Philosophical Insights from Recent Reads

A couple of weeks ago, I have been fortunate to read five captivating books. Rather than providing traditional reviews, I want to share one key philosophy I deduced from each book.

L𝑒a𝑣e H𝑒r B𝑒h𝑖n𝑑: You’d wonder why, after informing your spouse that the program will start at 09:00 (though it’ll start at 10:00) and waking her early at 08:00, she’d still help you to be late to the program by finishing up at 10:45. Even with that, she’ll say she’s left something behind she needs to get. The solution is here: Mr. Rose Amarteifio tells us on page 77 of her book, “The Memoirs and Thoughts of a Widow,” how her husband, Victor Amarteifio, the late prolific writer, would leave her home anytime they had a program to attend and she was delaying. She confessed how that contributed to her seriousness towards punctuality and debunked the notion of ‘African Time’. Now you know: leave her home whenever she’s delaying you. Just leave money for Bolt.

𝑇h𝑒 𝑁e𝑒d f𝑜r D𝑢a𝑙𝐶i𝑡i𝑧e𝑛sℎi𝑝: Amidst the long talk about PhDs and passports, nobody seemed to vitiate the ideal of having dual citizenship. It’s a good thing if you have one. On page 66 of the book “Notes on Grief,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the author, tells us how her father was kidnapped and sent into the bush for three days by some fluff-headed men who demanded a ransom in 2015. Her words were that “I have never been as grateful for my father’s dual citizenship.” During these trying times, it was the American ambassador who did all he could to ransom their father while the Nigerian government went to sleep all because he was a citizen of America. So if you have the chance for dual citizenship, go for it.

𝐿e𝑎r𝑛 𝑡o R𝑒j𝑒c𝑡𝐺i𝑓t𝑠: We need to reject some gifts; it’s not evil when we do so. It’s rather to tell our oppressors, who after oppressing us, find a way to console us with a gift so that we’d forget the ordeal we had been subjected to. The oppressor’s gift is a curse; know that. In January 1983, the Nigerian government expelled Ghanaians from Nigeria, and news spread that aid had begun coming from well-wishers to console the displaced Ghanaians, who had had to let go of their belongings and all. The Nigerian government also, out of goodwill, donated N670000. Mr. Kwasi Oduro-Agekum, on page 99 of his book “Coming Home from Agege,” put it that “The Ghana government, however, rejected Nigeria’s offer.” There’s no harm in keeping your hand behind when the Devil stretches his for a handshake.

𝑇h𝑒 𝐺o𝑜d i𝑛𝑃o𝑣e𝑟t𝑦: This point will be contested, but let’s give it a second thought. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah narrates on page vii of his autobiography that “those years in America and England were years of sorrow and loneliness, poverty and hard work. But I have never regretted them because the background that they provided has helped me to formulate my philosophy of life and politics.” Many times, humble beginnings teach us so much that when the dry season is over, and we see the wet season—of prosperity and abundance of wealth—we may have already formulated some deep-rooted asceticism that no amount of clout and wealth could detour us from our main focus in life.

𝑀a𝑛 𝑀u𝑠t L𝑜v𝑒𝑊o𝑚e𝑛: We have learned that our existence in life is premised on women — they give life after God. Thus, as men, if we should be proud of anything, it should be how good we are to women — that we are the best they could have. If you read “Think Like A Billionaire” by Donald Trump, former American president, he beats his chest and says, “I am a romantic guy. If there isn’t any romance in my life, then I don’t have much incentive to be the best I can be. That’s one reason I love women.“ This assertion of his for loving women was hinged on the fact that — “they are great motivators” — and it’s true. “I think any honest man would agree.” Wherever you are, there’s no need to be ashamed if you love women, unless you dishonor them by abusing and belittling them.