Ft
by
Obododimma Oha
The expression, "YES," ordinarily suggests an acceptance or agreement, while 'NO" suggests a refusal or rejection. But beyond these, "YES" places the utterer under obligation, "NO" a liberation or freedom from obligation. In other words, a "YES" from somebody requires that the person should comply. From such, we have identifications like "a YES person" or "a life of YES SIR." While "YES" belongs to compliance or agreement, "NO" belongs to refusal. While the latter indicates an opposition, the former belongs to uncritical following. This essay suggests that the ability to say "NO," especially to some people, demands having the courage. People who are held by the leash like pets cannot say "NO" to those pulling or controlling them. As the Igbo say, "Aka ji ha" ("They are held," or "They are under control").
Those who use hooks in fishing can understand this well. Fish that has taken a bait is in great trouble and cannot do much to resist going home with the fisher. One can only say "NO" when one is not influenced to say "YES." In fact, one cannot say "YES-NO." It does not indicate a direction and looks like a contradiction. It is absurd, as a friend once humorously said, as answering "MA-SIR" when called, the problem being that when "SIR" is calling, "MA" is also calling or has chosen to call.
That friend was probably indirectly referring to this unfortunate struggle between women's right and those of men, especially as witnessed these days in the homefront. There is a fight between feminism and masculinism, for instance, and one wonders whether a feminist and a masculinist can live together in that mansion in Heaven that Jesus went to make ready. "MA-SIR," the angels might chorus, amazed at the contradiction, and wonder what is inside the luggage of each ideologue arriving! It is as confusing as locating fellows in Heaven and Hell at the same time.
We can see that being able to say "NO" and to face the consequences sometimes is not easy. One saying "NO" may be unjustly punished, called a "terrorist", killed even, or asked to have the very reward waiting for all who have the courage to say "NO."
If one is courageous enough to say "NO," one should be ready for the consequence. Maybe it is such consequences that some people want to avoid and therefore say "YES." In other words, a "YES" could be insincere and not from the heart. Such a "Yes" is not borne out of courage but fear.
Another thing worth noting is that "YES" people are those ready to be used. They can become weapons against their kind or even they themselves and they would not know. "YES" people are called "mumu" or "mugu" in Nigeria. Ask a "mumu" to kill somebody during an election or to continue in backwardness and the "mumu" will agree. Don't you see how an Oduche would faithfully run errands in church but would not bother to attend to simple tasks at home. And it pains his parents. Ah, what is coming?
But one has to have the courage to say "NO" sometimes, otherwise one is in trouble. A "YES" person can always be used to clean any shit. A "YES" person, as an organism without any freedom, is always called upon to do things and can be predicted. Yes, predicted as a "YES" person who cannot refuse. It is because a "YES" person is predictable that such a person can be used.
If a person does not want to be used, that person needs to have the courage to refuse an action and get ready for the consequences. The courage to say not means that one understands one's "YES."
We have to have the courage to say "NO" if we are being recruited to do evil. We should be able to resist being lured into the dark shades of criminality, however tempting they are. The same goes for evil that pretends to be transparent righteousness. The courage to say "NO" would place us high above the machinations and higher than the high in society.
The courage to say "NO" is not just a moral high ground; it is also the spirit of truth. It makes one a lieutnant of what is just. So, all the forces of goodness are recruited to act on the side of that soldier. Therefore, that soldier is legion!
by
Obododimma Oha
The expression, "YES," ordinarily suggests an acceptance or agreement, while 'NO" suggests a refusal or rejection. But beyond these, "YES" places the utterer under obligation, "NO" a liberation or freedom from obligation. In other words, a "YES" from somebody requires that the person should comply. From such, we have identifications like "a YES person" or "a life of YES SIR." While "YES" belongs to compliance or agreement, "NO" belongs to refusal. While the latter indicates an opposition, the former belongs to uncritical following. This essay suggests that the ability to say "NO," especially to some people, demands having the courage. People who are held by the leash like pets cannot say "NO" to those pulling or controlling them. As the Igbo say, "Aka ji ha" ("They are held," or "They are under control").
Those who use hooks in fishing can understand this well. Fish that has taken a bait is in great trouble and cannot do much to resist going home with the fisher. One can only say "NO" when one is not influenced to say "YES." In fact, one cannot say "YES-NO." It does not indicate a direction and looks like a contradiction. It is absurd, as a friend once humorously said, as answering "MA-SIR" when called, the problem being that when "SIR" is calling, "MA" is also calling or has chosen to call.
That friend was probably indirectly referring to this unfortunate struggle between women's right and those of men, especially as witnessed these days in the homefront. There is a fight between feminism and masculinism, for instance, and one wonders whether a feminist and a masculinist can live together in that mansion in Heaven that Jesus went to make ready. "MA-SIR," the angels might chorus, amazed at the contradiction, and wonder what is inside the luggage of each ideologue arriving! It is as confusing as locating fellows in Heaven and Hell at the same time.
We can see that being able to say "NO" and to face the consequences sometimes is not easy. One saying "NO" may be unjustly punished, called a "terrorist", killed even, or asked to have the very reward waiting for all who have the courage to say "NO."
If one is courageous enough to say "NO," one should be ready for the consequence. Maybe it is such consequences that some people want to avoid and therefore say "YES." In other words, a "YES" could be insincere and not from the heart. Such a "Yes" is not borne out of courage but fear.
Another thing worth noting is that "YES" people are those ready to be used. They can become weapons against their kind or even they themselves and they would not know. "YES" people are called "mumu" or "mugu" in Nigeria. Ask a "mumu" to kill somebody during an election or to continue in backwardness and the "mumu" will agree. Don't you see how an Oduche would faithfully run errands in church but would not bother to attend to simple tasks at home. And it pains his parents. Ah, what is coming?
But one has to have the courage to say "NO" sometimes, otherwise one is in trouble. A "YES" person can always be used to clean any shit. A "YES" person, as an organism without any freedom, is always called upon to do things and can be predicted. Yes, predicted as a "YES" person who cannot refuse. It is because a "YES" person is predictable that such a person can be used.
If a person does not want to be used, that person needs to have the courage to refuse an action and get ready for the consequences. The courage to say not means that one understands one's "YES."
We have to have the courage to say "NO" if we are being recruited to do evil. We should be able to resist being lured into the dark shades of criminality, however tempting they are. The same goes for evil that pretends to be transparent righteousness. The courage to say "NO" would place us high above the machinations and higher than the high in society.
The courage to say "NO" is not just a moral high ground; it is also the spirit of truth. It makes one a lieutnant of what is just. So, all the forces of goodness are recruited to act on the side of that soldier. Therefore, that soldier is legion!
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