I thought our parents told us this was bad...why are we doing it?

It’s alarming how some of the things that were once considered wrong now seem to be normal. Everything we were taught about discipline, self-control, humility, patience, empathy, etc have gone down the drain. We’ve let ego get in the way; unnecessary and unhealthy competition; self-esteem issues; being unique in the wrong way (because you want to appear better than your neighbour). What changed people’s behaviour? Did we somehow just develop amnesia and forget or what? The annoying thing is that it is contagious. When you’re surrounded by people who do not appreciate good values or have lost theirs, there is the tendency for you to do same because of the lack of motivation to practice yours.

 

What we forget is that every action we take has its implications. According to Isaac Newton’s third law of motion, “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction”. In other words, every time we do something that promotes bad values, we should expect a negative reaction somewhere. That is why the rot in the country is getting bigger.

 

These are some of the wrong things we do or see people doing everyday:

 

1.  You’re not friendly with people you think cannot help you.

 

2.  When you meet someone for the first time, you assume the person has attitude issues so you're always on the defensive and ready to take action (common amongst ladies).

 

3.  You believe you’re in a competition with everybody that appears to be on the same level as you are or has potential to surpass you. You feel threatened unnecessarily and do everything within your power to weaken such persons.

 

4.  You can’t help but gossip even about your ‘supposed’ friend (and it is no longer only a female thing).

 

5.  You’re fond of insulting others. You have got no other way of cracking jokes.

 

6.  You don’t share friends (Thought that was kindergarten stuff!).

 

7.  You must do eye-service to ‘Oga’ if you want to grow in an organisation (even when the person is full of shit!). Hard work without eye-service won’t give you promotion these days.

 

8.  You don’t respect people older than you because you’re in a higher position at work than they are. If the person is younger, your behaviour is even worse.

 

9.  You’re selfish! Even when a decision you take will negatively affect others, you only think about yourself.

 

10.  In your dictionary, there is no such thing as a mutual agreement. Your decision is always final. Let the other person always be the one to change position or adjust.

 

11.  You believe that if you don’t cheat others, you’re a moron because everyone does it.

 

12.  You believe that if you’re nice, you’re a ‘mumu’ because the person you’re being nice to is not.

 

13.  Ladies will say ‘I love you’ but you must provide all my needs. Guys will say ‘I love you’ but commitment is an issue when I see fine babes all the time. No self-discipline!

 

14.  You cannot control your urges; you don’t mind raping to get satisfaction.

 

15. When something bad happens to someone, you only shout loud enough for the appropriate authorities to do something if it is your next door neighbour, because you could be the next. If it happens to someone far away, you don’t lose sleep.

 

16. You won’t give your customers their ‘change’ (even when you have it) unless they make continuous noise for it.

 

17.  You won’t return money you borrowed (even when you have it) unless the person reminds you. In your mind, everything na dash!

 

18.  You withhold staff salary unnecessarily even when you know the amount is small and their daily survival is dependent on it.

 

19.  If a company’s management don’t keep you waiting (for nothing) when you go for an interview or job test, it is a miracle.

 

20.  You’ve got a big ego! When you offend someone, you don’t apologise. You believe the person will forget after sometime and both of you will move on like nothing happened.

 

21.  When you offend someone, you’ll always apologise but never make effort to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Lack of self-control!

 

 

The list is endless! We feel we’re accountable to nobody so all the good manners we once learned should be forgotten. Even when you correct the wrongdoers, they don’t listen; they keep doing wrong because they feel others do it so there is no point trying to be different. Is that true? NO!!!

 

Just imagine if everyone had good values, even with limited resources, we’ll feel content because those resources would be put to good use. There will be no riots or strikes; you’ll finish university in 4 years (or within the required time); productivity will be high because the right set of workers are employed (no employing of relatives that lack skills) and the much needed motivation to work is in place; unemployment and crime rate will decline and so on...

 

Please let’s stand up for what is right so that gradually we can correct some of those anomalies sinking our country.  Yes, we can do it...it’s a matter of commitment, self-discipline, and self-control.

 

P.S.

 

It’s over 2 months now that the Chibok girls have been abducted. Yet, everybody is still going about their normal business. When government planned to completely remove petroleum subsidy in January 2012, there was a nationwide strike until Jonathan reversed it. Why can’t we do that now?