Word of Mouth is more powerful than an advertisement in 'The New York Times' is the experience of all experienced people in any walk of life. We see a book like Gone with the Wind selling in millions while equally good books peter out in their sales after an initial spurt. The same phenomenon we see between Nehru and Gandhiji on one side and Subhas Chandra Bose and Jayaprakash on the other side. One leader is as charismatic as another, but one rides the wave while the other does not. In national as well as international movements also, we witness that a few catch the imagination of the people while the others, equally good or even better do not take off or flag after the initial success. Where does the difference lie?
When the writer or the leader has touched the Spirit in his own inspiration, it touches the Spirit of the population also. The Spirit calling the Spirit creates a live ever-increasing movement of sales or popularity. We see athletes, writers, musicians, spiritual leaders, politicians, even academic professors, and sometimes scientists rising to national or international fame. In the post war period this phenomenon is more in incidence since the Force has descended in 1956.
Technology has enabled man to enjoy today what was inconceivable 100 years ago or even twenty years ago. A scientist discovers, another commercialises the technology, a company mass produces it and the common man enjoys the cell phone or computer. 'One man's perfection can save the world' is a line in Sri Aurobindo's epic poem Savitri. Anyone who is patient enough to invoke the Spirit in his own life, who acts on his own faith and not on his capacity, will now witness such a boom in his own life. How far it will rise depends upon how for he is in tune with the Spirit of the Times.