often took biology and zoology classes in our zoo corner.
My grandfather died in 1981, when I was five years old. I saw him a little, and my memories of him are indistinct, but later my grandmother told me a lot about him. On every street and in every corner of our district, the people I met remembered him with reverence, and expressed their respect.
I also want to mention Haji Babazade, my maternal grandfather. My mom’s family consisted of the native people of Baku, and was also very noble, coming from the Halvachis, an ancient clan of Icheri Sheher (Inner City, or Fortress). One of the most famous clan members was Meshedi Azizbekov, a famous figure in the Bolshevik revolution, who never reconciled with the dictatorship of the Communists, an ardent enemy of imperialism, a consistent supporter of self-determination in people’s destiny. He was a cousin of mom’s father.
Much should be learned from my mom’s father. Doctor of Sciences, teacher, polyglot, playwright, he was also the first director of the Mingachevir hydroelectric station. His credo in life, like that of my other grandfather, was «perseverance and more perseverance.»
There is a famous street in Baku called Zevin Street (now Aziz Aliyev street). Now it’s full of brand boutiques, but before there were grocers of my mom’s father's. When my grandfather was eight years old, his father passed away. So that the shops continued to trade, his mother put him behind the counter. However, he was eager to get an education, so he refused to trade. Despite this, he was not allowed to study.
At that time, there were Russian-Tatar elementary schools, and in order for the child to study at school, one of the parents had to write an application. Do you know what little Haji did to achieve his dream in such a situation? Sitting at the grocery counter and watching passers-by along Zevin Street, he noticed an intelligent-looking man. He ran out, called him and asked him to write an application on behalf of his father to enroll him in school. As a result, my mom’s father began to study and in a very short time became an exemplary student. His mother retreated, realizing that she could not impede the desire of her son.
I gave you an example from my family to emphasize the importance of heredity in the development of a successful person. In the end, as an evidence in this broad topic, I want to state a few facts.
Never think that all Brazilians are good football players, all Jews are financial oligarchs, all Italians are tenors, all Germans are engineers, all French are cooks and fashion designers, all Swiss are watchmakers, all Russians are gunsmiths, all Turks are builders, because it's senseless. Let’s remember the so-called crime lords – immigrants from Georgia, or Chechens – professional soldiers.
All this is proof that for thousands of years the knowledge and skills absorbed in the memory of the people have been passed down from generation to generation under the name of «tradition».
These are traditions in their general meaning. There are also personal traditions. There are many traditions exemplified by one particular kind: the Rothschild dynasty (bankers and financiers from Germany), the Nehru generation (politicians from India), the Rockefeller clan (oil industrialists from America), the Pritzker dynasty (hotel businessmen from America), etc.
In Azerbaijan, for example, we have the Mamedyarov family. One of its members, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, is a grandmaster, the only 2-time world champion among chess players under 20. He is the 13th chess player in the world exceeding the 2800 Elo-point rating. According to the FIDE rating, Shakhriyar is one of the three strongest chess players in the world. His older sister Zeynab is an international grandmaster, and his younger sister Turkyan is also an international grandmaster. Both sisters are also winners of local and international competitions. The father of these three grandmasters, Hamid Mamedyarov, was also a chess player in the past, and he taught children this sport.
Another example: during the Soviet period there were two famous poets, Rasul Rza and Nigar Rafbeyli. They were husband and wife. Their son Anar also became a famous writer. He is currently chairman of the Azerbaijan Writers Association. Anar’s daughter Gunel Anargyzy is also a talented writer. Thus, on the example of my family and some others, I told you about the role of hereditary traditions in achieving success.
I talked about how talent, features and skills are passed down from generation to generation. Using the example of individual facts, I have conclusively determined that the environment in which a person was born and raised plays an important role in shaping a successful person.
But this does not mean you fail if there were no successful people in your family.
Dear reader, if you were unable to take the baton of success from your family and you cannot become a successor, don’t worry. Be the first lucky one in your family. Let it all start with you, and let others follow.
12. The Prospect of Choosing an Idol and an Icon
Since childhood, we all choose our icons or idols and try to be like them in everything. This is our characteristic. Indeed, by nature, a person is always inclined towards development and perfection. A desire to resemble the person you have chosen as an example in your life path is very strong. This, incidentally, is one of the secrets to success: the choice of an ideal worthy of an example. Look at the children playing football in the yard. Most of them try to look like today’s most powerful players, such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. They watch their games, follow them on social networks, collect their videos and photos. Children is just an example. Those involved in professional football, choose their ideals in their role. If you ask a goalkeeper, you will know that he wants to be like Gianluigi Buffon, David de Gea, Manuel Neuer, the defenders want to be like Sergio Ramos, Thiago Silva or Marcelo, the midfielders want to become a Luca Modric, Toni Cross or Andres Iniesta, while the attackers want to be like Cristiano Ronaldo, Leonel Messi (whom I mentioned recently) or Neymar.
The same is true for other sports and other professions. In my country, for example, various types of martial arts are very popular. If you ask young men involved in martial arts, they will give the names of world champions and Olympic champions, such as Namig Abdullayev, Rafael Aghayev or Ilkam Zakiyev, who are considered their idols.
What artist does not dream of becoming Rembrandt, Da Vinci, Sattar Bahlulzade, or what director doesn’t dream of being Fellini, Spielberg or Scorsese? What actor (actress) doesn’t dream of becoming the new Alain Delon, Marilyn Monroe or Tarantino, what writer does not dream of becoming Dostoevsky, Nizami Ganjavi or Marquez? What singer doesn’t dream of becoming Luciano Pavarotti, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, or what fashion designer doesn’t dream of being Coco Chanel, Pierre Cardin or Giorgio Armani?
I named the first names that came to my mind, though there are many other outstanding people…
Typically, idols or icons are chosen from a local or global circle. Those that we have listed are idols from the local circle. That is, a person engaged in a certain field chooses the most powerful and authoritative person in this field as his idol, tries to imitate him or her and dreams of overcoming the heights that his idol or icon has overcome.
Global idols are great people who have passed away. A person of any profession can choose such an icon. Such people include Jesus Christ, the prophet Muhammad, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Robert Oppenheimer, Alfred Hitchcock, Che Guevara, Winston Churchill, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Bill Gates, Warren Edward Buffett.
Like every Azerbaijani, I also have an example to follow from the personality of Heydar Aliyev. This great man in my understanding is a global icon. Wisdom, deep thinking, ability to analyze and make the right decision, will and perseverance, ability to stand the most difficult situations – these are the bright characteristic features of this outstanding personality.
Due to his excellent leadership skills in 1982, Aliyev reached the highest
