Tag: arrogance

Posted in corruption, governance, Moral conduct, Poetry, Politics

Good bye to sense by Noel Ihebuzor

Posted on by Noel Ihebuzor

Notes scatter, flung high above the heads of the celebrant, come falling down like boozed butterflies in disordered clusters to the unclean floor, gradually being overrun by notes in disarray. The more affluent hurl bundles at willing shoulders, some other bundles are thrust into welcoming arms by photo-savvy gifters

The long arm of the law looks on, powerless, the law has been long settled, sorted, and so now is broken, breakable

The space knows no balance, this place knows no balance, peopled by hollow souls with no restraint, who know no restraints, know and respect no limits, the leash on the impunity of the rich has no limits, so we ball on, big ballers kicking restraint, morality, conscience, common sense further down the slippery road of riot, ruin, and rot.

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Reflections on Today’s Readings on wisdom by Noel Ihebuzor – onye nkuzi

Posted on by Noel Ihebuzor

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110820.cfm

Today’s first reading on Wisdom struck a deep chord in me. It was not so much in its listing of the benefits of Wisdom or in its presentation of Wisdom as a woman as in the fact that the readings challenged one to reflect deeper on the true meaning and indicators of Wisdom.

What then is wisdom? Is it knowledge? Is it accumulated knowledge? Is it applied knowledge used for problem solving purposes? Is it intelligence, good sense, proper discernment, ability to navigate moral and social dilemmas, pragmatism, context dependent decision making, love of God born from fatalism, accommodation of neighbour driven by instrumental transactional considerations?

What then is this wisdom? Is it cognitive intelligence with a strong lacing of emotional intelligence? How would Igbo, my mother tongue help in getting me to the conceptual clarity that I seek? The Igbos have the following words that relate in some way or the other to the word WISDOM. They are Ako, Uche, Izu, Amamihe, Mmuta, Nwota, Echiche oma….. Which of these best translates wisdom? Or is wisdom nothing else but the breath of God’s spirit blowing in us and showing us the way to true and enduring values and choices?

I do not have answer but I can identify the absence of Wisdom whenever I come across it. The absence of Wisdom manifests itself by its lack of humility, by the presence of hubris caused by hamartia, by arrogance, by pride, by gross insensitivity, insolence, absence of empathy and emotional intelligence and excessive self focus. These vices were part of Donald Trump’s undoing – a reality which reminds us that victory is always in the long run with those who possess wisdom and who seek after her. Theirs shall be the fruits promised in Galatians 5: 22-23.

Noel