I casually breeze through many opinions on the internet. From some, I glean; for some, I absorb; from some, I draw humour, with some, I disagree but pass, and with some, my spirit is unable to turn a blind eye upon disagreement. One of the posts recently made by Solomon Buchi got me in the latter position. Here is the post below:
I am someone who believes in the extra-conscious use of words in whatever form, especially when they may affect others directly or indirectly. Such caution becomes even more imperative when you wield a certain level of influence, like Solomon Buchi.
Solomon Buchi may have a point he’s trying to drive, which is embracing the beauty of a ‘conventional’ life. However, his expressions give too much room for grave misinterpretation.
While contentment is key to leashing the human nature of wanting more, his position wrongly implies some things as ‘absolute’. The statement “chasing the ‘impossibility’ we might never attain” is wrongly worded. ‘Impossibility’ and ‘might’ cannot coexist in that context especially when preceded by an establishment that “2%” of people have manifested the “impossible”. “Impossibility” doesn’t give room for nature to take its course, it only succumbs to the miraculous which is something supernatural. On the other hand, “might” is an avenue for chance, luck, and possibility. All the things he cited in that tweet are attainable by any human and are not “impossibilities” in any form. Some arguments may claim connotative use of language, but Solomon Buchi’s audience is filled with folks who would take his positions literally, especially when there’s no use of connotative punctuations like quotes as he did with “AVERAGE”.
A better-worded expression would have been “chasing ‘possibilities’ that may not be eventually attainable…” or “chasing probabilities instead of discovering and appreciating the positives of their actualities or realities.”
He also goes on to loosely use the word “overestimate.” I find that pretty hilarious, insecure, and distasteful. “Overestimation” in the context of his post is a controversial word to use, because at what point is one determined to have overestimated their worth? Is it by daring to dream big? Is it by pushing to be big?
Also, for such an opinion, empathy should be a core element in placing your words because you’re trying to help people understand the “good” in something they consider “not good enough” or “bad”. As such, “Hate” is a very strong word to use especially against ‘young’ people’s ‘wild ambitions’. How does one “hate” the fact that settling for less is treated as an ‘outcast’ by ‘young people’? I don’t think it’s a fair thing to say.
The place of scrutinizing the “means” to highly successful ends may be upheld, and criticism is welcome if need be, but the idea of the venture itself isn’t something to be trampled on or discouraged especially among young folks with so much energy, time, and potential.
Your youthfulness is up for you to shoot for the moon, and if you do not get it, you still have a great chance of landing on the stars, and regardless of the eventual outcome, you can save yourself the ‘guilt’ of not ‘trying at all’. Nevertheless, if one chooses on default to be average, there’s nothing wrong with it. But let’s get it clear that lofty doesn’t equate impossibility.
If you made it this far, you probably enjoyed the read. I write about different things from time to time on TMB Beyond Melodies. You can catch up on my niche review of the Nigerian movie – Breath of Life. Aside from writing, I’m a talented singer-songwriter with a refined artistic presence. I specialise in performing at weddings and exclusive events. I bring grand sonic colours to special moments. Discover more and book The Musical Being for your next event!
Cheers.