A series of short thought-provoking philosophical narrations of the business of living – by Zito Mbowa.
I have come to the solemn realization that, by and large, people want you to “be yourself”, to “be true to who you are”, and “own your identity”. All clichés of the self-actualized person.
They will cheer for your enduring authentic pragmatic eloquent expressive prowess with the gaiety of a deity… until such time they no longer see themselves in who you’re becoming or have become.
Then, they distaste an abhorrent banality of your mere presence.
Perhaps, we do not cheer for others after all, we admire and cheer for that version of ourselves putatively scintillating in them. And that may be the glue that really bonds us. The parts of ourselves we see in others.
I am not entirely without sympathy for my fellowmen, but we are inadvertently broken creatures, aren’t we?
Confoundingly, we live our lives gregariously pursuing herds and merrymaking with conformist yet ever poised to set ourselves apart as distinguished characters with idiomatic self-patented demeanors.
In every herd, presumably, is a bit of fallacious ill credence about one’s uniqueness. We may be better off humbling ourselves with a bit of incertitude over our own being.
The most noble thing we incessantly owe ourselves, conceivably, is impartial scrutiny of our individual pursuits, deeds and beliefs. Perhaps, the ultimate responsibility for those who long to exult for themselves higher fulfilment and wellbeing.
For though we may walk paths of ethical desires, each step we make is a fortuitous progression. For many of us, serendipity is the witness to whom we owe our most virtuous endurances.
Email: zito@mbowa.com
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