacred road to honor, stability, and survival, while Australia exalts the sporting field as the arena where glory is won and heroes are made.

The pressure of parents can be both blessing and burden. To be urged toward education has given India generations of doctors, engineers, scholars, and innovators. It has raised families out of poverty, secured futures, and brought global recognition to a nation built upon intellectual power. And yet, this same pressure often leaves little room for alternative dreams—for the artist, the musician, or even the athlete who longs to break free of books and seek triumph in another arena.

So too in Australia, the push toward sports has created a culture of physical greatness: cricketers, swimmers, and rugby players celebrated as national treasures. Yet for every champion born of that system, there are countless others who might have found their destiny in another craft but were steered away by the overwhelming cultural tide. Bhupathi’s words shine light on this universal truth—that every society exalts one path above others, and in doing so, sometimes blinds itself to the diversity of gifts in its children.

History offers us examples of both the blessings and dangers of such pressures. Consider Mozart, whose father Leopold pushed him relentlessly into music from his earliest years. From this pressure came genius, but also sorrow, as the young prodigy carried the weight of expectation until his death. Likewise, in modern times, countless young minds in India labor under the demand for academic excellence, while countless young athletes in Australia bear the crushing weight of sporting glory. In each, we see both greatness and sacrifice.

The lesson is clear: parents and societies must guide, but not bind. It is noble to encourage discipline, whether of the mind or body, but wisdom lies in recognizing each child’s unique calling. The soil of education and the soil of sport can both bear fruit—but only if the seed planted is true to the nature of the soul it carries.

Practically, this means fostering balance. In India, let education remain a pillar, but let children who burn with athletic fire be given the freedom to run, jump, and play. In Australia, let the love of sport endure, but let those who thirst for study be given equal honor. For when a society values many paths, it creates a richer, stronger, and freer generation.

Thus, Bhupathi’s words endure as a reminder: cultural pressure can create greatness, but it must never silence individuality. The true role of a parent, of a society, is not to dictate destiny, but to open doors—to push a child not into one narrow path, but into the vast horizon of possibility where their own gifts may flourish.