From Dentistry to Democracy

Years ago, I remember having some friends from Mexico whose dad was... super old-school, lets just say. So old-school in fact that he once tried to pull his own tooth with a pair of pliers.

I still shudder when I think about it.

Speaking of tooth pullers, there is another tooth-puller in history who has his own national holiday. No, he's not a Mexican folklore hero who my friends' dad was trying to emulate. This one was actually Brazilian. His exceptional life ended brutally, but his legacy greatly contributed to Brazilian independence. He is a national hero now.

Most people have never heard of him. But on April 21st, Brazil shuts down to remember a man known as Tiradentes—the “tooth puller.”

In many ways, he was an obscure figure and only locally known. But what pulled him (pun intended) from obscurity to prominence was not just how he died—but how he lived. Tiradentes was a man who rose from loss, educated himself, and eventually gave his life trying to reshape the future of his country. Whether you’ve heard of him or not, his story deserves your attention—because it’s an inspiration for anyone who wants to grow, rise, and matter.

A Hard Start

Born in 1746, Tiradentes—whose real name was Joaquim José da Silva Xavier—was orphaned by the age of 11. After his parents died, the family estate collapsed under debt. The rug wasn't just pulled from underneath him - the entire floor was.

For a child in colonial Brazil, this could’ve been a death sentence. But Tiradentes didn’t fold, he moved forward. He moved in with an uncle who worked as a surgeon, and under his influence and opportunities, began learning the basics of medicine and dentistry.

Tiradentes had no formal education. No degree. No wealthy connections. But he had drive. He watched, studied, practiced—and over time, became known for his skill in crafting dentures and pulling teeth. Hence the name: Tiradentes.

But he didn’t stop there.

Self-Taught. Self-Made.

As a young man, he joined the military and was assigned to patrol trade routes in the mining regions of Minas Gerais.

Gold flowed out of Brazil and into the hands of the Portuguese Crown. Meanwhile, locals were overtaxed, overworked, and overruled. You know the story. Tiradentes saw it clearly: Brazil was rich in resources but being exploited by Portugal. And the system was rigged to keep it that way. This injustice was too great for him to ignore any longer.

But instead of just complaining, he started reading. He studied Enlightenment thinkers. He absorbed the ideas behind the American Revolution. He became friends with other intellectuals and reformers. He carried pamphlets, debated ideals, and dreamed about freedom.

Tiradentes was a man who educated himself into vision—and then committed himself to action.

He Dared to Dream Differently

By the late 1780s, he was part of a secret movement called the Inconfidência Mineira—a coalition of thinkers, soldiers, local leaders, landowners, and poets who wanted independence from Portugal. They wanted to declare a republic, build a new capital, and restructure society. In short, a revolution.

Unfortunately, one of the members of the group betrayed them in return for a tax-deal (there's always a Judas, huh?). When the conspiracy was exposed and push came to shove, he didn’t pull any punches. He stood on principle and conviction, and he took the fall.

In 1792, Tiradentes was executed in Rio de Janeiro. He was hanged, dismembered, and distributed to various regions as a deterrent. I told you it was brutal. He was made into an example by the very system he tried to change.

But the story didn’t end there.

In the Shadow of the Gallows

For nearly a century, his name was all but forgotten. But when Brazil became a republic in 1889, the nation pulled him out of the shadows and into national prominence. He was a man who didn’t come from nobility or wealth, but who had fought for freedom and vision. Today, his face is on monuments, his name is on city squares, and every April 21st is a national holiday in his honor.

But here’s why the tooth-pulling Revolutionary matters to everyone—not as a figure of history, but as a winning mind.

He didn’t have opportunity handed to him. He created it. He didn’t know all the answers. But he asked better questions. He wasn’t formally educated. But he educated himself. He didn’t have power. But he chose principle. And in the end, he didn’t just live for comfort—he lived for legacy.

So What About You?

You may never be a revolutionary (or have the sometimes unfortunate privilege of dying like one either), but you have something in common with him.

You’ve faced setbacks. You’ve felt overlooked. You’ve had to rebuild after tragedy. You’ve wondered if your effort even matters.

But you have the same capacity to learn. The same ability to rise. The same call to live not just for success, but for significance.

You don’t need perfect conditions to grow. You need conviction.

You don’t need a fancy degree to lead. You need dedication.

And you don’t need the world’s approval to make a difference. You need vision.

Tiradentes was not remembered because he had power—he was remembered because he had purpose. And that’s the difference between a forgotten life and a meaningful one.

Don’t wait for permission to grow. Don’t wait for comfort to begin. Choose growth. Choose courage. Choose legacy.

Just like Tiradentes.