By Ing Yayah A.B. Conteh
Stories abound of people, Africans and non-Africans alike, being absorbed heart and soul in the culture of hypocrisy – a practice in which somebody pretends to have moral standards or opinions about something which, in actual fact, he does not possess in the least.
An ancient adage admonishes that, “Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might.”
This adage indeed contains a profound psychological truth. The ‘hand,‘ in the adage, can be representative of other parts of the human body, like the foot, mouth and tongue, etc.
In the realm of hypocrisy, particularly from the African perspective, all the above mentioned parts have significant roles to play, being subject to the manipulation of the mind in order to achieve the desired purpose.
Most often it is said that the queer traits of human beings that culminate in the attainment of success in whatever field of passion all too frequently lead to disappointment, failure and disaster.
In this vein, many people in Africa refrain from unburdening their minds to friends, acquaintances or even to close relatives with whom they are bonded by ties of consanguinity in respect of planned future engagements and programmes for fear of being ‘bewitched’ in the end, with the consequent collapse of their well-intentioned or well-laid plans.
Just take a casual look at people from different backgrounds in our societies who have assumed positions of trust and responsibilities, like Ministers, Executive Directors, Directors, Hon Members of Parliament, etc. These classes of people who are already perceived to be men or women of substance in the country are being visited on a daily basis by a large number of commoners both in their offices and private residences. These visitors constitute both relatives and non-relatives alike.
The bulk of these visits are hypocritical, for these high ranking people in our societies find themselves surrounded by a bunch of hypocrites masquerading as people with genuine motives and initiatives, armed with a multifarious set of problems begging for solutions. But alas, they are all wolves in sheep clothing! Not until when the tide of success reverses and these-once-upon-a-time influential citizens are thrown out of employment, or suffer some setbacks in every other conceivable way, do the true colours and correct behaviours of these visitors truly identified!
In the majority of the cases, they would suddenly disappear into thin air. The once vibrant and charismatic daily visitors would no longer be available to demonstrate their open mindedness or support as was usually the case, nor even be there again to even visit the offices or residences of the affected persons in order to demonstrate a sense of remorse and sympathy at a time both are absolutely needed. They would now be looking forward to receiving the new set of ‘operatives’ that would be appointed to the vacated offices by their predecessors. It is with them that they would now be ready to dine and wine!
So men and women in positions of trust and responsibilities-beware! Afterwards, not everybody is comfortable with your titles and positions. The hypocritical lot are not only envious of you but of the titles and positions too bestowed upon you by Divine Providence.
Have we not heard of some women in general, envious of the successes and positive gains of their fellow women in their matrimonial homes, and under the guise of hypocrisy, advise them incorrectly instead to quit these homes due to incompatibility with their legally wedded husbands- a situation which, otherwise, they could have comfortably coped with under similar circumstances?
Are there not professional liars and charlatans, within and outside our family circles who, under the cloak of hypocrisy, promise employment opportunities to some underprivileged lot desperately searching for same and which never see the light of day?
Why do people build fences around the perimeter of their homes? This is not just to keep away the thieves and evildoers at bay but more importantly too to ensure that family secrets are kept within family circles, and that whatever is discussed in there remains undisclosed outside. There is always a high likelihood of pertinent family issues being communicated outside by some inquisitive hypocritical eyes once these facilities or measures are lacking.
Lest we forget to haul the ‘hypocritical mud’ too at people of substance wielding influence and authority in our midst. Those who follow them blindly cannot be held blameworthy all the time.
Pause a bit and have a look at the crop of our politicians, for example. How very frequently do we see a common man thirsty and voracious for political power who, quite intelligent beyond all measures, forceful and all-roundly domineering in opposition, eventually becoming an ineffective cypher when he assumes the reigns of governance. What a degree of hypocrisy at its highest!
Examples so far highlighted are just a tip of the iceberg in respect of the hypocritical syndrome inherent in an average African citizen. They are quite inexhaustible.
Mankind has long ago learnt the simple but plain truth that it is to the men who are masters of their own minds and intellect that the biggest salaries go to in this world. These are the men who organize and direct their brain force in a much more ordered fashion for the benefit of humanity. Big salaries don’t go to those who nurse and engage in hypocritical manoeuvres for their own selfish gratification.
One important fact the average man needs to inculcate into his mind is that we are all so uniquely sculptured by the Supreme Being that our thoughts always tend to transform into actions and these actions eventually develop into habits.
So, if someone is not making a positive headway in life or, in other words, not succeeding at all as he wishes, while others are making tremendous breakthroughs in their everyday undertakings, instead of that person lapsing into hypocritical tendencies, he should cultivate the habit of thinking correctly in order to realize his ambitions too as, does, perhaps the other man.
If that individual intends to poise himself for greater heights hitherto undreamed of in his life, then he should, first and foremost, believe in himself and in his own God-given powers, rid himself too of the armour of fear and make positive use of his subconscious self for the attainment and actualization of his goals, desires and aspirations.
A hypocritical mind will ever continue to walk along the dangerous edge of a precipitous slope unless the individual prepares himself to don the armour of strong will that will enable him carve out a positive pathway to success.
Ing. Yayah A.B. Conteh is the Director of the Mechanical Services Department (MSD) of the Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA).
Tel. Nos: 076640364 / 077718805.
E-mail: contehyayahab2020@gmail.com.