EKURWE: SELF-INTEREST CAN BE FRUSTRATING

Few weeks ago, I had an audience with a promising youth of our land. He sound very ethical and seems to have a strong aura of morality–but his political interest for 2027 gave him away and lost out in the integrity test and ideal humanity. Immediately, I feel I will write an open letter to all young people when I resume. So, get ready as I go along in the series of 10-open letters. This is not one of them though, but just introducing my intentions.

On a general note–if confronted and asked how we would  behave in a situation that puts a private benefit against the greater good of the society, most of us will not admit to favoring the private benefit. But as history and current reality clearly shows, most people, whether because of nature or nurture, generally put their own interests ahead of others or the greater good of the society. This doesn’t make them bad people; it just makes them human.

But all this self-interest can be frustrating if your ambitions are larger than simply securing some small private victory or maybe you want to ease poverty. One reason is that, it is easy to let your biases—political, intellectual, cultural, religious or otherwise—colour your view of the world and issues around it. Even the smartest hypocritical people tend to seek out evidence that confirms what they already think, rather than new information that would give them a more robust view of reality. How much more can we quickly discover of less intelligent people that are determine to force a concept down our harmless throat.

How are we going to get everyone to pull in the same direction when they are all pulling primarily for themselves? The gap between the heart and the mouth is like Itakpa Ito to Anyika Itakpa or from Adum West Ito to Adum Owo or from Ukpa Ohuma to Andibilla or from Idelle to Ete-Adum Uwokwu.

Chawowo–Ela Ochiche Ka, just dey play and think we don’t know. Nothing is general in you, it is all personal. Watch out for the 10-OPEN LETTERS.