FearLess by Shaheryar Mian

By CloudTen Blog

At just 21, Mehmet II, founder of the Ottoman dynasty, achieved the impossible. In 1453, his army breached the once-impenetrable walls of Constantinople, a city that had repelled 35 prior sieges and was famed for its formidable defenses.

Constantinople’s defenses were legendary, with thick double Theodosian Walls and a moat on the landward side, and the Golden Horn, an inlet waterway, protecting the rest of the city. The Golden Horn was guarded by the infamous great chain, stretching from the nearby Tower of Galata to Constantinople. The great chain was practically unbreachable at the time and repulsed all unwanted ships, which made the conquest of Constantinople particularly challenging. The Theodosian walls facing the European side is where most armies perished at the foot. At 21 years old, a fearless Ottoman boy was about to change that.

Mehmet II’s triumph was a blend of strategy, timing, and military might, but it was his youthful fearlessness that truly led the charge. This article explores how, with age, fearlessness often gives way to cynicism and doubt. Scientific research points to evidence that risk taking is more abundant in younger people (National Library of Medicine). However, with the right knowledge and attitude, you can still operate with an element of fearlessness to achieve your goals and dreams in everyday life. It should also be noted that fearlessness is not synonymous to recklessness and risk-taking to foolishness. The story of Icarus is an important lesson to keep in mind. The hype and demise of young crypto billionaires exhibits examples of when fearlessness crosses into recklessness. One must act rationally while employing the power of a fearless attitude.

Halil Pasha, Mehmet’s chief advisor and influential grand vizier, embodied the maturity and experience that inclined him toward peacemaking and a pragmatic retreat. Mehmet had first tried to breach the walls of the city through large cannon warfare, which was unprecedented at the time. When the cannons failed, Halil warned Mehmet of dissension in the ranks and falling morale of the army which could cost Mehmet everything, including his own life. Halil’s advice was not wrong by any means and perhaps would have saved a lot of bloodshed, but if taken, it would have failed to achieve Mehmet’s motive of conquering Constantinople. The dichotomy between the two characters exhibits how youthful energy yields fearlessness, that makes us achieve impossible things that may seem insurmountable to someone with more experience. One can find a similar scenario in the ascent of tech billionaires in the modern era. What Mark Zuckerberg achieved with Facebook, and Trevor Kalanick with Uber are feats unimaginable to the majority of the older demographic in the world. When Kalanick first presented his idea to potential investors, a few experienced investors balked at the idea of random people getting together on a phone app to share rides. These tech founders embodied a fearlessness that allowed them to go against the grain – as in applying for finance jobs, wearing suits and ties, and abiding to a corporate defined model of sales, operations, and risk management. Instead, they redefined the rules of the game and achieved the impossible. Could you seriously imagine, in the year 2000 that a social media application called Facebook would impact much of the world elections and voter sentiment? And that your phone would allow you to seamlessly arrange and pay for transportation without making a single call? Fearlessness often stems from a lack of experience.. The world is anew, the path undefined, and failures and disappointments are few and far between – a perfect setup to push the status-quo.

Centuries earlier, Mehmet II redefined the rules of warfare. He surrounded the walls of Constantinople with the largest cannons ever seen on the planet at the time. But, despite the cannon firepower, the Theodosian walls of the city refused to give way. When Mehmet finally admitted the reality that the city was impenetrable and that dissension within his army was getting out of control; he found a way to attack from the side of the Golden horn. Knowing full well that the great chain would render his ships redundant, Mehmet used his authority and negotiation skills to convince the leader of Galata to allow his army access to his land to transport materials and supplies. Shrouded in deep secrecy, Mehmet commanded a unit of his army to make way for ships on land and transport them on foot into the golden horn. This required cutting down a large part of the forest in strict silence and building makeshift bridges to transport the galleys on foot. It is estimated that close to eighty galleys were transported to the golden horn through this clandestine plan. Once Mehmet gained access to the golden horn, the games of warfare changed and he instantly gained the upper hand. Caught by surprise, the defending armies of Constantinople fell into disarray with a two pronged attack upon them from land and water. In the final charge toward the city, and to repel the fear of his invading army, Mehmet himself rode his horse toward the Theodosian walls and nearly got killed. He was fearless, determined, singular in his goal. And then history was rewritten.

Conclusion

Fearlessness is the key to dreaming big and pushing beyond the limits of imagination. As we age, cynicism often tempers our ambitions, making it harder to challenge the status quo. But by recognizing that experience can sometimes breed fear, we can consciously maintain the boldness that drives extraordinary achievements. Whether it was Mehmet II conquering Constantinople, or modern visionaries like Zuckerberg and Kalanick redefining industries, their success stemmed from a fearless resolve to change the world. The lesson is clear: embrace fearlessness, stay resilient, and continue to push forward, no matter the obstacles. For a deeper dive into this theme, the Netflix series Rise of Empires: Ottoman offers an inspiring portrayal of Mehmet II and Constantinople. Fear not— keep pushing!