Myopia
Essay by Hiranga Bandara Suraweera

Essay Writing Competition 2025
Category: 12-15 years
- Commendation -

Senior category: Commendation

Myopia - Essay by Hiranga Bandara Suraweera

Myopia Essay

That is what everything and everyone around me seem to suffer from – Myopia, or near-sightedness! What lies in the distance cannot be seen clearly. It becomes a huge blur. True, circumstances may change, and conditions may vary in the future. Yet there is always an opportunity to plan – an opportunity that no one seems to have faith in, and no one really cares about. Does no one realize that the reason there is so much suffering in the world is precisely because of this philosophical myopia?

I like the concept of "live and let live." However, why does everyone seem intent on dragging others down until they become just like them? I see it all the time in school. I was never athletic. I prefer to perch myself in one place and lose myself in thought. However, this is considered strange. When I stare into vacant space, people assume I am a lunatic.

How is this connected to Myopia, one might ask? Let me explain. People only see what is right in front of them. They cannot look beyond the surface or imagine that I might be deep in thought. Their vision is short-sighted, fixed on appearances rather than on possibilities. I participated in a piano and singing competition recently. I have been taking part in it for the past eight years or so, and every year I make it to the final round. Yet something always seems to be missing, and I never emerge as the winner. I realized today that it is because I have lost faith in the goodness of the world. I have become so accustomed to not winning that I have accepted it as the result of the myopia of those around me.

People tend to measure success only in trophies, medals, and certificates. They cannot see the effort, the hours of practice, or the courage it takes to walk on stage again and again despite setbacks. This narrow vision discourages many like me, who try to find meaning in the journey rather than in the result alone. Nevertheless, perhaps the real victory lies not in applause or prizes, but in refusing to let the myopia of others blur the clarity of my own dreams. My term test marks were low this time. Still, I managed to do reasonably well in Sinhala Language and Chemistry. On the surface, these are two very different subjects. Even I cannot quite understand how such unalike areas became my academic strengths. My mother noticed this unusual pattern and asked me what I saw myself becoming in the future.

After so many years of being shaped by society’s expectations, I realized that my own myopia must have kicked in when I answered, "I have not figured it out yet." It is easier to say that, than to imagine possibilities beyond the narrow lenses handed down to me. Perhaps, just like others, I too sometimes fall into the trap of seeing only what is near and familiar, instead of daring to look further into the distance, towards where my true path might lie. In the end, I have come to see that Myopia is not just a condition of the eye, but of the mindset and heart.

At school, it shows in the way people judge me by how fast I can run, how far I can throw a rugby ball, or how much I stray from the "normal," "cool," and "chill" stereotypes. In competitions, it hides in the obsession with trophies and medals instead of the courage to keep performing. Even in academic aspects, it whispers when I limit myself to the marks on an exam paper or when I tell myself I cannot see a future yet.

However, if there is one lesson I take from all this, it is that I must not allow the short-sightedness of others – or my own, to define me. The world may remain near-sighted, but I will not be the same. I will keep looking further, beyond the blur, until I clearly see the horizon of who I can and will become.

Congratulations on your deeply reflective and thought-provoking essay, Hiranga! We admire how you courageously examine personal experiences and how you showcase resilience, self-awareness, and vision beyond immediate expectations. Thank you for sharing such an inspiring perspective! We truly enjoy reading all your fabulous stories!

Hiranga, 14 years old, attends Trinity College in Kandy/ Sri Lanka. English as second language. Sinhala as home language.

Hiranga is one of our shining stars! He has participated in our competition before, consistently achieving impressive results. You can explore his outstanding essays here: