Skip to main content

Slaves of perception


We may refer to perception as a mental image. Everyone has a disparate perception of certain aspects or subjects, in life. Our lives, are dominated by perception. A famous aphorism, that most of us have great knowledge of is “perception of reality is more real vis-à-vis reality”. This aphorism, simply, enlightens us that a preponderance of what we think we see nor devoutly believe, is actually false. However, this is an irrefutable fact that most people aren’t prepared to be receptive to.

“Money, makes the world go ‘round” is an aphorism which has enlightened us nor helped us ascertain the fact that the roads are filled with a traffic of cars, daily, because a preponderance of people choose to spend a chief portion of their lives, skills, talents and time to serve, most often, foreign capitalists who will offer them a salary or a minimum wage, but not wealth, as a token of their appreciation. A preponderance of people, today, believe in “job security”; the biggest fable ever told to and devoutly believed by adults, who occupy the working class. A preponderance of people fear chasing their dreams or attempting to make their dreams come true because they fear what could happen to them if they don’t make it, ironically, they devoutly pursue jobs without the fear of what could happen to them if they could lose those jobs. “job security” “money" “heaven and hell" are all famous terms that are ubiquitous in our world, simply, to show how the power of perception works. 

A preponderance of Africans, who label themselves as Christians, believe that there is a heaven in the sky and there’s a hell, underground. That’s their perception of life. 

These Africans, who consider themselves as devout believers of the European religion, also strongly believe that those who do not believe in the same religion as them, will die and perish; but mostly, will burn in hell. A tad spooky, right? Scary enough to impel Africans to abhor their own ancestors, values, customs and themselves; simply, because the Caucasian god abhors the previously mentioned. Their actions and reactions towards their fellow Africans, who do not believe in their religion,  are quite kenspeckle that this religion has been deeply embedded into the core of their subconscious minds. It is inextricable. 

Perception is a tad complex. 

In the townships, villages or in gobs of places where Africans nor people of African descent dwell, you’d find that formal education is the ruler of many lives; by “many lives", I mean, the chief population. “Without school, you’ll never be anything in life, my child” what most parents would utter in order to strike fear in their children’s hearts, if they’re overtly showing tardiness when it comes to their school work; even if they exude apathy towards school. Look, how the relatives who did not obtain their matric certificates owing to not completing school, are being treated in family gatherings, especially if they are not financially independent; they get treated, almost, the same way the beggars in Jozi are being treated. Most of the family members, whose matric certificates, combined with tertiary accolades and a “job security” mindset, have earned them well-paying jobs, have the perception that those who’ve dropped out of school, have pulverized their own lives. That’s their perception. 

As Africans, we see how rape, gender based violence, drug abuse and all kinds of crimes that Bantu people commit in our respective communities, how African politicians behave like individuals who are being rehabilitated in an asylum, in parliament, how most African celebrities perpetuate toxic behavior through music and in all kinds of social engagements; it is no coincidence, it is how things should be. All that kind of negativity which engulf Bantu communities, are good for presentation; Bantu people are doing, exactly, what they are supposed to be doing. 

The world is supposed to see that the things that they read about in history books in formal schools, that Africans are savages, are true; through our behavior, of course. 

Therefore, the world should see that the holy and God sent Europeans are the ones who have civilized us. Without them, we would be nothing. Hence, we’d rather leave our communities and seek jobs in communities that are filled by them, in lieu of creating businesses within our communities, creating job opportunities and augmenting our own economy; that’s why when we, immediately get a tad of bigger pay, we leave our communities and seek better houses in communities that are filled by Caucasians, because they are more civilized than our communities, in lieu of using our money to contemporaneously develop our own environments and make money out of them; that’s why when we get money, we take our children to schools that are dominated by Caucasians because we believe they’ll receive better education and earn the ability to speak better English than the children who go to Bantu schools, in lieu of contributing in any way we can to ameliorate schools in our own communities til they reach a level where they’ll be deemed worthy enough to occupy the top 2, but not number 2. We were programmed to perceive ourselves as primitive and incapable; hence, we believe that success and wealth are intrinsic to other races, but us. 

After all, it’s all perception…

Comments

Post a Comment

Eye See

The objects of fear

The great Bantu Biko , once said that fear is an important determinant in South African politics. In fact, that’s what all governments use to contain the civilians. Fear, is not the power that one attains, but the power that he is given by the ones who fear him.  Allow me, to quote the legendary Biko: “It is a fear so basic in the considered actions of black people as to make it impossible for them to behave like people---let alone free people.” “One must not underestimate the deeply imbedded fear of the black man so prevalent in white society. Whites know only too well what exactly they have been doing to blacks and logically find reason for the black man to be angry. Their state of insecurity however does not outweigh their greed for power and wealth, hence they brace themselves to react against this rage rather than to dispel it with open-mindedness and fair play.” “It sometimes looks obvious here that the great plan is to keep the black people thoroughly intimidated and
Post a Comment
Read more

Resurrection

Christians would think of Jesus, first, when this word is being mentioned. According to Merriam Webster dictionary, it is the rising again of all the human dead before the final judgment; or the state of one risen from the dead. It is, simply, about revival nor the process of renewal. In Christianity, Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected on the third day. In the African culture, resurrection comprises a nexus with ancestors nor the ones who are considered deceased or late, on earth, like Christ. We may find resurrection being elucidated in a variety of ways from disparate perspectives and, mostly from religious perspectives. In the ancient Greek religion, there are many instances where the concept of resurrection gains enormous relevance. Memnon, who was killed by Achilles, was resurrected.  Achilles, after being killed, was resurrected by his mother, Thetis. Asclepius, was resurrected and altered into a more colossal deity, subsequent to being killed by Zeus.  Alcest
Post a Comment
Read more

Dark.

“Dark” the total absorption of light nor utter absence of light; the most feared state. There are nyctophiles, also. It is quite kenspeckle that the hoi polloi had been programmed to associate dark or the darkness with only nefarious, uncongenial, evil things; the hilarious part is that this idea or thought was popularized by those who are subjectively attracted to the light or the white color. For centuries, we’ve seen and still see how the dark people and all other people were convinced that black or dark is the antonym of pulchritude. Credulous Africans, who lack self-knowledge, believed it. Hence, for decades, we’ve seen (and still do) dark people altering their pigment to be lighter, in lieu of dark. Most, claim it’s a decision they took, not out of self-contempt. But, change, inextricably makes the past existence of a substance nor image to often be treated with contempt, if not utter.  If you take a good look at this “black" or “white" matter, you’d ascerta
Post a Comment
Read more